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Post by moz on Mar 29, 2010 11:16:44 GMT
Again this driver seemed fine from Hounslow back to Brent Lea but then another driver change and again this driver had nk clue what he was doing so spent 10 mins on the phone to whoever at AH who then told him to take the bus out of service back to the garage and dumped everyone icluding 6 elderly into the pouring rain and personally I find that disgusting. I find it decidedly odd that the driver was prepared to drive it back to the shed. If a bus you're not type trained on turns up for you, you simply refuse the handover and the previous driver takes it back to the shed (with you) for a sub bus. Moz
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Post by moz on Mar 21, 2010 21:15:06 GMT
Not sure this warrants its own thread, but here goes. Had a good drink with an old friend of mine who used to work in a Schedules Office. For some reason he decied to have a go at working out some duties for old routes but on current times. Anyway, obviously he started with the 133 which at one time allegedly ran from Hendon to South Croydon on a Sunday so he had a go at that running it from Norwood Garage.
Well for a start, you'd need a handover point so he chose AK garage which drivers would get to/from by means of the 249 and anything down Knights Hill. Travelling time worked out at 24 minutes. Obviously, starting buses would run light.
The total daytime service journey time for the route was an exact 2hrs30mins, getting lighter either end of the day. Anyway - some duties (mileage only)...
Early: Run light from N to Hendon (!) with 1hr5min light run time. Work from Hendon to Croydon, ten minutes stand, then back from Croydon to AK, hand over for meal relief of 40 mins. Second half Hendon and off.
Middle: He had trouble with this and had two options which were either a) Take over at AK then Hendon and off, meal relief, another Hendon and off then finish. Others on middles would do three-bus jobs to Croydon and back. OR b) Take over at AK, one full rounder then finish!
Lates: These are more or less a reverse of earlies Take over at AK then Hendon, back to Croydon, take meal relief at TC. Second half full rounder, then light back to N.
Amazingly he told me that even though the route would pass numerous other garages, the mileage per driver worked out at exactly the same from wherever he tried putting the route, though splitting between N and TC did improve things a bit.
Anyway - for his next trick he's going to have a go at the 12....
Moz
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Post by moz on Jan 14, 2010 21:37:42 GMT
More adverse weather fun on the 417 on Wednesday - managed to skid down a fair chunk of Central Hill before sliding into the pavement and refusing to move any further. Surprisingly the passengers were quite complimentary and thanked me for getting them so far down the hill. I didn't like to mention it, but for half the time I had absolutely no control of the bus!
After 45 minutes the passing traffic had begun to melt the snow layer enough that I (and the two others who had parked up) could get moving again......straight back to N garage.
Moz
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Post by moz on Jan 7, 2010 15:09:02 GMT
<Rant> Did a shift on the 417 (yawn) today - early start, second bus out. Ran light to Palace and took it slow and easy down to Streatham Hill, but the roads seem to have been gritted and it wasn't too bad. On past BN garage on a very clear Brixton Hill, then left onto the South Circular to get to Clapham Park. I didn't expect to do it sideways but then the A205 is a mere back road compared to, say, Westow Hill. Apologies to the three punters waving frantically at me at New Park Road stop - you may have noticed that I had completed my contractual obligation to stop the wheels of the bus moving in time for the stop whilst slewed across two traffic lanes and travelling at about 15mph. Sideways. <\Rant>
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Post by moz on Nov 16, 2009 16:34:02 GMT
If you had a sleeping drunk on the bus it used to be common practice to leave them be, then let the shunters open all the windows alongside them and run them through the wash a few times. It usually got shot of them.
Moz
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Post by moz on Oct 27, 2009 18:46:56 GMT
To all Revenue Inspectors.
Lads (and ladies), how long is it going to take for it to seep through your thick skulls that bus drivers do NOT take Penalty Fares? Make all the threats you want, report us all but we still won't take them. There is an agreement from 1995 that covers this - we don't take Penalty Fares as it may place us in a PAS (Potential Assault Situation) should the person who had it taken from them decide they want their money back.
So please stop asking. I don't care how often you report me as I'll never have to see my manager about it. Oh - and if you're going to book me for it, fill your sheet in before handing it over or I'll write "Deliberately left blank owing to pointless report for refusing penalty fare" across the blank bit. Again.
