Things that annoy you on bus and coach journeys

[Statto]

I'm also annoyed by those who won't move all the way through in the bus, instead congregating in the rear doorway when the corridor behind them is still free (and sometimes there are even seats there at the back!). Or, worse, they congregate in the front corridor just behind the entrance door.

Bus capacity can be used a lot more effectively if people will walk as far back as they can and sit down if there are free seats (the latter so that they are not standing in the way of others who could occupy that seat).

The worst, though, may be those who stand in the corridor because they are talking to a friend who is sitting there, rather than because they think they can't easily move further down.

Worse ones are when those with buggies board the bus almost blocking the aisle, i was on a bus normally low floor route but high step entrance regularly substituted low floors in this case an Arriva B10B, replacing the normal Cadets, however passengers got on with buggies, had to fold the buggies but stored them on the aisle blocking the aisle, that you had to climb over the buggies when getting off, & the driver did nothing about it.

 

[quarella]

A passenger is on the vehicle usually for a short time whereas the driver can be on board the vehicle for up to 5 hours... why should the driver be uncomfortable in his workplace? If, as I suspect, you're an office worker would you be willing to sit at your desk in your hat scarf gloves and coat all day? I think not lol

Wasn't a problem when buses didn't have heaters. Some years ago I was shown my grandfather's winter coat issued by the bus company when he was a driver in the 1940s. I could barely lift it!

A temperature to suit all is an impossibility on public transport. Some doing a 5 minute hop, others on for an hour. Some straight out of a warm car, some a brisk walk to the stop. You only have to look at the Twitter feed of TOCs and Bus companies to see that. They aren't all travelling on 175s where you have to identify the hot and cold spots. I understand that the control of saloon heating is no longer under the control of the driver and is adjusted during maintenance.

 

[johntea]

One thing that has bugged me recently on a particular bus company is the drivers stare at your perfectly valid pass for what feels like minutes as they don't trust you.

I don't mind you checking if my pass is valid, but when there is a big date in the middle saying 29-NOV-2015 that should be fairly obvious! In fact on the trains many conductors as soon as they see a pass being flashed is just go 'Yeah fine cheers', pretty sure they're not even looking at the date (or zones covered!) at all!

Also, pointless Free City Bus services. Used the Bradford one yesterday to get from Forster Square railway station to Bradford Interchange. By the end of it I wish I had just walked it as usual!

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

Bus drivers who do not stop while you are waiting at the bus stop, clearly visible with your arm out indicating for them to stop.

Passengers who press the stop buzzer just as the bus is passing the stop and expect the bus driver to have superhuman reaction times and still stop at the bus stop.

Passengers who think that bus drivers are mind readers... ie stand at a stop and wait until the bus is about to pass them by before jumping into the middle of the road waving frantically... or wait until the bus has passed their stop before jumping up and yelling "I wanted that stop"

Even worse are those passengers who then proceed to berate the driver for their own stupidity!

 

[duncanp]

Worse ones are when those with buggies board the bus almost blocking the aisle

I had exactly this on a Transport for London bus yesterday. Buggy space was already occupied (by a buggy) and another buggy was allowed on and just stood there blocking the aisle. People boarding at the front were unable to get past and had to exit via the front doors.

My record is five buggies on a single deck bus where there were only two official spaces for buggies.

Heaven knows what would have happened if a wheelchair user had wanted to board the bus.

 

[jon0844]

Legroom
Rattles, especially around the drivers area. You think they could design a bus that didn't do it after 6 months of service

When our bus operator got some brand new Optare Solo buses, they didn't take six months to rattle (and leak). They did that from day one!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Also, pointless Free City Bus services. Used the Bradford one yesterday to get from Forster Square railway station to Bradford Interchange. By the end of it I wish I had just walked it as usual!

Those are of course a lot more use to those who are of more limited mobility, or just if you're not in a rush and it's tipping it down!

Neil

 

[Class 33]

One thing that has bugged me recently on a particular bus company is the drivers stare at your perfectly valid pass for what feels like minutes as they don't trust you.

