Arm Out at Bus Stops?

[GarethGwill]

Somebody mentioned busses acting like they're at Silverstone... how about, if you know the number of the route you're waiting for, you have a card with the route number on it, large enough for the driver to see, like the position numbers in motor racing? So you stand at the stop and when several busses are approaching, you hold out the card so the drivers know which bus you want?

About busses not stopping, I was in Cardiff back last summer, I had travelled on the Stagecoach X3 from Pontypool and got off at the Colchester Avenue stop on Newport Road. When I wanted to catch a later X3 into Cardiff (I was using a MegaRider Gold weekly ticket) the X3 didn't stop, I was on the edge of the kerb as he approached, with my arm out but he just drove past, then stopped at the lights just past the stop. Wouldn't even open the door, just shook his head. The next X3 did pull up in the road (not the bus lane) and the driver said "we don't pick up from that stop", yet the timetable on Stagecoach's web site, the timetable in the shelter and the matrix all said they do. Very annoyed at the time.

 

[Deerfold]

Was working at a bus stop today. There was a woman sat on the bench some way behind the bus stop yakking away on her mobile phone. The bus she wanted approached in the outside line at the time predicted by the display at the stop (as it turns right just after the bus stop) and then drove straight past.

She looked up and was indigant that it hadn't stopped and complained to her friend on the phone for several minutes.

Of course she then stood to make sure the same didn't happen with the next one.

Oh, no my mistake. She went back to the bench and sat back down.

Perhaps the driver should have stopped as there people around the stop, but there was no one paying any attention to his bus as he approached.

 

[SS4]

Where more than one bus is involved I will normally go to the rear of the one that has already stopped (or the front if not possible, but only if not possible) and time my sticking my arm out to match anything else around. If several buses are approaching I position myself in such a way that the driver cannot miss me without endangering myself, and as soon as the driver of the bus in front can no longer see me without his mirrors, out comes the arm.

That's what I do too, especially at busy bus stops (Erdington High Street springs to me, especially the stop outside the Job Centre)

 

[bb21]

Somebody mentioned busses acting like they're at Silverstone... how about, if you know the number of the route you're waiting for, you have a card with the route number on it, large enough for the driver to see, like the position numbers in motor racing? So you stand at the stop and when several busses are approaching, you hold out the card so the drivers know which bus you want?

Where I live, this will not work as two companies compete on the same route and have identical route numbers.

You'll need your card to show a Barbie background or a Cream & Aquamarine background as appropriate too.

 

[MK Tom]

This problem becomes really noticeable on Stagecoach route 89 through MK. The Northampton drivers expect people to not put their arms out as they often don't there, then veer back out of MK stops without stopping when passengers sitting waiting for Arriva services do ''I'm not paying Stagecoach fares'' faces. To me, arm out = want bus, and arm not out = want other bus or just sitting down for a quick rest.

 

[317666]

In Cambridge I always put my arm out, although I only use our buses if I really have to. I'm not paying £1.95 to go down the road when it's quicker to walk than get stuck in traffic, or wait for Stagecoach's hopeless service in the first place. Don't even get me started on the Guided Busway...

 

[LE Greys]

Aberdeen caused a lot of confusion for me. Virtually nobody puts their arm out there, so I sometimes had to wave buses on, especially when going to Balmedie (some of the Stagecoach numbers are unreadable until they get really close, the drivers misinterpreted my peering as a stop signal).

Sometimes, you get the opposite problem down south. Last week, I was waiting for a 55 at Stevenage station and (1) an idiot in a lorry had parked in the bus stop, which blocked off half of it and I couldn't see past the thing and (2) the SB2 in front of mine had been stopped by someone else (who had been slowing down and waving on lots of the other SBs). Even practically standing in the road between the two, the 55's driver could not see me and zoomed straight past. Cue annoying 20-minute delay waiting for the next one. :x

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Melksham Market Place on the route 234 seems to be a mandatory stop irrelevant. You don't need to press the bell to get off or hold your arm out.

I've even been on it once when there was no-one getting off and no-one at the bus stop, but we stopped and the driver opened the doors briefly, then shut them and drove off anyway

 

[SS4]

Some drivers stop if there is a bus in front or if the weather is wet and/or cold because it can be hard to see people in the shelter. Usually it's services known for carrying a fair amount of elderly passengers.
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Of course when I'm at a bus stop not waiting for the bus (usually killing time) I make sure I'm facing away from the bus and not getting up

 

[LE Greys]

Another thing about the Buchan Link, the coaches don't have bells, and some of the drivers are a bit mad. To get them to stop, you are supposed to stand up and walk down the aisle, but (1) they don't always notice (2) some of them are double-deck six-wheelers (stairs in the middle, door at the front) and (3) you risk being thrown through the windows if you ever stand up. Usefully though, they will stop anywhere you want on country roads.

 

[YorkshireRider]

I always stick my hand out, plus at night, I'll shine a torch on my hand to emphasise the fact that I'm there, and I want to get on the bus.

