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Things that annoy you on bus and coach journeys

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jon0844

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Loved the description of the video too! :lol:

The next day I did this (sad aren't I) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9JCXSbjtD8

The same afternoon Uno had a bus on fire in town. What was funny is that Uno apologised for the delays to services by saying there was a 'temporary road closure' without explaining that it was due to one of its buses catching fire!

Pay for a small single with a £20; passenger refuses change voucher and driver is subsequently accused of being rude.

There's no legal requirement to give change, so if the change voucher is refused then just keep the £20!!
 
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johntea

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I was absolutely shocked this evening!

Was in a bus station waiting for my bus, someone is getting told they can't board a bus by a driver as they're too drunk basically (This seemed an odd decision in itself, yes he did seem to have had one too many but his partner/wife seemed sober enough and keeping him under control).

Anyway as he is walking out of the bus station he suddenly mouths off at the station attendant '%$£%&ing useless' although doesn't get violent and is heading to the exit assisted by his partner. Again, one too many to drink.

The attendant decides to respond by calling the guy a 'prick' and a '%^$^^ %%&%'. I know the drunk guy maybe provoked this but still this is simply not right for someone on duty! Reported the matter to the bus station operator anyway.
 

Teflon Lettuce

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I was absolutely shocked this evening!

Was in a bus station waiting for my bus, someone is getting told they can't board a bus by a driver as they're too drunk basically (This seemed an odd decision in itself, yes he did seem to have had one too many but his partner/wife seemed sober enough and keeping him under control).

Anyway as he is walking out of the bus station he suddenly mouths off at the station attendant '%$£%&ing useless' although doesn't get violent and is heading to the exit assisted by his partner. Again, one too many to drink.

The attendant decides to respond by calling the guy a 'prick' and a '%^$^^ %%&%'. I know the drunk guy maybe provoked this but still this is simply not right for someone on duty! Reported the matter to the bus station operator anyway.

well I hope that the management decide not to take any action against the attendant... he was verbally abused by a drunk for no reason whatsoever.. so what that he was on duty? why does that allow antisocial idiots to abuse him? IMHO it's about time that bus companies backed up their "we do not tolerate...." notices with some robust action that proves that statement... instead of disciplining their staff for refusing to put up with such abuse.

After all if the drunk had done the same to a police officer he would've been wrestled to the floor and would now be sleeping it off in a police cell!
 

Bletchleyite

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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:

Frustrating that may be, but a professional driver waits time and does not run early, as that could cause a passenger to miss the bus. Congratulations to that driver, IMO - many would have run early and someone may have missed the bus if wishing to board it on one of the open-road stops. It's quite possible the timetable was a little slack and by "keeping things moving" he would have run early.

Neil
 

BestWestern

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I was absolutely shocked this evening!

Was in a bus station waiting for my bus, someone is getting told they can't board a bus by a driver as they're too drunk basically (This seemed an odd decision in itself, yes he did seem to have had one too many but his partner/wife seemed sober enough and keeping him under control).

Anyway as he is walking out of the bus station he suddenly mouths off at the station attendant '%$£%&ing useless' although doesn't get violent and is heading to the exit assisted by his partner. Again, one too many to drink.

The attendant decides to respond by calling the guy a 'prick' and a '%^$^^ %%&%'. I know the drunk guy maybe provoked this but still this is simply not right for someone on duty! Reported the matter to the bus station operator anyway.

A shame that you felt the need to bring management down on the guy, if I came into your work place and swore at you for absolutely no reason whatsoever I presume you wouldn't have a problem with it?! The chap is likely underpaid, underappreciated, and regularly exposed this sort of idiot and their deeply irksome behaviour. We all have a tolerance level, perhaps this guy had a particularly stressful day.
 

Deerfold

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Frustrating that may be, but a professional driver waits time and does not run early, as that could cause a passenger to miss the bus. Congratulations to that driver, IMO - many would have run early and someone may have missed the bus if wishing to board it on one of the open-road stops. It's quite possible the timetable was a little slack and by "keeping things moving" he would have run early.

Neil

The driver having a rant as 61653 got off the bus doesn't sound very professional or deserving of congratulations.
 

Bletchleyite

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The driver having a rant as 61653 got off the bus doesn't sound very professional or deserving of congratulations.

No, indeed not that. However he was right to wait for time, and 61653 did not have a valid complaint about him doing so provided arrival was not delayed.

A more professional response from the driver would have been "I'm afraid I am strictly not allowed to run early so I can't do that" or something.

Neil
 

extendedpaul

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I agree with Neil Williams. I travel mainly off peak and have known bus drivers wait at stops, particularly in rural areas, until several minutes after the timetabled departure time. A few miles further on the bus is usually back on time.

