Worst Bus Route to Drive

[Volvo]

So I did get a turn after all @ Lords Cricket ground @ 1959, he time I was actually supposed to be leaving towards GG!! That's how bad the traffic is.
Why I got this turn I don't know when all the d*mn traffic is in central.

Then instead of being sent back to central early, I was sent on my time with no bus Infront of me so I got slaughtered with passengers and Now I'm finishing I have just arrived @ Waterloo 2112 and was supposed to be leaving at 2109. Still have all that traffic in Piccadilly to deal with again on top of that I'm being asked to leave @ 2130 because the next bus behind me is at Baker Street!!! Like wtaf? I hate this route so much.

August 29th can't come soon enough I'm going to quit soveriegn if they keep putting me on this utter dog turd of a route, I'm tired of it. Everyday I've done this route since October I have finished stupid late and have to be putting up with utter BS for 8-9 hours.

The 19 was never ever this bad or annoying. Never!!

[Deleted]

Nov 23, 2019 21:16:37 GMT Volvo said:

So I did get a turn after all @ Lords Cricket ground @ 1959, he time I was actually supposed to be leaving towards GG!! That's how bad the traffic is.
Why I got this turn I don't know when all the d*mn traffic is in central.

Then instead of being sent back to central early, I was sent on my time with no bus Infront of me so I got slaughtered with passengers and Now I'm finishing I have just arrived @ Waterloo 2112 and was uploaded to be leaving at 2109. Still have all that traffic in Piccadilly to deal with again on top of that I'm being asked to leave @ 2130 because the next bus behind me is at Baker Street!!! Like wtaf? I hate this route so much.

August 29th can't come soon enough I'm going to quit soveriegn if they keep putting me on this utter dog turd of a route, I'm tired of it. Everyday I've done this route since October I have finished stupid late and have to be putting up with utter BS for 8-9 hours.

The 19 was never ever this bad or annoying. Never!!

I think it sounds like you’ve had enough and need a transfer onto more tranquil routes. 

[busaholic]

Nov 23, 2019 21:16:37 GMT Volvo said:

So I did get a turn after all @ Lords Cricket ground @ 1959, he time I was actually supposed to be leaving towards GG!! That's how bad the traffic is.
Why I got this turn I don't know when all the d*mn traffic is in central.

Then instead of being sent back to central early, I was sent on my time with no bus Infront of me so I got slaughtered with passengers and Now I'm finishing I have just arrived @ Waterloo 2112 and was uploaded to be leaving at 2109. Still have all that traffic in Piccadilly to deal with again on top of that I'm being asked to leave @ 2130 because the next bus behind me is at Baker Street!!! Like wtaf? I hate this route so much.

August 29th can't come soon enough I'm going to quit soveriegn if they keep putting me on this utter dog turd of a route, I'm tired of it. Everyday I've done this route since October I have finished stupid late and have to be putting up with utter BS for 8-9 hours.

The 19 was never ever this bad or annoying. Never!!

This post should be sent to bus management at TfL (assuming there's anyone still in post) to show their utter crass stupidity in leaving the 139 as the only link from Strand and Charing Cross station up Regent Street to Oxford Circus/Street. I feel sorry for you and all the other drivers on this route: your patience must be stretched on a daily basis, which is not good for you nor, importantly, the so-called 'customers.'

[rif153]

Nov 23, 2019 21:47:31 GMT @rob said:

Nov 23, 2019 21:16:37 GMT Volvo said:

So I did get a turn after all @ Lords Cricket ground @ 1959, he time I was actually supposed to be leaving towards GG!! That's how bad the traffic is.
Why I got this turn I don't know when all the d*mn traffic is in central.

Then instead of being sent back to central early, I was sent on my time with no bus Infront of me so I got slaughtered with passengers and Now I'm finishing I have just arrived @ Waterloo 2112 and was uploaded to be leaving at 2109. Still have all that traffic in Piccadilly to deal with again on top of that I'm being asked to leave @ 2130 because the next bus behind me is at Baker Street!!! Like wtaf? I hate this route so much.