Ive seen passengers waiting for Yorkshire Coastliner services in the back of beyond or on the A64 at night do this otherwise they bus would be straight past them

 

[aylesbury]

Yes having experienced this myself with OAP's being the worst especially of they are too busy chatting.

Dont you realise us OAP,s still talk to each other not like the young who only communicte by text!!!!!!
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Our local route is good as most drivers know all the regulars and all smile when you get on ,except for one miserable git who demands you show your pass and then does not smile or say thank you.You have to put your arm out for Arriva and then you get a welcome on board.

 

[district]

I was at Elwick Road bus stop the other day, the stop before the main town centre terminus. From Elwick Road, you can catch a variety of services to many destinations.

There was one other person at the stop and two buses were approaching. She put her hand up for the first bus, and I wanted the one behind. The driver of her bus made a facial expression as if to see 'you want mine?' and she caught it. My bus was rapidly closing up behind and I had to wave at the other driver while he was waiting to get through the traffic - luckily he noticed and he didn't just overtake the first bus.

I agree that some sort of request system would be useful in this sort of situation - but I'm not sure that in somewhere with vandals and undesirables that it is viable.

who demands you show your pass

Surely this is the standard procedure for any paid-for public transport service? :roll:

 

[ReverendFozz]

I remember a few years ago in Durham, a young chinese was waiting for the bus back to her house just out of town, just come as a student and barely spoke english, the bus she wanted was approaching, and drive right past her, she asked me what was wrong as that was the 2nd bus to drive right past her, she asked why didnt it stop, I told her to simply put her hand out and signal to the driver that she wanted him to stop, she was quite embarrassed in the end when I said that...Luckily for this girl the bus she wanted ran every 10 minutes so her next one wasnt far away

 

[WestCoast]

who demands you show your pass

Where I use local buses, in Lancashire, all OAP/disabled passes have to be 'read' by the ticket machine and the pass holders get a ticket after stating where they are going. In the extremely rare event of an inspector boarding, they have to show the ticket and pass. I've seen this happen elsewhere as well, so it's surprising that in some parts of the country, pass holders don't always have to show their passes!

I believe the differing procedures are down to funding arrangements from county/municipal councils or PTEs like TfGM who reimburse the bus operators.

 

[ReverendFozz]

Where I use local buses, in Lancashire, all OAP/disabled passes have to be 'read' by the ticket machine and the pass holders get a ticket after stating where they are going. In the extremely rare event of an inspector boarding, they have to show the ticket and pass. I've seen this happen elsewhere as well, so it's surprising that in some parts of the country, pass holders don't always have to show their passes!

I believe the differing procedures are down to funding arrangements from county/municipal councils or PTEs like TfGM who reimburse the bus operators.

Up here in the North East, GNE SDMs are happy only to see the pass

Sent from my GT-S5830 using Tapatalk 2

 

[SS4]

Where I use local buses, in Lancashire, all OAP/disabled passes have to be 'read' by the ticket machine and the pass holders get a ticket after stating where they are going. In the extremely rare event of an inspector boarding, they have to show the ticket and pass. I've seen this happen elsewhere as well, so it's surprising that in some parts of the country, pass holders don't always have to show their passes!

I believe the differing procedures are down to funding arrangements from county/municipal councils or PTEs like TfGM who reimburse the bus operators.

In the West Midlands you touch the card on the reader, NXWM (and maybe Blue Diamond) don't give you a ticket but Arriva do.
It's horrendously slow and the 0940 bus can take an extra ten-fifteen minutes on the 0920 (which is a lot for a 20 minute service/journey)

As for ticket inspectors they seem to be mythical creatures around these parts

 

[WestCoast]

As for ticket inspectors they seem to be mythical creatures around these parts

The local Stagecoach division here has one inspector that I've ever seen, and from my 5 or so years using the same bus everyday it seems to be just the one. I've never seen one on Rotala Preston Bus, Blackpool Transport or the numerous independent operators that LCC give contracts to (they seem to prefer them these days which goes against the national trend).

I think the inspector's job is more to check for revenue irregularities with drivers, rather than non-paying passengers. However, I have heard of people underpaying.

 

[bus man]

If you read the conditiions of carriage for most bus companies (getting hold of some of them is like finding gold) they nearly all say when attempting to board put your hand out.


In this area (sheffield) in days of old before deregulation you put your hand out unless it was a a compulsary stop these stops disapeared after dereg together with fare stages on stops as the bus compaines all had there own

Compulsary stops came from tram days when they were compulsary stops put in by the board or trade mainly at the stop of steep hills

 

[Ivo]

In the West Midlands you touch the card on the reader, NXWM (and maybe Blue Diamond) don't give you a ticket but Arriva do.
It's horrendously slow and the 0940 bus can take an extra ten-fifteen minutes on the 0920 (which is a lot for a 20 minute service/journey)

First's Almex machines around here are awful for this...

