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Post by moz on Jan 13, 2012 22:05:49 GMT
And there was you telling me you was up for doing the whole week. Funny you say that I heard him say something similar the other night when I was down. Lightweight! I managed eleven weeks on Malta with only 2 days notice! Moz
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Post by moz on Jan 10, 2012 21:14:23 GMT
They have no blinds due to the time it took the schedules department to decide and agree on what routes the blinds would carry as they will have a 'shortened' set to reduce costs. Blinds for the smartblind units can cost up to £700 per bus, but by reducing the number of routes and destinations they reduce the costs down to something like £300 per bus!! Therefore the Blind order was placed late, so the blinds werent ready in time to be installed by ADL, so will be done locally at BV or BX. Come on - isn't in about time London took the plunge and just went for electric digital displays? I used them in Malta and with absolutely no training even a ham-fist like me was able to suss out how to get the right display up in about five minutes. Additionally it's a single fitting at manufacturer and all updates can be done via wi-fi in seconds so no more hunting round for a bus that happens to have the right blinds fitted. Moz
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Post by moz on Jan 7, 2012 20:15:46 GMT
Another reason why i wont do the 'N's on NYE anymore!! Dont mind the special Nighters on the 229 or 422, but not the N's!! I had no choice but to work New Year's morning (not a BH) so was in a fairly foul mood and therefore went hell-for-leather extracting cash from each and every inebriate who claimed it was free. Paid in just short of £40 and took close to £200 on Pre-Pays. Happy new year suckers! Moz
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Post by moz on Nov 14, 2011 15:08:50 GMT
They should all have stayed with the route, along with extras obviously allowing for the PVR increase! I can confirm - apart from a couple that resigned, all the 12 drivers have stayed on the 12 as a double deck. And you get to see me on them a lot more (Generally, I only drove generally drove under three circumstances as bendies... For a WRD, if it got me out of an N68 on Fri/Sat nights or if they were absolutely desperate on the day. I would not go on the panel/rota as I am a London General contract driver and I was not paid a higher rate! Politics...) Now I have been on them nearly every working day for last week and next. I was typed trained on bendies years ago when I was a controller for RA cover/ bus movements Yup, I've seen a good few of the old 12 drivers out and about, in fact I know quite a few from having lived on Barry Road for years. I did manage to shout "What's it like having to work for a living?" at one - I won't tell you what the response was. Moz
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Post by moz on Oct 30, 2011 18:13:36 GMT
I'll stick this here because a new thread isn't worth it. Anyway, I now feel officially OLD. Reason? I shall divulge....
Sat in the canteen today most of the people round me were fairly new drivers (1-3 years' service) and we were having a jolly general bus driver whinge session when I realised I'd spent most of it explaining the following to the others: 1) Graduated Fares 2) Manual Waybills 3) DMIs (FFS!) and (most upsettingly) 4) What an RML was
I'm off to buy a Pipe and Slipper set at Marks's - I wonder if they one for people who haven't hit 40 yet?