August 29th can't come soon enough I'm going to quit soveriegn if they keep putting me on this utter dog turd of a route, I'm tired of it. Everyday I've done this route since October I have finished stupid late and have to be putting up with utter BS for 8-9 hours.

The 19 was never ever this bad or annoying. Never!!

I think it sounds like you’ve had enough and need a transfer onto more tranquil routes. 

The H12 is a far better route nice and lowkey

[Alex]

I'd be interested to hear from a drivers perspective the worst routes to drive in SE London - the reason of asking is that when I lived over there I had my high point of bus interest in recent years (hardly get buses now, with the wife wanting to be chauffeured and the railway station not far from the house).

I recall standing at the bus stop opposite PD and regularly hearing drivers saying they didn't like taking big buses round the back streets on the last bit of the 53. The bit that sticks out in my mind was in 2014 and the Volvos appeared, I recall mention of the overhang came up as well as the pull away not engaging on hills such as Griffin Road as expected....

The one I avoided as a passenger was the N1, a torturous journey which took forever (and in my experience very busy too), I'd be interested to hear a drivers take on this route.

I can imagine routes where I have fond memories of, such as the 122, being grating for drivers due to the traffic encountered at some times of the day (mind you I think you can say this about many routes really).

Moving into East London, none of WH's work looks particularly nice - for a time I was a regular user of the 330 and it crossed my mind many times that this must be a tedious route to drive, firstly because of the repetitive nature of it, secondly because of the road conditions and delays, and thirdly the antisocial behaviour that seems to happen on many parts of the route, again something I'd be keen to hear about from someone behind the wheel.

EDIT - afterthought - the 58. This must be a nightmare......

[capitalomnibus]

Nov 23, 2019 21:16:37 GMT Volvo said:

So I did get a turn after all @ Lords Cricket ground @ 1959, he time I was actually supposed to be leaving towards GG!! That's how bad the traffic is.
Why I got this turn I don't know when all the d*mn traffic is in central.

Then instead of being sent back to central early, I was sent on my time with no bus Infront of me so I got slaughtered with passengers and Now I'm finishing I have just arrived @ Waterloo 2112 and was uploaded to be leaving at 2109. Still have all that traffic in Piccadilly to deal with again on top of that I'm being asked to leave @ 2130 because the next bus behind me is at Baker Street!!! Like wtaf? I hate this route so much.

August 29th can't come soon enough I'm going to quit soveriegn if they keep putting me on this utter dog turd of a route, I'm tired of it. Everyday I've done this route since October I have finished stupid late and have to be putting up with utter BS for 8-9 hours.

The 19 was never ever this bad or annoying. Never!!

lmao @ dog turd route and I thought your posts on the 123 and 341/243 made those routes bad.

[capitalomnibus]

Nov 23, 2019 21:58:21 GMT busaholic said:

Nov 23, 2019 21:16:37 GMT Volvo said:

So I did get a turn after all @ Lords Cricket ground @ 1959, he time I was actually supposed to be leaving towards GG!! That's how bad the traffic is.
Why I got this turn I don't know when all the d*mn traffic is in central.

Then instead of being sent back to central early, I was sent on my time with no bus Infront of me so I got slaughtered with passengers and Now I'm finishing I have just arrived @ Waterloo 2112 and was uploaded to be leaving at 2109. Still have all that traffic in Piccadilly to deal with again on top of that I'm being asked to leave @ 2130 because the next bus behind me is at Baker Street!!! Like wtaf? I hate this route so much.

August 29th can't come soon enough I'm going to quit soveriegn if they keep putting me on this utter dog turd of a route, I'm tired of it. Everyday I've done this route since October I have finished stupid late and have to be putting up with utter BS for 8-9 hours.

The 19 was never ever this bad or annoying. Never!!

This post should be sent to bus management at TfL (assuming there's anyone still in post) to show their utter crass stupidity in leaving the 139 as the only link from Strand and Charing Cross station up Regent Street to Oxford Circus/Street. I feel sorry for you and all the other drivers on this route: your patience must be stretched on a daily basis, which is not good for you nor, importantly, the so-called 'customers.'

I do not think they are bothered, they are aware of the problems, but are under order to make routes efficient.

