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Post by mondraker275 on Aug 11, 2016 9:39:38 GMT
Accidentally went to the first page of this forum and noticed that it is around a year since you VPL630 began to share your story and others since. Reading a few posts on, it even maybe exactly a year to the day you started driving with passengers. After a year, whats been the best and worst thing about the job? Also whats been the most hilarious moment of the past year? Back at Leyton I read. What can I say but the 275 passengers are just irresistible.  |
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Post by snoggle on Aug 11, 2016 10:16:04 GMT
Accidentally went to the first page of this forum and noticed that it is around a year since you VPL630 began to share your story and others since. Reading a few posts on, it even maybe exactly a year to the day you started driving with passengers. After a year, whats been the best and worst thing about the job? Also whats been the most hilarious moment of the past year? Back at Leyton I read. What can I say but the 275 passengers are just irresistible. Nice questions. The "worst" was probably having me as a passenger up to the Lea Valley Campsite and back.   |
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Post by portman227 on Aug 11, 2016 10:42:07 GMT
I don't think there is a definitive answer to that, a bus being allegedly 'too slow' doesn't normally make it unroadworthy so it would depend on what exactly the problem was. That pretty much answers it for me. It's more a case of route suitability tbh in comparison to vehicle performance. The way I look at it, if you're consistently losing headway because the vehicle isn't allowing you the chance to, then that's an issue. Saying that, I know a bus is better than no bus so I just gotta suck it up and deal with it!!  For me i absolutely hate and despise slow buses, it really really bugs me. I have driven certain enviro diesels at PD that one time were really really slow, it would not go past 20-24. I reported this to IBUS and Gs and they told me to grind out your duty in it and report it back to the garages. 4 rounders I was stuck with that bus. Seemed like the more passenger load I had, the slower it was getting ! |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Aug 11, 2016 13:26:48 GMT
Had a nice drive on 12383 tonight. Well, it was nice until the engine fault light and coolant light came on coming through Orpington on my last run back. Was told to see how it goes, but when I got to Welling it started to smell very hot, and it seemed to lose quite a bit of power. Not good as it hasn't even done 750 miles. I radioed up and told them, and asked them that as it was so new and with so few miles with these lights on, would it be an idea to curtail at Plumstead Common and run it straight back down the hill to the garage. Controller agreed, but told me to hang fire until he'd spoken to the garage. He called me back and said the engineers said carry on until the end - so I did. It stank when I parked it up. If damage has been done, at least I'm in the clear because I did my bit. Are all these radio messages recorded? I'm no engineer but a mixture of heat and alarms doesn't seem very good....... Can you curtail yourself if you feel something is that unsafe? I'm guessing ultimately the driver has the last say as they are legally responsible for the vehicle out on the road - but can imagine companies make these situations rather awkward. At least you have the engineering bit recorded, I'm guessing the radio is indeed recorded, or I'm guessing the controller has a log book where all this would have been entered (or I'd hope so)...... 750 miles? Well, again from my outside viewpoint, looking at a long working (PD Mon to Fri 101) and Robert Munster's route details, a round trip is around 24 miles (not accounting for runs to stands, to from garage etc) and PD 101 does 8 rounders. So the bus has completed about 4 days full work so far , I would agree this is very low  You should have check the low coolant sight glass on the flap. Was there the exhaust regeneration light on. When this happens, it smells really bad from the exhaust and a combination of high speed after around 20-30mins driving would clear it. |
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Post by greeny253 on Aug 11, 2016 14:52:02 GMT