Rant over.
Moz
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Post by moz on Oct 22, 2009 19:42:21 GMT
On the subject of getting lost I did hear one driver saying he missed the turn into Leesons Hill on the 61 diversion. He had to use Marlings Park Avenue. I don't fancy doing that with those huge speed humps on the road there! Be grateful you know about them! I sent the nose of a GLS skyward when I was doing a rail job, just after they installed speed humps down Queens Road in Wimbledon. Well they weren't there when I did the 200s! (Admittedly about six years earlier). The takeoff was brutal and the bus landed before I did but luckily it was empty - phew. Moz
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Post by moz on Oct 18, 2009 8:19:11 GMT
[rant]to the E1 driver at about 1630 at ealing who saw me stand in front of the front door after asking him to wait for my mother to come, then closing the doors after a few seconds and driving off and saying 'your either getting on or not' in a extremely rude way as though I've sworn at him, shame on you. [/rant] Bear in mind that drivers are under no obligation to wait for anybody not already at the stop flag. If they do wait it is at their own discretion. Moz
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Post by moz on Oct 8, 2009 17:12:28 GMT
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Post by moz on Oct 1, 2009 18:26:38 GMT
Anybody else get caught up in the chaos at Trafalgar Square today? I don't go too near it but apparently some Limo drivers decided to have a protest and brought most of Central London to a standstill. I was stuck at the top of Shaftesbury Avenue for 20 minutes without moving, the bus emptied out then the controller called up and told me to get out of there any way possible. So I did....three point turn using the gaps between the overhanging trees and scurry off back Holborn way ( he did say any way possible!). It's amazing what you can do with a DW.
Moz
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Post by moz on Sept 16, 2009 20:52:03 GMT
more pictures hereCan't figure out who fault this was as both buses were travelling opposite directions yet the 243 ended up on that central reversation and facing the same way as that 149. The blind on the 243 got me as well, but it would appear that it is a collison between the 149 coming down Tottenham High Road and the 243 coming from Town Hall Approach. The two collide then the 243 is the bus to veer across the central reservation onto the other side of the road whilst the 149 ends up in the side of the building. My view is that one or other driver jumped the lights there! Moz
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Post by moz on Aug 21, 2009 17:19:33 GMT
The OFT have certainly got the wrong end of the stick here. There are definite cases where, were it not for a single local monopoly then the level of service being provided would not exist. Admittedly such service levels are usually acheived not through usage and profit but to scare off potential competitors from the area. However, it is usually very beneficial to locals and this is something that the OFT should take into account before launching some sort of cack-handed change to regulations that could drag local bus transport outside London back into the dark ages.
The only potential solution whereby a current thick local network operated by a single monopoly could be competed against would be for the reintroduction of PTE type county council bodies who could offer "Travelcard" type tickets valid within the county regardless of operator. Tickets could only be bought on-bus and operators would be renumerated for both sales and usage. It's a bit like the current OAP free travel scheme but with a bit more money flowing through the operators coffers.
Moz
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Post by moz on Aug 12, 2009 15:13:43 GMT
Was anyone else working this morning during the iBus "crisis"? If not then Centrecomm were constantly putting calls out asking people not to push the green button as all calls were being diverted to them. A bit later on the display was showing "Reduced Mode" and nobody at the iBus control knew what was going on. They could call you though and I got the message that I used to love to hear "Where are you and how are you doing for time?" because it means they haven't a clue! I obviously put the controllers mind at rest with "I'm at XYZ and good for time", I didn't want to upset him with "I'm at ABC, 8 early and up my leader's staircase". I'll let you decide which of those two was accurate!
Moz
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Post by moz on Aug 9, 2009 15:20:11 GMT
Well done!
Moz
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Post by moz on Jul 28, 2009 14:59:08 GMT
Sorry for makng a separate thread about 'Kent Power Cuts' I did not notice this thread here. Does anyone work for BX or DT how did you run the garage? With a generator? You think you had it bad? There was a 45 minute power cut in the road that my local is on about two hours ago. I had to drink Vodka & Tonic instead of lager, so if you think you lot suffered... Moz
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