(1) Put machine on reader.
(2) State your destination.
(3) Machine accepts or rejects pass.
--- (3A) If rejected, pass must be placed on reader again.
(4) Fare Stages appear on screen.
(5) Driver presses appropriate button.
--- (5A) If driver cannot see appropriate Fare Stage, he presses a different button to bring up other Fare Stages.
--- --- (5B) If driver still cannot locate Fare Stage, he keys in the code, or selects a different Fare Stage.
(6) Machine loads data.
(7) Machine prints ticket on glossy paper.

The whole process takes about six to eight seconds, which is poor - and that's assuming the driver can press the correct buttons without delay. On the other hand, in relation to (5B), I have had tickets from Bath Spa University to Bath Spa University before now - even when travelling entirely on a part of the SPA1 route away from the University.

As for ticket inspectors they seem to be mythical creatures around these parts

I think First S&A have one as well. Nice chap; I've spoken to him a few times. He was the person that taught me how their revenue from ENCTS passes is worked out, and he has also given me some advice for things like Panel meetings and service changes. But "one" means "one"...

I've never seen one on Rotala Preston Bus

I've almost never seen Rotala do anything besides fail, so what difference does it make?

 

[trentside]

The Stagecoach ERG machines aren't too great with passes either. The usual trick is to lift off the pass, and place it down again but sometimes they need more persuasion. Taking the pass out of the wallet sometimes seems to help. It was so much quicker when people just showed the pass to the driver. God help us when Stagecoach Smart arrives... oh wait, it does this week - and I've got to start using it!

As for inspectors, Stagecoach Lincolnshire employ a couple of them. Despite using the services almost daily, I very rarely see them - probably three times in the past ten years (and one of those was pre-Stagecoach days). On the two occasions they've checked tickets, it was in the same place - Friskney near Skegness, where two InterConnect 7 buses pass each other, allowing them to park their van and get back to it.

 

[WestCoast]

Stagecoach uses Wayfarer machines in Lancashire (and all North Western divisions I think), in fact most of the other local operators do as well. From what I've seen, they seem to generally work fine the ITSO passes (although that's only what I've seen). First time around (even in wallet/purse) in the majority of cases, although like above the pass has to register before a destination can be selected and ticket printed.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Loading up here on First buses can be slow with the passes, compared to Faresaver on the community ZigZag route on Vario stock that still has the old Wayfarer's fitted. As observed today, it was proven a faster way as the driver printed the ticket, before we even stopped to allow the old lady passenger on at the village of Holt!!

I assume the driver knew she would have a pass, or is a regular passenger anyway

 

[Tomonthetrain]

As for ticket inspectors they seem to be mythical creatures around these parts

Pigs flying are more likely!

 

[33109]

Slightly off topic this I know but around here (cheshire east/west) some of the old dears just don't bother to press the bell when they want to get off the bus. They just wander up to front of the bus & when the driver goes past their stop if they haven't seem them they give drivers an earfull

Anybody else noticed this or is it just me?:roll:

 

[90019]

Slightly off topic this I know but around here (cheshire east/west) some of the old dears just don't bother to press the bell when they want to get off the bus. They just wander up to front of the bus & when the driver goes past their stop if they haven't seem them they give drivers an earfull

Anybody else noticed this or is it just me?:roll:

I get that occasionally, but I'm normally checking the mirror to see if there's anyone there anyway.
The one I've had a few times that's more annoying is the people who push the bell as you're passing a stop and then expect you to stop the bus for them.


Going back to the original subject, I saw a few examples of something that can be pretty annoying, particularly when the roads are busy - people who stand right on the edge of the pavement at a bus stop, but don't actually want your bus. In particular the ones who just stand and stare at you as if you're an idiot when you stop and open the doors.

 

[LE Greys]

I get that occasionally, but I'm normally checking the mirror to see if there's anyone there anyway.
The one I've had a few times that's more annoying is the people who push the bell as you're passing a stop and then expect you to stop the bus for them.


Going back to the original subject, I saw a few examples of something that can be pretty annoying, particularly when the roads are busy - people who stand right on the edge of the pavement at a bus stop, but don't actually want your bus. In particular the ones who just stand and stare at you as if you're an idiot when you stop and open the doors.

From the other end, it's a bit awkward when you can't read the destination boards until the bus is right on top of you, then you see it's the wrong one and stand back . . . And it stops! Very embarassing.

 

[Shrimper]

The Stagecoach ERG machines aren't too great with passes either. The usual trick is to lift off the pass, and place it down again but sometimes they need more persuasion. Taking the pass out of the wallet sometimes seems to help. It was so much quicker when people just showed the pass to the driver. God help us when Stagecoach Smart arrives... oh wait, it does this week - and I've got to start using it!

Smart is OK in my experience, as people know how to use it - they wait for the second beep from the machine before removing it so I rarely have any issues.

Pensioners can cause problems as some don't know where to place the card; some simply want to swipe it across the machine so it doesn't read/reads but doesn't complete the transaction, and some think that one bleep is enough and they are down the back of the bus before you can get them back again! Plus the machine can be slow to reset after a failed reading.