They are usually on the 53, but I had a single rounder to do from PD stand this eve after my break, so took 12383. (With permission of course!). iBus calls are recorded, and I also made sure I put it on the BCR card, put the BCR in the red box and told the GS when I signed off. Any issues I get I call ibus. Had a dodgy fuel gauge on an E200 the other day, when running was showing a quarter full yet when engine was off was full. Rung ibus and said I'd already put it on the BCR, he said he'd ring the garage and find out. Ended up with the bus out until it went back in. The way I look at it is if I'm told to carry on ill carry on. Unless I think the bus is an issue then I'll pressure for something to be done. Saying that, this is a question for the more experienced, if there's a bus at the garage that you know is unsuitable for a route, say is too slow, can you refuse to take that bus? In a word, nope! If however it begins to present safety issues getting out of junctions and the like, call it on and say exactly that. No engineer or radio controller is likely to refuse it on safety grounds. That said, a bunch of drivers refused 17451 at Bow one night on the 277. I went out, jumped in and away I went. Cracking bus though nowhere near as quick as it was when we had it at Rainham haha |
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Post by VPL630 on Aug 12, 2016 15:43:39 GMT
Accidentally went to the first page of this forum and noticed that it is around a year since you VPL630 began to share your story and others since. Reading a few posts on, it even maybe exactly a year to the day you started driving with passengers. After a year, whats been the best and worst thing about the job? Also whats been the most hilarious moment of the past year? Back at Leyton I read. What can I say but the 275 passengers are just irresistible. Yes you are correct yesterday was indeed my 1 year anniversary and I spent most of it broken down at Oxford Circus on the 55 due to cooling issues Funny enough I'm on the 275 at the moment with 15129, can't say I'm enjoy the new speed tables which are like driving up and down kerbs to say the least and that's from the drivers seat crawling over them at 5mph just on tick over, my back is starting to kill already   Much longer post coming later |
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Post by londonbusboy on Aug 12, 2016 16:26:32 GMT
That pretty much answers it for me. It's more a case of route suitability tbh in comparison to vehicle performance. The way I look at it, if you're consistently losing headway because the vehicle isn't allowing you the chance to, then that's an issue. Saying that, I know a bus is better than no bus so I just gotta suck it up and deal with it!! For me i absolutely hate and despise slow buses, it really really bugs me. I have driven certain enviro diesels at PD that one time were really really slow, it would not go past 20-24. I reported this to IBUS and Gs and they told me to grind out your duty in it and report it back to the garages. 4 rounders I was stuck with that bus. Seemed like the more passenger load I had, the slower it was getting ! Our 12 plate voith e200s are slower with a full bus and they are already slow with no one on board |
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Post by londonbusboy on Aug 12, 2016 16:29:12 GMT
They are usually on the 53, but I had a single rounder to do from PD stand this eve after my break, so took 12383. (With permission of course!). iBus calls are recorded, and I also made sure I put it on the BCR card, put the BCR in the red box and told the GS when I signed off. Any issues I get I call ibus. Had a dodgy fuel gauge on an E200 the other day, when running was showing a quarter full yet when engine was off was full. Rung ibus and said I'd already put it on the BCR, he said he'd ring the garage and find out. Ended up with the bus out until it went back in. The way I look at it is if I'm told to carry on ill carry on. Unless I think the bus is an issue then I'll pressure for something to be done. Saying that, this is a question for the more experienced, if there's a bus at the garage that you know is unsuitable for a route, say is too slow, can you refuse to take that bus? I wouldnt bother reporting fuel gauges as they aint accurate and most are broken |
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Post by portman227 on Aug 12, 2016 16:39:46 GMT
For me i absolutely hate and despise slow buses, it really really bugs me. I have driven certain enviro diesels at PD that one time were really really slow, it would not go past 20-24. I reported this to IBUS and Gs and they told me to grind out your duty in it and report it back to the garages. 4 rounders I was stuck with that bus. Seemed like the more passenger load I had, the slower it was getting ! Our 12 plate voith e200s are slower with a full bus and they are already slow with no one on board Do you know how angry and peeed off I would be when I was on the 227 and I kept getting 12reg e20ds 4 days in a row waiting for me at Bromley north!!! My heart turns black and I do my best to swap duties, swap running numbers with the driver behind, but who would swap a unrestricted Citaro for a 12reg e200?!! |
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Post by londonbusboy on Aug 12, 2016 16:52:44 GMT