[Volvo]

Nov 23, 2019 21:47:31 GMT @rob said:

Nov 23, 2019 21:16:37 GMT Volvo said:

So I did get a turn after all @ Lords Cricket ground @ 1959, he time I was actually supposed to be leaving towards GG!! That's how bad the traffic is.
Why I got this turn I don't know when all the d*mn traffic is in central.

Then instead of being sent back to central early, I was sent on my time with no bus Infront of me so I got slaughtered with passengers and Now I'm finishing I have just arrived @ Waterloo 2112 and was uploaded to be leaving at 2109. Still have all that traffic in Piccadilly to deal with again on top of that I'm being asked to leave @ 2130 because the next bus behind me is at Baker Street!!! Like wtaf? I hate this route so much.

August 29th can't come soon enough I'm going to quit soveriegn if they keep putting me on this utter dog turd of a route, I'm tired of it. Everyday I've done this route since October I have finished stupid late and have to be putting up with utter BS for 8-9 hours.

The 19 was never ever this bad or annoying. Never!!

I think it sounds like you’ve had enough and need a transfer onto more tranquil routes. 

See I like being at BT and I'm not saying I like every route as the 288 with 10 rounders is very boring for example. The 79 with its awful slow SPs is no fun but none of these routes are anywhere as bad or as irritating as the 139. You just feel like your always rushing around at times as you spend so much time in traffic etc you only get 5 minutes stand at each end then your going back the other way to sit in traffic again and deal with all the other bs. So by the end of your shift you feel so drained. For example out of my 2 rounder second half the only reason why I got a decent amount of stand time yesterday was because I got turned at Lord's and then when I got back to Waterloo I was asked to leave 20 minutes late because the service was so messed up 3 buses were missing, due to late meal reliefs, driving hours etc due to all the traffic in West Hampstead, Orchard Street/Oxford Street junction where the taxis always park up in the bus stop blocking the left turn causing traffic all the way back past Portman Square and onto Baker Street upto the Junction of George Street, then Shaftesbury Avenue always full of traffic that blocks the whole Piccadilly around Coventry Street/Regent Street/Regent Street, St James Street, especially the selfish and idiotic 38 drivers who would rather risk getting a fine and block the junctions and sit in the yellow box even just so they can get across, not giving an ounce of care about others.
As I said before Shaftesbury Avenue should be made buses/taxis only towards Cambridge Circus in the most between 12pm to 10pm

If it wasn't for all that It would have been the usual 5 minutes then back out again, usually that 5 minutes is taken out of the time of the next trip too so your already down on time for each trip before you go and face the madness with limited running time and recovery time at either end.


I honestly don't know how the schedule for this route was excepted depart Golders Green 1959, then you supposed to depart Waterloo @ 2110. That's 1 hour 11mins!!! On a Saturday evening on a route that goes through so many traffic hotspots!!!

The 139 really shouldn't be the only route from Baker Street, Oxford Street, Piccadilly to Aldwych/Waterloo. It's so bad, I got smoked with passengers all evening as I was constantly driving with large gaps Infront due to all the traffic causing chaos and buses missing or getting turned, it doesn't help that many of them are so slow to board and alight the bus like they just sit there chatting instead of getting up to come off then they stroll from the back or upstairs to get off or they stand there at the stops then wait until the come on the bus before they get their pass, phone or oyster ready holding everyone else up behind them. The same applies for those who take their sweet time to come downstairs as they block those getting on the bus and wanting to go upstairs, often I have to let people off first then let passengers on but that just takes even longer when you have a packed bus as the VHs really really don't want to go anywhere. You end up missing so many lights, so many people just cut infront of you including other buses which are much quicker than you to move off. Even the cyclists mug you off and ride slow Infront of you and you can't even overtake them as the buses are so slow by the time you get the opportunity to go around them there is no point as you've reached the next stop.

I am a spare so I do all routes at the garage however where you have so many drivers that don't want to do the 139 even if they know it. They say they don't know it!! Even a driver trainer two weeks ago was asked to do it and he told me himself he told allocations he doesn't remember the route!! That just shows how much people don't want to do it, so they don't have alot of people to cover the route and I seem to be the idiot that gets stuck on it alot, especially between Thursday to Sunday, in 2 or 3 consecutive day patterns or it may be Thursday and Friday, then something else Saturday then back to 139 again on Sunday. Since the beginning of October I have been on this route every weekend and I've done the route around 20 times!!

