The dreaded FIRST BUS!

headingleylad · Post by **headingleylad** » Sat 05 Feb, 2011 11:59 pm

The 19 & 19A (Pink Line) bus route north of Leeds to Ireland Wood & Tinshill has been a 20 minute service since October 2 buses an hour with 40 minutes gap and 1 bus per hour to Tinshill yet in the centre of the timetable on the map is shown to be one of the services with a 10 minute interval service.I have also noticed that worst bus have brought out a new bus map of Leeds that is in all the usual outlets, when you look at it, it appears to be a Metro map, the only problem is, that it only shows Worst services and it makes it look as these are the only available services in Leeds.Another way of trying to fight off the competition?

Riponian · Post by **Riponian** » Thu 17 Mar, 2011 11:57 am

Bad news for Worst in North Leeds. From 17th April the daytime frequency of the 36 is going up to every 15 minutes.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 17 Mar, 2011 1:01 pm

Riponian wrote: Bad news for Worst in North Leeds. From 17th April the daytime frequency of the 36 is going up to every 15 minutes. More bad news too for the North Leeds/South Leeds axis - rumours from the First staff say that the dreaded articulated heaps are returning to the number 1 route in April. This is somewhat puzzling as they were in a shocking state of unreliability and one or two were "banished" to other regions after they were withdrawn - so it will be interesting to see what transpires !!

railnut · Post by **railnut** » Thu 17 Mar, 2011 1:10 pm

Heard from a friend of mine [who always seems to be in the know] that Giles Fearnley has come out of retirement to take on a position with Worst.The Blazefield Group which included Keighley & District and Harrogate & District, was his company which always had, still does have, a good reputation for reliability and customer service. The crewes are always smart and polite and the vehicles are clean. Even in bad weather. Also, no adverts across winbows that make buses seem like furniture vans.Now, if Mr fearnley has been asked to raise the profile of Worst and provide timetables that the customer wants instead of running buses to suit the Company, maybe we might start to see some improvements.My local 760 [ a K&D service] hasn't had a timetable change for 6 years or more. Bet Worst can't show that on any route.

Riponian · Post by **Riponian** » Thu 17 Mar, 2011 1:40 pm

I do feel they're kind of past saving and this is a last ditch attempt wrestle them from their own mess. It'd take such a big change in their culture that their Scottish overlords wouldn't sanction it. They've had so long messing with their customers that a lot of them, including myself, have taken to avoiding their expensive and frankly shoddy service.They must be paying Giles good money!

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 17 Mar, 2011 2:38 pm

Many of the First Bus drivers were clearly taught how to drive at the Bob Newhart bus driving school. Braking sharply when stopping (and usually a few yards after the stop) and accelerating fast away while people are still trying to get to a seat. Driving too fast then taking a break for a couple of minutes or so at stops to pass time away. Thankfully not all are like that, but most are now. As a passenger on a bus I shudder at what seems to be an increasing habit of bus drivers going onto a roundabout while there is a car already on it that has to then brake sharply to avoid hitting the bus.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 17 Mar, 2011 2:58 pm

I fear that I might sound a "goody goody" here, but I can honestly say that in 44 years bus and coach driving I never sank to the depths of one arrogant and highly dangerous habit which is becoming ever more prevalent. This is where the driver has one hand and arm draped over the counter or on the offside window sill, and the pad of the other hand being used to turn the wheel even on tight corners and near pavements thick with pedestrians. In other word there is not a single finger in contact with the rim of the steering wheel. It is almost always accompanied by a conceited expression which means " I don't give a toss about the passengers and I'm so great that the vehicle wouldn't dare to go anywhere it shouldn't" ---- for instance onto the pavement or straight across the road in an emergency or if his hands are damp with perspiration - it truly beggars belief !! On the other side of the coin, and I've studied this quite closely, its only fair to say that the vast majority of lady bus drivers take great care and put in a lot of effort to give a comfortable and safe ride. I can think of at least two who are regular on the 56 route and another two on the 19 route and their driving is superb at all times, and the 56 is a route with some shocking obstacles in the way of tight corners and criminally parked cars - virtually impassable on many occasions.

Riponian · Post by **Riponian** » Thu 17 Mar, 2011 3:32 pm

We have a number of ladies who drive the 36, and we're guessing on of them is the new "Stig" on Top Gear. The 10 minute layover in Harrogate can often be a 15 minute one - enough to nip off for a coffee or even get round the shops.However I do remember a lass who used to drive for West Yorkshire, I swear she slid the back end of the RE round Hallfield Lane in Wetherby. Deadliest vehicle in her hands was an LH as they went like the proverbial.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 17 Mar, 2011 5:18 pm

Riponian wrote: We have a number of ladies who drive the 36, and we're guessing on of them is the new "Stig" on Top Gear. The 10 minute layover in Harrogate can often be a 15 minute one - enough to nip off for a coffee or even get round the shops.However I do remember a lass who used to drive for West Yorkshire, I swear she slid the back end of the RE round Hallfield Lane in Wetherby. Deadliest vehicle in her hands was an LH as they went like the proverbial. Oh dear Riponian, you must have been unlucky and i respect your views on these two particular ladies, but I still maintain that the vast majority deserve great credit. I remember when the first four ladies passed their tests at Harrogate and their picture appeared in the newspaper. This was at the time when the very first Bristol REs were nearly new and, with their manual gearboxes very distant from the cab, air clutches etc they were feared by all and were a real handful to master. The girls were called Eileen, Jenny, Jean and Ursula. The first one at Leeds (WY) was a splendid lady called Doris who I'm still in touch with. Her gearchanging on the Lodekkas was first class. For several years before her retirement she was on the Express rota and thought nothing of five Londons in a week, suitcases, cabin trunks and all !!

Riponian · Post by **Riponian** » Fri 18 Mar, 2011 10:03 am

No Blakey, the "Stigette" gets us home that bit quicker, no complaints about her. However the mark of a slow car is that it gets overtaken by the 36 somewhere, they don't hang about.The lass who drove for WY had a reputation for slinging buses about like rally cars, but that drift on Hallfield Lane was a classic. She must have been a stunt driver in "The Italian Job".As for the Series 1 RE's, they were a handful it seems and the coach version were very difficult to drive 'cos you couldn't hear the engine.We digress - this is a First Leeds thread.