Our 12 plate voith e200s are slower with a full bus and they are already slow with no one on board Do you know how angry and peeed off I would be when I was on the 227 and I kept getting 12reg e20ds 4 days in a row waiting for me at Bromley north!!! My heart turns black and I do my best to swap duties, swap running numbers with the driver behind, but who would swap a unrestricted Citaro for a 12reg e200?!! I know 1 driver that has swapped a citaro for a e200 lol |
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Post by jay38a on Aug 12, 2016 18:01:22 GMT
Do you know how angry and peeed off I would be when I was on the 227 and I kept getting 12reg e20ds 4 days in a row waiting for me at Bromley north!!! My heart turns black and I do my best to swap duties, swap running numbers with the driver behind, but who would swap a unrestricted Citaro for a 12reg e200?!! I know 1 driver that has swapped a citaro for a e200 lol That would be @selkent366 |
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Post by VPL630 on Aug 12, 2016 22:29:19 GMT
Accidentally went to the first page of this forum and noticed that it is around a year since you VPL630 began to share your story and others since. Reading a few posts on, it even maybe exactly a year to the day you started driving with passengers. After a year, whats been the best and worst thing about the job? Also whats been the most hilarious moment of the past year? Back at Leyton I read. What can I say but the 275 passengers are just irresistible. There have been many good moments such as driving the 498 for a week when I went on loan to Romford, shunting buses around at The Londoner Live, being type trained on the Boris Bus while going along the 275 route, the many great people I've met such a Boris ok maybe he's not great but it will still nice having a quick chat at the traffic lights on Oxford Circus, the new friends I've made and that make Leyton the best garage to work at, roaring down Oxford Street in a TA was quite good as well  Bad points this job has knackered me out with with constant changing hours, how you have very little time to yourself outside of work, it's not the easiest job to plan stuff out, for example my girlfriend lives on the other side of London which from work or home is an around a 1 hour 30 drive when it's quiet, nearing 2 hours 30 in the peaks? She at the moment also has a full time job but set hours, there are very few times where we actually have a few days off to ourselves to do something nice. Most hilarious moment, well there have been quite a few but this was always sticks in my mind, Driving an N8 out of Bow, a drunk woman boarded my bus, tapped in and then fell flat on her backside, apologised out loud to everyone and then got back off the bus Not that you asked but I thought I'd add 2 of my own Most annoying moment, Driving the 498, knowing that the bus in front wasn't running, pulled up at Gubbins lane and the ramp failed and got stuck rendering my bus useless with 2 bus loads of very unhappy people Most Embarrassing moment, on the 496 at Harold wood, I'd just let passengers on as I was about to depart, one of them walked into my mirror, so I got out my cab to adjust it and the cab door slams shut at the same time I remembered that my T Key was in my jacket pocket which was inside the cab, was saved by the 496 behind Same thing happened to me on the 215 at Lea Valley Campsite, but luckily I'd left my cab window open and was able to get by jacket out and let myself back in |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Aug 13, 2016 12:58:56 GMT
Accidentally went to the first page of this forum and noticed that it is around a year since you VPL630 began to share your story and others since. Reading a few posts on, it even maybe exactly a year to the day you started driving with passengers. After a year, whats been the best and worst thing about the job? Also whats been the most hilarious moment of the past year? Back at Leyton I read. What can I say but the 275 passengers are just irresistible. There have been many good moments such as driving the 498 for a week when I went on loan to Romford, shunting buses around at The Londoner Live, being type trained on the Boris Bus while going along the 275 route, the many great people I've met such a Boris ok maybe he's not great but it will still nice having a quick chat at the traffic lights on Oxford Circus, the new friends I've made and that make Leyton the best garage to work at, roaring down Oxford Street in a TA was quite good as well Bad points this job has knackered me out with with constant changing hours, how you have very little time to yourself outside of work, it's not the easiest job to plan stuff out, for example my girlfriend lives on the other side of London which from work or home is an around a 1 hour 30 drive when it's quiet, nearing 2 hours 30 in the peaks? She at the moment also has a full time job but set hours, there are very few times where we actually have a few days off to ourselves to do something nice. Most hilarious moment, well there have been quite a few but this