[Volvo]

Nov 24, 2019 1:54:46 GMT capitalomnibus said:

Nov 23, 2019 21:16:37 GMT Volvo said:

So I did get a turn after all @ Lords Cricket ground @ 1959, he time I was actually supposed to be leaving towards GG!! That's how bad the traffic is.
Why I got this turn I don't know when all the d*mn traffic is in central.

Then instead of being sent back to central early, I was sent on my time with no bus Infront of me so I got slaughtered with passengers and Now I'm finishing I have just arrived @ Waterloo 2112 and was uploaded to be leaving at 2109. Still have all that traffic in Piccadilly to deal with again on top of that I'm being asked to leave @ 2130 because the next bus behind me is at Baker Street!!! Like wtaf? I hate this route so much.

August 29th can't come soon enough I'm going to quit soveriegn if they keep putting me on this utter dog turd of a route, I'm tired of it. Everyday I've done this route since October I have finished stupid late and have to be putting up with utter BS for 8-9 hours.

The 19 was never ever this bad or annoying. Never!!

lmao @ dog turd route and I thought your posts on the 123 and 341/243 made those routes bad.

There is not one route at AR worse than the 139. Not a single one.

[busaholic]

Nov 24, 2019 1:59:36 GMT capitalomnibus said:

Nov 23, 2019 21:58:21 GMT busaholic said:

This post should be sent to bus management at TfL (assuming there's anyone still in post) to show their utter crass stupidity in leaving the 139 as the only link from Strand and Charing Cross station up Regent Street to Oxford Circus/Street. I feel sorry for you and all the other drivers on this route: your patience must be stretched on a daily basis, which is not good for you nor, importantly, the so-called 'customers.'

I do not think they are bothered, they are aware of the problems, but are under order to make routes efficient.

I don't see how they can possibly be said to, or think they are, achieving efficiency in this case. It only escapes wider scrutiny because, in the main, the Waterloo to Baker Street section is not one where local residents form a good percentage of passenger volume.

[rif153]

Nov 24, 2019 10:52:50 GMT Volvo said:

Nov 23, 2019 21:47:31 GMT @rob said:

I think it sounds like you’ve had enough and need a transfer onto more tranquil routes. 

See I like being at BT and I'm not saying I like every route as the 288 with 10 rounders is very boring for example. The 79 with its awful slow SPs is no fun but none of these routes are anywhere as bad or as irritating as the 139. You just feel like your always rushing around at times as you spend so much time in traffic etc you only get 5 minutes stand at each end then your going back the other way to sit in traffic again and deal with all the other bs. So by the end of your shift you feel so drained. For example out of my 2 rounder second half the only reason why I got a decent amount of stand time yesterday was because I got turned at Lord's and then when I got back to Waterloo I was asked to leave 20 minutes late because the service was so messed up 3 buses were missing, due to late meal reliefs, driving hours etc due to all the traffic in West Hampstead, Orchard Street/Oxford Street junction where the taxis always park up in the bus stop blocking the left turn causing traffic all the way back past Portman Square and onto Baker Street upto the Junction of George Street, then Shaftesbury Avenue always full of traffic that blocks the whole Piccadilly around Coventry Street/Regent Street/Regent Street, St James Street, especially the selfish and idiotic 38 drivers who would rather risk getting a fine and block the junctions and sit in the yellow box even just so they can get across, not giving an ounce of care about others.
As I said before Shaftesbury Avenue should be made buses/taxis only towards Cambridge Circus in the most between 12pm to 10pm

If it wasn't for all that It would have been the usual 5 minutes then back out again, usually that 5 minutes is taken out of the time of the next trip too so your already down on time for each trip before you go and face the madness with limited running time and recovery time at either end.


I honestly don't know how the schedule for this route was excepted depart Golders Green 1959, then you supposed to depart Waterloo @ 2110. That's 1 hour 11mins!!! On a Saturday evening on a route that goes through so many traffic hotspots!!!