I don't mind you checking if my pass is valid, but when there is a big date in the middle saying 29-NOV-2015 that should be fairly obvious! In fact on the trains many conductors as soon as they see a pass being flashed is just go 'Yeah fine cheers', pretty sure they're not even looking at the date (or zones covered!) at all!

That used to annoy me too. On First Bristol buses during the few years period from about early 2012 to early 2015 when weekly/monthly passes you had to show to the driver upon boarding, after they did away with the passes you inserted into the ticket checking machine yourself. Some of the drivers were annoying, as you'd show the pass to the driver but they stare it at for seemingly ages, even though it clearly says in block capitals the expiry date!!!! Even more annoying are the drivers who would insist you hand over the ticket for them to inspect, and then they look at the back of the pass too as though they suspect the passes may be fake/counterfeit!

Thank goodness they've done away with those passes now. And they now have these touch card passes which you don't have to show to the driver.

 

[talltim]

oddly enough you can get a 'disabled' pass if your are completely bodily fit and well

but just happen to have a sensory disability which prohibits you from holding a driving licence, a neurological condition which is grounds for refusal of a driving licence, or any other condition which is grounds for the DVLA medical branch to refuse a driving licence

where did you get your teleaethic powers of diagnosis ? or are you just an immature and childish bigot.

My son has type 1 diabetes. When he is older this may prevent him holding a driving licence. He can do anything any other 6 year old can do and you wouldn't know to look at him.

 

[Deerfold]

Those are of course a lot more use to those who are of more limited mobility, or just if you're not in a rush and it's tipping it down!

Neil

If only there was a shelter at the Forster Square stop.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

One thing that has bugged me recently on a particular bus company is the drivers stare at your perfectly valid pass for what feels like minutes as they don't trust you.

I don't mind you checking if my pass is valid, but when there is a big date in the middle saying 29-NOV-2015 that should be fairly obvious! In fact on the trains many conductors as soon as they see a pass being flashed is just go 'Yeah fine cheers', pretty sure they're not even looking at the date (or zones covered!) at all!

Also, pointless Free City Bus services. Used the Bradford one yesterday to get from Forster Square railway station to Bradford Interchange. By the end of it I wish I had just walked it as usual!

One reason drivers may seem to stare at a pass for a long time is that in many companies each type of pass has a different layout (information in different order) therefore meaning the whole pass has to be read to check it's valid.

 

[TUC]

A passenger who continues to sit next to you when other seats are free.
.

Once I've sat on a seat I wouldn't usually think about moving again just because other seats have become free. I suspect that's tbe same with many people.

 

[jon0844]

Doing so might make it look like you had a problem with the person you moved away from.

 

[fowler9]

Doing so might make it look like you had a problem with the person you moved away from.

If someone moved away from me to sit on a free pair of seats I would assume they wanted to spread out more which is what I would do. I am normally grateful if they do move away, not in an antisocial way.

 

[Jegerpizza]

When the wifi dosnt work, and i cant do what i was planning to do on my phone.

 

[jon0844]

Use mobile data. Likely to be considerably faster in most cases. Depends on the network though.

 

[TUC]

Depends upon
The data package you have of course. If it's not unlimited then it's understandable that passengers will want to use the on-bus service.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

My list of gripes...

People who sit behind you, but can't seem to avoid constantly kicking the back of your seat.

Stinky people, who inevitably sit near me.

The driver I had a few weeks ago on the Yorkshire Tiger 435, who, when I got on at Denby Dale there were no other passengers on board. 5 minutes in, he stops at a stop where nobody was waiting... After about a minute, I ask "are you running early?" to which he says no, so I ask if there's any chance he can keep things moving, as I'm only going to the next village and there's nobody else on board. He then contradicts himself by saying he'll get in trouble if he runs early. Eventually he starts moving, but as I get off, thanking him politely, he starts ranting at me for apparently "telling him how to do his job"... :roll:

Firstbus.

The poster upthread moaning about the Bradford City Bus taking a long time to get from Forster Square to Interchange, it is indeed quicker to walk if you are able, due to the way the route is set out. In the other direction though, it is worth doing if the weather is a bit rubbish!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

5 minutes in, he stops at a stop where nobody was waiting... After about a minute, I ask "are you running early?" to which he says no, so I ask if there's any chance he can keep things moving, as I'm only going to the next village and there's nobody else on board. He then contradicts himself by saying he'll get in trouble if he runs early.