was always sticks in my mind, Driving an N8 out of Bow, a drunk woman boarded my bus, tapped in and then fell flat on her backside, apologised out loud to everyone and then got back off the bus Not that you asked but I thought I'd add 2 of my own Most annoying moment, Driving the 498, knowing that the bus in front wasn't running, pulled up at Gubbins lane and the ramp failed and got stuck rendering my bus useless with 2 bus loads of very unhappy people Most Embarrassing moment, on the 496 at Harold wood, I'd just let passengers on as I was about to depart, one of them walked into my mirror, so I got out my cab to adjust it and the cab door slams shut at the same time I remembered that my T Key was in my jacket pocket which was inside the cab, was saved by the 496 behind Same thing happened to me on the 215 at Lea Valley Campsite, but luckily I'd left my cab window open and was able to get by jacket out and let myself back in One thing that would knacker you out is rest days. You may not think so but it takes a toll on your body. The GS's would encourage you to do them as they just think about themselves and to get as many jobs covered. There was a time 16 years ago I used to do that work all the overtime and rest days as there was a huge bus driver shortage back in 2000. They literally couldn't cover many duties a day. Plus they literally did illegal practices back then, so it was not uncommon for drivers to be working 3 weeks without a day off. Or in cases drivers finished say midnight and was back on an early shift next day around 7am without the 10 hours break. Although back then they also made did things like paid drivers5 hours for 2.5 or 2 hours work. Or inflated overtime dockets, since there was more money on the pot from TfL for contracts. Bus driving jobs are not family friendly and also in relationships the other half has to be really understanding, the downsides of any shift work.
Always keep your t-key in your trousers pocket for the reason that happened to you. Has caught many people out, worst if you were last bus in the night.
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Post by nickfreckle on Aug 13, 2016 13:29:43 GMT
Can I have a go So far - Most hilarious moment: A girl of about 19-20 absolutely ratted banging her tits out on the bus. She was moaning she felt sick, so I kept checking my rear view mirror to make sure she hadn't been. It was my last run before coming back light from Orpington and really didn't want any hold ups. She had obviously clocked me looking and when she saw me look again she whacked her top and and went 'waheey' and out they flopped. Most annoying moment: Not an individual moment, but a single run back to Woolwich last Sunday I had the following: Coming through Orpington High Street, some kids on bikes jumped off the pavement in front of me and then played chicken with me and pulling wheelies from High Street to Nugents. After that, whilst the bus was pretty busy, an old lady got on in Foots Cray, and I turned around and politely asked a young bloke if he could move from the priority seats. I then got a tirade of abuse as I had interrupted his telephone call, and got called a c**t and was threatened by him, and ended up asking him to leave the bus - which he did after even more abuse and threats. I then got to Sidcup Station, and some bloke wanted to bring a mountain bike on because he had a puncture, which naturally I said no to. Cue more abuse, until he got a mate to take his bike, and he got on without it. The idiot then decided it would be funny to press the bell between every stop, so eventually I had enough and stopped the bus and said over the tannoy that if it continues, at the next stop I will be stopping the bus and not moving until whoever was responsible got off. So he done it again, I got to the next stop, opened the rear doors and nobody got off. So I shut the doors and turned the engine off. The bloke came up to me and said to me that I was holding everybody up by not moving, so I said to him 'No, it's you holding everybody up by keep on pressing the bell'. I set off again, and it didn't happen anymore. I have never been so happy for a shift to end. Most embarrassing moment: Similar to above - somebody had knocked my mirror in Woolwich town centre so I got out to adjust it. However, I didn't get locked out my cab, as I always keep my T-Key in my pocket. No, I got out of the cab, adjusted the mirror, and as I turned around and my trailing leg slipped off the platform, and I went flat on my face and scraped my shin. It didn't half flipping hurt... |
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Post by londonbusboy on Aug 13, 2016 15:49:46 GMT
Bad points this job has knackered me out with with constant changing hours, how you have very little time to yourself outside of work, it's not the easiest job to plan stuff out 100000000000000000% agree |
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