The 139 really shouldn't be the only route from Baker Street, Oxford Street, Piccadilly to Aldwych/Waterloo. It's so bad, I got smoked with passengers all evening as I was constantly driving with large gaps Infront due to all the traffic causing chaos and buses missing or getting turned, it doesn't help that many of them are so slow to board and alight the bus like they just sit there chatting instead of getting up to come off then they stroll from the back or upstairs to get off or they stand there at the stops then wait until the come on the bus before they get their pass, phone or oyster ready holding everyone else up behind them. The same applies for those who take their sweet time to come downstairs as they block those getting on the bus and wanting to go upstairs, often I have to let people off first then let passengers on but that just takes even longer when you have a packed bus as the VHs really really don't want to go anywhere. You end up missing so many lights, so many people just cut infront of you including other buses which are much quicker than you to move off. Even the cyclists mug you off and ride slow Infront of you and you can't even overtake them as the buses are so slow by the time you get the opportunity to go around them there is no point as you've reached the next stop.

I am a spare so I do all routes at the garage however where you have so many drivers that don't want to do the 139 even if they know it. They say they don't know it!! Even a driver trainer two weeks ago was asked to do it and he told me himself he told allocations he doesn't remember the route!! That just shows how much people don't want to do it, so they don't have alot of people to cover the route and I seem to be the idiot that gets stuck on it alot, especially between Thursday to Sunday, in 2 or 3 consecutive day patterns or it may be Thursday and Friday, then something else Saturday then back to 139 again on Sunday. Since the beginning of October I have been on this route every weekend and I've done the route around 20 times!!

Glad to know someone else shares my frustrations at the 3w8 drivers at Piccadilly Circus, countless times I've been sitting on a 94, or in more recent times a 9, and you get a convoy of LTs bringing the whole junction to a standstil, its lamentable.

[Deleted]

Nov 24, 2019 10:52:50 GMT Volvo said:

Nov 23, 2019 21:47:31 GMT @rob said:

I think it sounds like you’ve had enough and need a transfer onto more tranquil routes. 

See I like being at BT and I'm not saying I like every route as the 288 with 10 rounders is very boring for example. The 79 with its awful slow SPs is no fun but none of these routes are anywhere as bad or as irritating as the 139. You just feel like your always rushing around at times as you spend so much time in traffic etc you only get 5 minutes stand at each end then your going back the other way to sit in traffic again and deal with all the other bs. So by the end of your shift you feel so drained. For example out of my 2 rounder second half the only reason why I got a decent amount of stand time yesterday was because I got turned at Lord's and then when I got back to Waterloo I was asked to leave 20 minutes late because the service was so messed up 3 buses were missing, due to late meal reliefs, driving hours etc due to all the traffic in West Hampstead, Orchard Street/Oxford Street junction where the taxis always park up in the bus stop blocking the left turn causing traffic all the way back past Portman Square and onto Baker Street upto the Junction of George Street, then Shaftesbury Avenue always full of traffic that blocks the whole Piccadilly around Coventry Street/Regent Street/Regent Street, St James Street, especially the selfish and idiotic 38 drivers who would rather risk getting a fine and block the junctions and sit in the yellow box even just so they can get across, not giving an ounce of care about others.
As I said before Shaftesbury Avenue should be made buses/taxis only towards Cambridge Circus in the most between 12pm to 10pm

If it wasn't for all that It would have been the usual 5 minutes then back out again, usually that 5 minutes is taken out of the time of the next trip too so your already down on time for each trip before you go and face the madness with limited running time and recovery time at either end.


I honestly don't know how the schedule for this route was excepted depart Golders Green 1959, then you supposed to depart Waterloo @ 2110. That's 1 hour 11mins!!! On a Saturday evening on a route that goes through so many traffic hotspots!!!

