You Wait Ages For A Bus

[BLAKEY]

Caron wrote: Anyway, my point of this little comment is this...Is it bad design and do all vented buses do this?Is it up to the driver to close the vents during bad weather (that's if they can be closed?).My daughter has complained to Wilts and Dorset but it will fall on deaf ears but as she says, "You charge plenty for my journey so I don't expect a wet rear." Something sadly wrong here with the bodywork Caron - nothing to do with the Mercedes "mechanicals" at all. The experience you had should never happen, even in the odd torrential downpour and has nothing to do with any option the driver may or may not have. I'm sorry to say that most modern bus bodies are "all glitz, gimmicks, and no substance." Even at a few weeks old many display appallingly inadequate construction standards, with unacceptable movement in the floors and in the side and roof structures - I have despaired long ago, and I can only advise you to take stout clothing and some aspirins when travelling.

[BLAKEY]

BIG N wrote: BLAKEY wrote: I have heard from a member of the staff in Leeds that the infernal things are to be used on the 72 Leeds - Bradford service, terminating in Eastgate as reversing in the bus station is out of the question. I hope this is just a nightmare that I'm imagining and that he has got it wrong - 45 seats and dozens standing on a long route like that, P.S. Blakey - you should have a message from me now lol P.P.S. having technical problems but I'll get there lol Thanks for the update on the Spring pantomime in Leeds Bus Station BIG N - what a shame you had to come out at half time !! As another friend has pointed out to me, there will be more entertainment to come when one of the infernal things gets stuck in Eastgate or the Headrow, already a farce with wavy narrow roadways and concrete flower pots, and really brings the City to a halt.By the way, sorry to say that no message has arrived yet - do keep trying as the photos I have for you will be well worth waiting for.I'm off to the Cobham annual bus rally in Surrey for the weekend but will see to things on return.

[Riponian]

Getting those FTR things to negotiate the Headrow slalom would be bad enough, except for the copious numbers of taxis that dump themselves along there as well. They will end up blocking the road completely.

[Caron]

BLAKEY wrote: Caron wrote: Anyway, my point of this little comment is this...Is it bad design and do all vented buses do this?Is it up to the driver to close the vents during bad weather (that's if they can be closed?).My daughter has complained to Wilts and Dorset but it will fall on deaf ears but as she says, "You charge plenty for my journey so I don't expect a wet rear." Something sadly wrong here with the bodywork Caron - nothing to do with the Mercedes "mechanicals" at all. The experience you had should never happen, even in the odd torrential downpour and has nothing to do with any option the driver may or may not have. I'm sorry to say that most modern bus bodies are "all glitz, gimmicks, and no substance." Even at a few weeks old many display appallingly inadequate construction standards, with unacceptable movement in the floors and in the side and roof structures - I have despaired long ago, and I can only advise you to take stout clothing and some aspirins when travelling. Thank you for your reply, BLAKEY.It's a sad carry on isn't it?Things get worse instead of better Caron

[raveydavey]

On the subject of running the ftr's on the 72, if they are going to depart / terminate from Eastgate how on earth will the purple slugs be accommodated on what is already one of the most congested roads in the city centre already?Especially if they are serious about increasing the frequency? Unlike the bus station there is nowhere for them to lie up between runs, or if the driver needs a break or for a crew change. Running at the frequencies talked about there could be half a dozen of the things (or more) on that short stretch of road.And lets not forget that if John Lewis ever sign the contract and the redevelopment starts, Eastgate is destined to close to traffic with buses coming down The Headrow being sent along Vicar Lane and down Kirkgate / York Street to access the bus station and points east.What another totally ridiculous idea - brought to you by Worst who certainly are "transforming travel" (just not in a good way...)

[BLAKEY]

somme1916 wrote: [Blakey.....I just got to ask you this my old friend.You spent ,many years traversing the highways/byways in a wide range of buses of various manufacture,so.....What was the optimum seating position for the driver ????Low down(as seems norm),in isolated cab,mid range etc etc....please give your thoughts on the best/safest option for driving a bus me old china Well somme1916, that's a very difficult question with no definitive answer as there are so many "variables."    As far as drivers in an individual cab I take it you mean the older now virtually extinct buses with front engines and rear platforms ?? With those you "got what you got" and some drivers were comfortable and some were less so, even to the point of real difficulty in some cases.As far as the general present day (well, last 40/50 years) types go, with the driver in with the passengers, driving position is dictated to some degree by the chassis dimensions and layout. In general though I personally preferred those where the cab floor was perhaps a foot above platform level, and therefore I was on roughly face level with the average height passenger, which allowed a decent transaction for the fares. Also the higher above ground that the driving seat was a better safer view very close in front of the bus was to be had - to cater among other things for those feckless pedestrians who, instead of joining crossings correctly at right angles by the beacons/lights, appear at 45 degrees onto the crossing proper often narrowly escaping going under the moving bus - terrifying.

[Leodian]

I know what you mean Blakey about how some pedestrians act. It never ceases to amaze me how some folk are prepared to risk their lives (or, in my opinion, even worse in surviving but injured for life) in that they just walk across a road without any care at all. I do feel for bus drivers, having seen so many very close calls often with the stupid pedestrian telling the driver to (something off) and giving two fingers. They just don't realise (or perhaps they do) that the drivers emergency reaction has saved their life. Vicar Lane around the market area seems very bad for this.    

[somme1916]

Blakey:Thanks for replying mate....much appreciated.Seen a few near misses lately when young bucks have literally cut across buses thinking they can just stop on a sixpence.There seems to be many inconsiderate drivers about nowadays and those that just aren't mentally up to taking to the roads in their present cerebral state.

[raveydavey]

BLAKEY wrote: somme1916 wrote: [Blakey.....I just got to ask you this my old friend.You spent ,many years traversing the highways/byways in a wide range of buses of various manufacture,so.....What was the optimum seating position for the driver ????Low down(as seems norm),in isolated cab,mid range etc etc....please give your thoughts on the best/safest option for driving a bus me old china Well somme1916, that's a very difficult question with no definitive answer as there are so many "variables."    As far as drivers in an individual cab I take it you mean the older now virtually extinct buses with front engines and rear platforms ?? With those you "got what you got" and some drivers were comfortable and some were less so, even to the point of real difficulty in some cases.As far as the general present day (well, last 40/50 years) types go, with the driver in with the passengers, driving position is dictated to some degree by the chassis dimensions and layout. In general though I personally preferred those where the cab floor was perhaps a foot above platform level, and therefore I was on roughly face level with the average height passenger, which allowed a decent transaction for the fares. Also the higher above ground that the driving seat was a better safer view very close in front of the bus was to be had - to cater among other things for those feckless pedestrians who, instead of joining crossings correctly at right angles by the beacons/lights, appear at 45 degrees onto the crossing proper often narrowly escaping going under the moving bus - terrifying. Blakey, following on from your informative post, as a child I can remember the new single door Altanteans arriving on routes in Leeds in the mid 70's (N-reg rings a bell) and the driver seemed to be sat very low, with you looking down on them as you boarded and paid. Looking back they must have placed the driver in an incredibly vulnerable position in the event of a front / offside collision at that height.Please forgive my lack of bus specific expertise here - these were the buses that had the steps directly behind the driver that you descended facing the direction of travel (bit dangerous if the driver was heavy on the brakes) and the "magic box" on the steps that counted down the number of available seats left in the upper saloon (there was a sensor under one of the steps), until eventually "No" was illuminated in front of the "seats available" sign - I seem to recall these didn't last long and were soon painted over or removed.

[Phill_dvsn]

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