Is it possible, I wonder, that the stop in question was the bus equivalent of a timing point with a few minutes of recovery time built in there ( do buses even do this? )?

 

[fowler9]

Is it possible, I wonder, that the stop in question was the bus equivalent of a timing point with a few minutes of recovery time built in there ( do buses even do this? )?

I doubt it, on the rare occasion that my bus runs early the drivers sits at the stop before Liverpool South Parkway probably so when he gets there it isn't so obvious to loads of Merseytravel staff that it has run 5 minutes early from god knows where. It is annoying if you miss a bus running that early. There are only two buses that get me to work in time on an eight start (In a very busy area not that far from Parkway, so not out in the sticks). Most drivers are great and recognise the regular passengers at that time, they crawl between the stops so they aren't early (Most of the traffic is heading in to the city).

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Is it possible, I wonder, that the stop in question was the bus equivalent of a timing point with a few minutes of recovery time built in there ( do buses even do this? )?

It's possible, but that wouldn't excuse his rudeness and overreaction, in my opinion. A shame, as YT drivers are generally pretty good in terms of politeness- compared to First round here at least!

 

[jon0844]

Buses that you can barely see, and have no numbers on display.

Okay, I've said this before, but last night I saw Uno running what I've named 'Stealth Bus' and felt I had to mention my complaint again to justify posting this video of it...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IIeN6HnXE8

 

[Deerfold]

Buses that you can barely see, and have no numbers on display.

Okay, I've said this before, but last night I saw Uno running what I've named 'Stealth Bus' and felt I had to mention my complaint again to justify posting this video of it...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IIeN6HnXE8

Have you mentioned this to the Traffic Commissioner yet?

 

[jon0844]

Not this, but I have been talking to Herts CC about other things, and they've started an investigation as they've been funding some of the services that I've reported. They've demanded Uno gets back to them (and me) and will be sending inspectors out to check on things.

I have no idea how much HCC will actually do, as they do seem to be rather too chummy with Uno, and I think I can already predict the likely outcome (excuses along the lines of it being an isolated incident, circumstances beyond their control etc) but I am going to keep pressing.

The only concern I have is that I still use the buses and I know at least two drivers seem to know who I am when I've complained, and I always feel that sooner or later they're going to mess me around (not stop for me).

 

[Tibbs]

Buses that change destination mid-way through the route.

Then having a bus that does go to your destination pull out just as yours arrives.

 

[abbo1234]

People who sit behind you and push both knees up into the back of my seat.

 

[gazthomas]

Being on a bus!

 

[ECML180]

Inconsiderately and stupidly parked cars, got delayed 30 minutes the other day as we had to reverse out because someone parked on double yellows got us stuck!

 

[GatwickDepress]

Buses that you can barely see, and have no numbers on display.

Okay, I've said this before, but last night I saw Uno running what I've named 'Stealth Bus' and felt I had to mention my complaint again to justify posting this video of it...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IIeN6HnXE8

Loved the description of the video too!

 

[pompeyfan]

From a drivers point of view I'd like to tackle this perception of 'rudeness' don't get me wrong, I know for sure that some people are less pleasant then others... But was the driver rude, or just telling you something you didn't want to hear or making you do something you didn't want to do?

Ask someone to collapse a pushchair; driver was rude
Pay for a small single with a £20; passenger refuses change voucher and driver is subsequently accused of being rude.
Traffic is heavy and passenger uses a sarcastic tone/comment; driver answers with similarly frustrated comment; driver reported for being rude.
Driver repeatedly asks passengers to move down the bus and eventually uses a frustrated tone.... You guessed it... Rude
The best one I heard recently was a service was delayed due to roadworks, when a passenger started giving the driver both barrels, he calmly printed out a customer service contact ticket and handed it to her, to which she complained about, saying the driver didn't care etc, even though she was further delaying the service.

Just wanted to give the other side of the coin.