The 139 really shouldn't be the only route from Baker Street, Oxford Street, Piccadilly to Aldwych/Waterloo. It's so bad, I got smoked with passengers all evening as I was constantly driving with large gaps Infront due to all the traffic causing chaos and buses missing or getting turned, it doesn't help that many of them are so slow to board and alight the bus like they just sit there chatting instead of getting up to come off then they stroll from the back or upstairs to get off or they stand there at the stops then wait until the come on the bus before they get their pass, phone or oyster ready holding everyone else up behind them. The same applies for those who take their sweet time to come downstairs as they block those getting on the bus and wanting to go upstairs, often I have to let people off first then let passengers on but that just takes even longer when you have a packed bus as the VHs really really don't want to go anywhere. You end up missing so many lights, so many people just cut infront of you including other buses which are much quicker than you to move off. Even the cyclists mug you off and ride slow Infront of you and you can't even overtake them as the buses are so slow by the time you get the opportunity to go around them there is no point as you've reached the next stop.

I am a spare so I do all routes at the garage however where you have so many drivers that don't want to do the 139 even if they know it. They say they don't know it!! Even a driver trainer two weeks ago was asked to do it and he told me himself he told allocations he doesn't remember the route!! That just shows how much people don't want to do it, so they don't have alot of people to cover the route and I seem to be the idiot that gets stuck on it alot, especially between Thursday to Sunday, in 2 or 3 consecutive day patterns or it may be Thursday and Friday, then something else Saturday then back to 139 again on Sunday. Since the beginning of October I have been on this route every weekend and I've done the route around 20 times!!

I have utmost respect for bus drivers. Shat on by TfL and the companies compared to the tube drivers. 

Alas... I have always wanted to be a bus driver, and will do so when I retire from my current job in ten years (just to have fulfilled a wish) 

I remember travelling around on FW routes in the 80’s and got to know a few drivers. This was when you could smoke in the cab.  I got to know the reasons for them having their favourite routes and buses. Understood that the newest buses were never the best ones to drive. And got to know their favourite routes were generally chosen by stand time. And I recall the old 139 when it was ran from CF. It was a lovely short route between Trafalgar Square and West Hampstead / Golders Green. It was never one of those routes that got in trouble with congestion ( like the 11,15,23,24,27 to name a few). Operated by spritley RM’s the expert drivers manoeuvred around the streets of London with ease, competing with only the black cabs really and the Evening Standard Sherpa delivery vans, a few other delivery vehicles and not much else, I,e few cyclists. Who incidentally, were treated with respect and a touch of eccentricity. 
Driving in Central London is now an appalling experience. And this is a deliberate ploy by the Mayor make no mistake. But it’s worse because of the increase in private hire vehicles, the increase of home delivery shopping, the increase in cyclists - fine btw, if most of them abided by traffic legislation and cycle safely, unfortunately many don’t and think they are the untouchables. 

If i were a bus driver in the 80’s, I would have wanted to drive a prestigious route like the 11 or the 73 from one side of London to the other.

if I were a bus driver in the 90’s , I would would have enjoyed driving the newer double decks being sampled, like by East London on the Docklands routes D1 and D11. Or be an Airbus driver.

if I were a bus driver now, I think I’d settle for a route like the H12 in the day and the N5 at night 

[george]

Nov 24, 2019 12:43:44 GMT rif153 said:

Nov 24, 2019 10:52:50 GMT Volvo said:

See I like being at BT and I'm not saying I like every route as the 288 with 10 rounders is very boring for example. The 79 with its awful slow SPs is no fun but none of these routes are anywhere as bad or as irritating as the 139. You just feel like your always rushing around at times as you spend so much time in traffic etc you only get 5 minutes stand at each end then your going back the other way to sit in traffic again and deal with all the other bs. So by the end of your shift you feel so drained. For example out of my 2 rounder second half the only reason why I got a decent amount of stand time yesterday was because I got turned at Lord's and then when I got back to Waterloo I was asked to leave 20 minutes late because the service was so messed up 3 buses were missing, due to late meal reliefs, driving hours etc due to all the traffic in West Hampstead, Orchard Street/Oxford Street junction where the taxis always park up in the bus stop blocking the left turn causing traffic all the way back past Portman Square and onto Baker Street upto the Junction of George Street, then Shaftesbury Avenue always full of traffic that blocks the whole Piccadilly around Coventry Street/Regent Street/Regent Street, St James Street, especially the selfish and idiotic 38 drivers who would rather risk getting a fine and block the junctions and sit in the yellow box even just so they can get across, not giving an ounce of care about others.
As I said before Shaftesbury Avenue should be made buses/taxis only towards Cambridge Circus in the most between 12pm to 10pm

If it wasn't for all that It would have been the usual 5 minutes then back out again, usually that 5 minutes is taken out of the time of the next trip too so your already down on time for each trip before you go and face the madness with limited running time and recovery time at either end.