Most drivers know the real running time for journeys. If there is nowhere safe to park up at the next few stops it is reasonable for the driver to leave a stop late to ensure he/she does not subsequently run early.

It does not excuse the driver's rudeness but I would not make a complaint myself in the circumstances.
 

TUC

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Pay for a small single with a £20

That is an issue where buses just need to catch up with rest of the retail world. People would think nothing about using a £20 in a shop and so bus companies should not be surprised that they do when using a bus. Besides which, if you've just used a cash machine to get money to pay for the bus and it only has £20 notes, what else are you meant to do.
 

Bletchleyite

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That is an issue where buses just need to catch up with rest of the retail world. People would think nothing about using a £20 in a shop and so bus companies should not be surprised that they do when using a bus. Besides which, if you've just used a cash machine to get money to pay for the bus and it only has £20 notes, what else are you meant to do.

Accepting card payments using contactless is in my view the best way to solve the change issue. Then a very large number of people will switch to that even if cash is still an option.

Neil
 

PermitToTravel

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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...

:D

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

Was that in service? There's no one on board, and I can't imagine the passengers not asking the driver to turn the interior lights on
 

PermitToTravel

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Continuing the misspellings theme, I saw this today:
 

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jon0844

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Was that in service? There's no one on board, and I can't imagine the passengers not asking the driver to turn the interior lights on

Yes it was. There were lights on, just. It was the last bus of the night, and did appear empty. It was the darkness that made me do that silly video.

The other day I had the bus running through with 'Not in service' on the displays, with a number of people on it.
 
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pompeyfan

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In regards to changing £20s there is multiple issues. First of all my employer only issue drivers with a £25 float, when I worked in retail the till had £80 float. Secondly if you start running low on change in a shop, a supervisor usually has keys (and access) to a change safe. I've even stopped off at a bank midroute to try and get some more pound coins after a stream of £20's and been told because I'm not one of their customers they wouldn't be able to help me.... What else do you want us to do? Sadly I cannot deficate £1 coins, and if I could I very much doubt I'd work a 50+ week every week.
 

quarella

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Yes it was. There were lights on, just. It was the last bus of the night, and did appear empty. It was the darkness that made me so that silly video.

The other day I had the bus running through with 'Not in service' on the displays, with a number of people on it.

Does this operator have electronic destination displays or traditional blinds? To be able to see what is showing when altering it from the inside you do need to turn the lights off, remembering to turn them on again afterwards. A distraction such as a passenger and regrettably gets forgotten. Some buses do seem rather dim inside, not helped by the anti glare light at the front.

There could be a multitude of reasons for a bus running through with 'Not in service' on the displays such as running set down only after disruption to make up time or coming out of service due to a fault with the vehicle or the driver needing to finish at the earliest opportunity, or route learning. Like all jobs there are a few who do not apply themselves fully as per your assumption.
 

jon0844

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That's utterly ridiculous!

..how long before they go for the ultimate in stealth and turn the headlights off too?

Indeed.

I've recently heard from the county council and the bus company is now being watched, and I've been asked to report any and every bus seen that isn't displaying a route number, or when my local bus doesn't turn up (I can hear and see it pass my house).

The bus company was asked why it hadn't run a number of services and it came back to say a driver had called in sick, but has now given me and the council assurances it won't happen again and was a 'one off' (a lie, as it happened many times/days) but the council has stated that it expects them to run as they're part funded by the council. Inspectors will be (apparently) out to check for compliance in the weeks ahead.

Of course, the council might end up doing sod all (as I suspect) but I have noticed since being told this that all the buses seem to be running and showing the correct number front, side and back.

Maybe some desperate swapping around of buses and driver shifts to satisfy me perhaps? :D

Does this operator have electronic destination displays or traditional blinds? To be able to see what is showing when altering it from the inside you do need to turn the lights off, remembering to turn them on again afterwards. A distraction such as a passenger and regrettably gets forgotten. Some buses do seem rather dim inside, not helped by the anti glare light at the front.

There could be a multitude of reasons for a bus running through with 'Not in service' on the displays such as running set down only after disruption to make up time or coming out of service due to a fault with the vehicle or the driver needing to finish at the earliest opportunity, or route learning. Like all jobs there are a few who do not apply themselves fully as per your assumption.

Given the age of the bus in the video, it's probably blinds. And the drivers usually only ever set the front and maybe the side on these. The rear will be blank, a random number or something like 000.

They do have a number of buses with electronic boards. Some don't fit the windows properly so part of the number gets cut off. One has a display that scrolls backwards. Many are extremely faded and hard to read in bad weather or when the sun is strong.

These often don't have the rear dot matrix displays working, and sometimes the sides don't work either.