Moz
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Post by moz on Oct 26, 2011 15:16:10 GMT
Didn't you say it's more to do with the dash positioning or something rather than all the other differences between them? I have to admit though, from a passenger point of view, the E400 is certainly the better vehicle. Just seems more enticing and is generally a much better experience in terms of the environment for the passenger. I find your always sitting too high so rather than looking through the windscreen your looking down on it, not a fan of the wipers (intermittent seems to be hit and miss) and always searching for the indicator what with it being on right hand side. Also as I've said on numerous occasions I feel the small mirror compromises safety. Oh and I don't like the delay in the steering, on a WVL (or PVL) you turn the wheel and the bus turns on the E400 it seems you turn the wheel and the bus thinks about it for a while and then turns. Other than that they are a lovely bus That's strange, our E400s are sharp as a knife on the steering, in fact better than the VLAs. I'm quite a fan of the Ts now that they've bedded in and I loathe having to take a VLA out - they're like setting sail in a shoebox and I usually whinge my way into getting subbed for a T. Moz
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Post by moz on Oct 11, 2011 13:11:55 GMT
Maybe we could set up our very own Bus Forum W**ker of the year awards. The winners prize could be sent to the bus operator concerned. I have a feeling they may not put it in their staff magazine. On a serious note and not to condone any of these actions but are alot of schedules still unworkable and encourages some drivers to drive like idiots. w****r of the week!! Sounds like the sort of award I could aim for! Any idea on prizes? Moz
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Post by moz on Oct 6, 2011 12:08:49 GMT
Appropo of absolutely nothing else, I was going to start a new thread titled "Stuff I found down the back of my sofa", but thought better of it. Anyway, something for the timecard fetishists I really did find today... tinypic.com/r/wrez5v/7
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Post by moz on Sept 24, 2011 16:39:25 GMT
Favorite one (description) so far: - “FLEA BITTEN RAT HOLE” Sounds like Moz will fit right in ;D I landed back here yesterday and could quite happily have turned round and got the next flight back. Anyway, looks like I'm stuck here until my holidays next year. Bugger. Moz
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Post by moz on Jul 28, 2011 13:52:59 GMT
Got to admit I am really looking forward to it. If I can then I'll keep you guys updated. There was a joke in the shed that I might have to drive a T out there but they've booked me a flight on Easyjet instead. If I'm honest, a Trident would be preferable! Moz I gather they have taken quite a few buses from UK to top-up the fleet including handful of Solos from Derby, some mcvs from Arriva dealership, some Pulsars from Merseyside, and some Temsas. I'm not sure of height restrictions in Malta but everything is single deck (and of course the ex-London Citaro Gs). There is a batch of new electric hybrid solos under construction for routes around historic centre of Valetta. Most others are new Chinese built King Longs (both 9m and 12m versions) www.flickr.com/photos/gcbp/5921724323/Quick note to say all going well over here. Things are still a bit topsy turvy with buses still being cut and the running times being unachievable to the extreme. Weather nice, beer and fags cheap and the locals seem to appreciate the fact that we're here and helping them get around. I will now continue with a 15000 word essay on why my hotel is crap... On second thoughts I won't, but google "Qawra Inn" if you're that interested. Moz
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Post by moz on Jul 16, 2011 16:59:29 GMT
I'm taking a load of mine out Malta to see if I can swap them for some white short-sleeved shirts! Moz P.S. Oh joy - got to be at Airwick Gatport at 4am tomorrow. Mumble. Moz ... just a quicky ... seen it reported elsewhere that T102 could be fitted with an all over ad for M&M's ... you able to offer any confirmation as I have so far been unable to find any other evidence to back this up. We definitely have one Trident in M&Ms adverts. It was done earlier this week but was embargoed from leaving the shed until Firday when the M&Ms shop opened. Not sure of the number. Moz
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Post by moz on Jul 16, 2011 15:48:05 GMT
I wish we had polo shirts I'm taking a load of mine out Malta to see if I can swap them for some white short-sleeved shirts! Moz P.S. Oh joy - got to be at Airwick Gatport at 4am tomorrow. Mumble.
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Post by moz on Jul 15, 2011 20:08:29 GMT
Got to admit I am really looking forward to it. If I can then I'll keep you guys updated. There was a joke in the shed that I might have to drive a T out there but they've booked me a flight on Easyjet instead. If I'm honest, a Trident would be preferable!
Moz
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Post by moz on Jul 15, 2011 17:42:41 GMT
OK, so not General Discussion or Ranting, in fact more blagging, but I will likely be out of contact for the next 4-6 weeks. You've probably read elsewhere that Arriva are sending 70 odd UK drivers out to Malta to help things out - well I'm one of them! Really looking forward to it too. Sod the 133s, you can keep 'em!
Moz
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Post by moz on Jul 2, 2011 22:04:21 GMT
<Rant>
I want more holidays. I've just had three weeks off and it seems to have disappeared like a snatched smoke on borrowed stand time. Why can't we have 52 days like the Tube Drivers?
</Rant>
Moz
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