I honestly don't know how the schedule for this route was excepted depart Golders Green 1959, then you supposed to depart Waterloo @ 2110. That's 1 hour 11mins!!! On a Saturday evening on a route that goes through so many traffic hotspots!!!

The 139 really shouldn't be the only route from Baker Street, Oxford Street, Piccadilly to Aldwych/Waterloo. It's so bad, I got smoked with passengers all evening as I was constantly driving with large gaps Infront due to all the traffic causing chaos and buses missing or getting turned, it doesn't help that many of them are so slow to board and alight the bus like they just sit there chatting instead of getting up to come off then they stroll from the back or upstairs to get off or they stand there at the stops then wait until the come on the bus before they get their pass, phone or oyster ready holding everyone else up behind them. The same applies for those who take their sweet time to come downstairs as they block those getting on the bus and wanting to go upstairs, often I have to let people off first then let passengers on but that just takes even longer when you have a packed bus as the VHs really really don't want to go anywhere. You end up missing so many lights, so many people just cut infront of you including other buses which are much quicker than you to move off. Even the cyclists mug you off and ride slow Infront of you and you can't even overtake them as the buses are so slow by the time you get the opportunity to go around them there is no point as you've reached the next stop.

I am a spare so I do all routes at the garage however where you have so many drivers that don't want to do the 139 even if they know it. They say they don't know it!! Even a driver trainer two weeks ago was asked to do it and he told me himself he told allocations he doesn't remember the route!! That just shows how much people don't want to do it, so they don't have alot of people to cover the route and I seem to be the idiot that gets stuck on it alot, especially between Thursday to Sunday, in 2 or 3 consecutive day patterns or it may be Thursday and Friday, then something else Saturday then back to 139 again on Sunday. Since the beginning of October I have been on this route every weekend and I've done the route around 20 times!!

Glad to know someone else shares my frustrations at the 38 drivers at Piccadilly Circus, countless times I've been sitting on a 94, or in more recent times a 9, and you get a convoy of LTs bringing the hole junction to a standstil, its lamentable.

Also let's be honest most of those 38s are running along Piccadilly empty.

[Volvo]

Nov 24, 2019 12:54:30 GMT @rob said:

Nov 24, 2019 10:52:50 GMT Volvo said:

See I like being at BT and I'm not saying I like every route as the 288 with 10 rounders is very boring for example. The 79 with its awful slow SPs is no fun but none of these routes are anywhere as bad or as irritating as the 139. You just feel like your always rushing around at times as you spend so much time in traffic etc you only get 5 minutes stand at each end then your going back the other way to sit in traffic again and deal with all the other bs. So by the end of your shift you feel so drained. For example out of my 2 rounder second half the only reason why I got a decent amount of stand time yesterday was because I got turned at Lord's and then when I got back to Waterloo I was asked to leave 20 minutes late because the service was so messed up 3 buses were missing, due to late meal reliefs, driving hours etc due to all the traffic in West Hampstead, Orchard Street/Oxford Street junction where the taxis always park up in the bus stop blocking the left turn causing traffic all the way back past Portman Square and onto Baker Street upto the Junction of George Street, then Shaftesbury Avenue always full of traffic that blocks the whole Piccadilly around Coventry Street/Regent Street/Regent Street, St James Street, especially the selfish and idiotic 38 drivers who would rather risk getting a fine and block the junctions and sit in the yellow box even just so they can get across, not giving an ounce of care about others.
As I said before Shaftesbury Avenue should be made buses/taxis only towards Cambridge Circus in the most between 12pm to 10pm

If it wasn't for all that It would have been the usual 5 minutes then back out again, usually that 5 minutes is taken out of the time of the next trip too so your already down on time for each trip before you go and face the madness with limited running time and recovery time at either end.