Uno HAS said it intends to get them all fixed/replaced 'at huge cost' so perhaps they are under increasing pressure from the authorities. For some time now, they've had an awful lot of buses going around - even fairly new ones they've obtained from ex-London use - with numbers on bits of paper. NOT acceptable.

The Not in Service thing is quite common. If I walk two stops on to have more buses to choose from, I am standing opposite the bus garage. As such, I see a LOT of buses coming out, and there are often buses leaving with not in service on the display. Now, many of these will be out of service until they start, but some of those start from my stop and I've had to tell the driver many times, who has said something along the lines of 'oops' and set it up there and then.

I've also missed a bus twice because of it, as I didn't flag it down and only after realised it was my bus. Now I have to wave at them, and if they stop they were meant to be in service. If they drive on, pointing up, they were genuinely out of service. It's like a fun game, I'd sooner not have to play.

Another thing I often 'have' to do is politely remind a driver that the destination on the board is the wrong one (i.e. the return route) and they comment on how nobody else seemed to notice. Usually it's obvious anyway given the direction of travel, but not at ALL locations where you have a stop that buses for either direction stop at.

I just think it needs a bit more practice for drivers to get used to setting and checking things correctly before every journey, as a train driver or pilot would do.

Finally, while you might not believe it, I am always as nice and polite as possible to drivers. I might be pointing out their errors, but they're usually apologetic and many then go on to tell me how 'well, it is Uno' and other jokes at the company expense. I bet staff morale is really high there!
 
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VTPreston_Tez

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Here's mine:

Preston "We've got 60 passengers that get on this service, let's chuck a Solo on instead of one of the double deckers we've got at the depot" Bus

First Dorset binning off half their services for no logical reason. Thank Christ there was a delayed train at Dorchester South.

Preston Bus "this bus is always empty, hey let's put a double decker on just to annoy the lot using the bus that leaves from the next stand to the left"

Stagecoach magically pulling a London Bus out of nowhere for the morning college run.

Stagecoach putting 3 college buses on within 5 minutes of each other, then none for another 35 minutes. EVERY MORNING. You're lucky if they decide to put on a fourth, dependent on if they can get another bus. That bit's fair, the scheduling isn't.

Half the passengers that get my bus home from college shouting the whole way back. Look, you may not have exans coming up unlike me, because you're doing BTEC. That's fine. But what isn't fine is causing a nuisance when I'm stressed out from college and just want 20 minutes to myself.

Merging all my local buses together, and axing the useful ones. RIP Services 29 and 30, you were excellent.

It used to take 10 minutes to get to Preston, now it takes 40. Go figure.

Rude drivers. Not so much a problem, but annoying nonetheless.

Buses which change temperature every 5 minutes.

The list could go on and on and on...
 

BestWestern

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That is an issue where buses just need to catch up with rest of the retail world. People would think nothing about using a £20 in a shop and so bus companies should not be surprised that they do when using a bus. Besides which, if you've just used a cash machine to get money to pay for the bus and it only has £20 notes, what else are you meant to do.

Not really.... A bus driver has to pick up and carry their float usually numerous times each shift, and in some cases quite a distance. A sackful of coins is not light by any measure. Drivers also have to wait around at bus stops, sometimes late in the evening and sometimes in places where you wouldn't ideally chose to be stood around alone whilst carrying a substantial sum of cash. It isn't reasonable to expect bus drivers to carry an enormous float to cater for people who fail to appreciate the rather obvious difficulties of them doing so. There is already a solution, they are called change vouchers.
 

bussnapperwm

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Not really.... A bus driver has to pick up and carry their float usually numerous times each shift, and in some cases quite a distance. A sackful of coins is not light by any measure. Drivers also have to wait around at bus stops, sometimes late in the evening and sometimes in places where you wouldn't ideally chose to be stood around alone whilst carrying a substantial sum of cash. It isn't reasonable to expect bus drivers to carry an enormous float to cater for people who fail to appreciate the rather obvious difficulties of them doing so. There is already a solution, they are called change vouchers.

Or as we in the Midlands have, exact fare!
 

gnolife

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Continuing the misspellings theme, I saw this today:

MCT are full of them - 'Withenshaw Hospital' (Wythenshawe Hospital, Sunday route 178) and 'Longsite Northmoor Rd' (For Longsight Northmoor Rd (route 54) are two that I've recently badgered them to change. 'Kirkhalt' (terminus of route 6 from Rochdale), 'Bramall circular' (Routes 307/308 from Stockport) still appear as of the last time I used them.
 

Bletchleyite

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There is already a solution, they are called change vouchers.

The real solution is card payments with contactless. Then only a minority will require any change.

A secondary solution is to (heresy in the UK for some reason) post the fares on the stops. People are more likely to have the correct change ready if they know what the correct change *is*, particularly on routes with multiple operators where fares are not consistent.