I honestly don't know how the schedule for this route was excepted depart Golders Green 1959, then you supposed to depart Waterloo @ 2110. That's 1 hour 11mins!!! On a Saturday evening on a route that goes through so many traffic hotspots!!!

The 139 really shouldn't be the only route from Baker Street, Oxford Street, Piccadilly to Aldwych/Waterloo. It's so bad, I got smoked with passengers all evening as I was constantly driving with large gaps Infront due to all the traffic causing chaos and buses missing or getting turned, it doesn't help that many of them are so slow to board and alight the bus like they just sit there chatting instead of getting up to come off then they stroll from the back or upstairs to get off or they stand there at the stops then wait until the come on the bus before they get their pass, phone or oyster ready holding everyone else up behind them. The same applies for those who take their sweet time to come downstairs as they block those getting on the bus and wanting to go upstairs, often I have to let people off first then let passengers on but that just takes even longer when you have a packed bus as the VHs really really don't want to go anywhere. You end up missing so many lights, so many people just cut infront of you including other buses which are much quicker than you to move off. Even the cyclists mug you off and ride slow Infront of you and you can't even overtake them as the buses are so slow by the time you get the opportunity to go around them there is no point as you've reached the next stop.

I am a spare so I do all routes at the garage however where you have so many drivers that don't want to do the 139 even if they know it. They say they don't know it!! Even a driver trainer two weeks ago was asked to do it and he told me himself he told allocations he doesn't remember the route!! That just shows how much people don't want to do it, so they don't have alot of people to cover the route and I seem to be the idiot that gets stuck on it alot, especially between Thursday to Sunday, in 2 or 3 consecutive day patterns or it may be Thursday and Friday, then something else Saturday then back to 139 again on Sunday. Since the beginning of October I have been on this route every weekend and I've done the route around 20 times!!

I have utmost respect for bus drivers. Shat on by TfL and the companies compared to the tube drivers. 

Alas... I have always wanted to be a bus driver, and will do so when I retire from my current job in ten years (just to have fulfilled a wish) 

I remember travelling around on FW routes in the 80’s and got to know a few drivers. This was when you could smoke in the cab.  I got to know the reasons for them having their favourite routes and buses. Understood that the newest buses were never the best ones to drive. And got to know their favourite routes were generally chosen by stand time. And I recall the old 139 when it was ran from CF. It was a lovely short route between Trafalgar Square and West Hampstead / Golders Green. It was never one of those routes that got in trouble with congestion ( like the 11,15,23,24,27 to name a few). Operated by spritley RM’s the expert drivers manoeuvred around the streets of London with ease, competing with only the black cabs really and the Evening Standard Sherpa delivery vans, a few other delivery vehicles and not much else, I,e few cyclists. Who incidentally, were treated with respect and a touch of eccentricity. 
Driving in Central London is now an appalling experience. And this is a deliberate ploy by the Mayor make no mistake. But it’s worse because of the increase in private hire vehicles, the increase of home delivery shopping, the increase in cyclists - fine btw, if most of them abided by traffic legislation and cycle safely, unfortunately many don’t and think they are the untouchables. 

If i were a bus driver in the 80’s, I would have wanted to drive a prestigious route like the 11 or the 73 from one side of London to the other.

if I were a bus driver in the 90’s , I would would have enjoyed driving the newer double decks being sampled, like by East London on the Docklands routes D1 and D11. Or be an Airbus driver.

if I were a bus driver now, I think I’d settle for a route like the H12 in the day and the N5 at night 

I have been told many times that even 8-10 years ago bus driving was much better.

[Volvo]

Nov 24, 2019 12:59:01 GMT george said:

Nov 24, 2019 12:43:44 GMT rif153 said:

Glad to know someone else shares my frustrations at the 38 drivers at Piccadilly Circus, countless times I've been sitting on a 94, or in more recent times a 9, and you get a convoy of LTs bringing the hole junction to a standstil, its lamentable.

Also let's be honest most of those 38s are running along Piccadilly empty.

Exactly!!!