Neil
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
MCT are full of them - 'Withenshaw Hospital' (Wythenshawe Hospital, Sunday route 178) and 'Longsite Northmoor Rd' (For Longsight Northmoor Rd (route 54) are two that I've recently badgered them to change. 'Kirkhalt' (terminus of route 6 from Rochdale), 'Bramall circular' (Routes 307/308 from Stockport) still appear as of the last time I used them.

This really grates. I wish the Traffic Commissioners would proof them and reject the application if wrong, with a new fee payable to put it back. It's really unprofessional.

Neil
 

TheGrandWazoo

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The real solution is card payments with contactless. Then only a minority will require any change.

A secondary solution is to (heresy in the UK for some reason) post the fares on the stops. People are more likely to have the correct change ready if they know what the correct change *is*, particularly on routes with multiple operators where fares are not consistent.

Neil
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


This really grates. I wish the Traffic Commissioners would proof them and reject the application if wrong, with a new fee payable to put it back. It's really unprofessional.

Neil

Neil - post fares on stops......we can't get timetables on most bus stops let alone faretables!!

As for spelling errors, the TCs are almost as bad. With their workload, undertaking spelling checks is not exactly a priority
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
In regards to changing £20s there is multiple issues. First of all my employer only issue drivers with a £25 float, when I worked in retail the till had £80 float. Secondly if you start running low on change in a shop, a supervisor usually has keys (and access) to a change safe. I've even stopped off at a bank midroute to try and get some more pound coins after a stream of £20's and been told because I'm not one of their customers they wouldn't be able to help me.... What else do you want us to do? Sadly I cannot deficate £1 coins, and if I could I very much doubt I'd work a 50+ week every week.

Bang on! Fact is that in a retail environment, they can obtain change from other tills or the cashier office in the back of store should their float be exhausted. Not really practical for bus drivers and the parallel doesn't really work.
 

WelshBluebird

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A secondary solution is to (heresy in the UK for some reason) post the fares on the stops. People are more likely to have the correct change ready if they know what the correct change *is*, particularly on routes with multiple operators where fares are not consistent.

Or at the very least online!
I know a lot of bus companies are now doing this so it is a lot better than it used to be, but try to find me single ticket prices for Stagecoach in South Wales on the Stagecoach site. If you do I'll buy a you a pint! If Traveline Cymru can have fare information on their journey planner, there is no excuse for Stagecoach not to.
 
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ECML180

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Something that annoys me is companies that run smart-ticketing schemes but make you purchase them on the bus!

As promised it reduces the dwell time 9/10 times but when a passenger buys their ticket it takes a lot longer than a normal ticket and (often with a funny price) leaves drivers trying to cash up change anyway.

When a few people come to buy a smart ticket at once(i.e. every monday morning) it is a nightmare! Give me an easy buy/top-up online system please!
 

pompeyfan

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I've never understood why firsts smart card technology isn't available to top-up online. That said M-ticketing round my area has been a huge success.
 

TUC

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That is an issue where buses just need to catch up with rest of the retail world. People would think nothing about using a £20 in a shop and so bus companies should not be surprised that they do when using a bus. Besides which, if you've just used a cash machine to get money to pay for the bus and it only has £20 notes, what else are you meant to do.

Not really.... A bus driver has to pick up and carry their float usually numerous times each shift, and in some cases quite a distance. A sackful of coins is not light by any measure. Drivers also have to wait around at bus stops, sometimes late in the evening and sometimes in places where you wouldn't ideally chose to be stood around alone whilst carrying a substantial sum of cash. It isn't reasonable to expect bus drivers to carry an enormous float to cater for people who fail to appreciate the rather obvious difficulties of them doing so. There is already a solution, they are called change vouchers.
Change vouchers are an incredibly customer -unfriendly way of addressing the issue as it then means the customer has to make a special trip just to recover their own money. Do you really think that Tesco would get away with such an approach? It is surely possible to have equipment that will securely hold change on a bus and dispense it to passengers in response to the amount typed in by the driver. After all , self service till in supermarkets effectively do the sane thing.
 

hassaanhc

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Or at the very least online!
I know a lot of bus companies are now doing this so it is a lot better than it used to be, but try to find me single ticket prices for Stagecoach in South Wales on the Stagecoach site. If you do I'll buy a you a pint! If Traveline Cymru can have fare information on their journey planner, there is no excuse for Stagecoach not to.

First do the same with single fares, only having day fares and longer on their websites. That is why it came as a shock that Heathrow to Slough on the 75/76 was £4.60, I only had £3.15 at the time :oops: (and when I did go on it eventually l went for the £6 day ticket).
 
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