Things you've seen on bus destination displays other than the route/number?

[175mph]

For example, in 2017, on the 350 bus route between Hull and Scunthorpe, although not shown on the front destination display, the one on the side would alternate between showing 'Hull Interchange via Barton Upon Humber/Scunthorpe via Barton Upon Humber' and 'Hull UK City Of Culture 2017'.

 

[pdeaves]

"<GWR logo> Westbury Special Railway Service" (see https://www.flickr.com/photos/pdeaves/29790077198/).

 

[PeterC]

Ones you, thankfully, don't see too often these days are "Local", "Town Service" or really helpfully the operator name. I have seen all three back in the 60s.

With smaller operators it wasn'r unusual to have no destination display at all. It was very much "local buses for local people".

What I do see now, can't remember if it is the X90 or Oxford Tube, is scrolling adverts for the service through the rear route number display. It takes too long to deliver any useful information and doesn't seem to serve any purpose except to distract drivers following the coach.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Pointless advertising drivel of all kinds.

Static information should be on static displays e.g. posters, not on the electronic destination equipment.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

https://www.bing.com/images/search?...607986738847876383&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0

I spied this bus in downtown Stoke (Hanley) a few years back. A Stokie colloquialism which some bright spark managed to show up on the destination.

 

[carlberry]

Ones you, thankfully, don't see too often these days are "Local", "Town Service" or really helpfully the operator name. I have seen all three back in the 60s.

With smaller operators it wasn'r unusual to have no destination display at all. It was very much "local buses for local people".

What I do see now, can't remember if it is the X90 or Oxford Tube, is scrolling adverts for the service through the rear route number display. It takes too long to deliver any useful information and doesn't seem to serve any purpose except to distract drivers following the coach.

The operator's name (now often a logo as well) is quite common on digital displays now, hopefully confined to out of service vehicles.
The scrolling words in a route number space is very much a solution looking for a problem and anybody who goes to the trouble of setting them up should be reassigned to updating the timetables on bus stops by hand.

 

[AM9]

Pointless advertising drivel of all kinds.

Static information should be on static displays e.g. posters, not on the electronic destination equipment.

For years, Lonon Transport buses when not in service, carried a message that read something like:
"PRIVATE To hire this bus contact London Transport at 55 Broadway, London W1 or call ABBey 1234"

 

[mmh]

The most dramatic thing I've seen on a route display was "EMERGENCY - CALL 911". Unfortunately I've no idea what was happening so it's awful as an anecdote!

 

[pdeaves]

The scrolling words in a route number space is very much a solution looking for a problem

Indeed, and when the number space is narrow you essentially get words O... N... E... L... E... T... T... E... R... at a time and is so difficult to read that it serves no purpose to anyone.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Ones you, thankfully, don't see too often these days are "Local", "Town Service" or really helpfully the operator name. I have seen all three back in the 60s.

Eastern Counties seemed to have a lots of journeys to "SERVICE"

Ipswich - https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishbuses/33494956068/in/pool-easterncounties/
Cambridge - https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishbuses/33494957948/in/pool-easterncounties/
Norwich - https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishbuses/46503358584/in/pool-easterncounties/
Bury SE - https://www.flickr.com/photos/alan1...y3-9t7uR4-9t7vBB-7Duc6w-25pKQaH-LmgYtr-aczW5T

 

[Bletchleyite]

Indeed, and when the number space is narrow you essentially get words O... N... E... L... E... T... T... E... R... at a time and is so difficult to read that it serves no purpose to anyone.

Funnily enough I find it really easy to read them despite the fact that you only see a short section of the text at once. I wonder if some peoples' brains are wired for that and others aren't. If it helps, I can scan-read really quickly - that might be why?

I would rather the operators just coughed up for a full-size rear and side display, though, which is by far the best option.

 

[pdeaves]

Funnily enough I find it really easy to read them despite the fact that you only see a short section of the text at once. I wonder if some peoples' brains are wired for that and others aren't. If it helps, I can scan-read really quickly - that might be why?

I can scan read quickly, too, which (for me) is why it's so difficult waiting for the next letter to appear. Where there's a block of text the general shape of the word often gives as much information as seeing individual letters, but that relies on seeing the whole word at once (and is also why all caps is not ideal for important messages that must be understood very quickly).

I would rather the operators just coughed up for a full-size rear and side display, though, which is by far the best option.

Definitely!

 

[borage]

"Choo Choo I'm A Train" on rail replacement services. I'm not sure who had the idea first – possibly The Big Lemon, who have some other quirky destination displays (https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/17185357.the-weird-and-wonderful-signs-on-the-big-lemon-buses/) – but it's spread as far as New Zealand. It's either fun innovative marketing or infantile asininity.

 

[GusB]

I've noticed that Stagecoach buses now display "Bus Reversing" on some of their vehicles. Even when they're moving forwards.

 

[Jordan Adam]

I've noticed that Stagecoach buses now display "Bus Reversing" on some of their vehicles. Even when they're moving forwards.

That was due to a programming error, there was a short period where the bulk of the fleet at Aberdeen were running with paper displays because the electronic displays were stuck on "bus reversing"!

 

[Alex 2901]

Between October and December 2018, NXWM had "#thankyou100" programmed in on the via point line, to commemorate the armistice.

Diamond and NXWM have both used the via points to advertise upcoming route changes:

NX - "xyz becomes a & b from (insert date), see (insert web address) for more information

Diamond - "Service xyz has an updated Monday to Friday timetable from (insert date). See (web address) for details"

 

[Simon75]

I saw on a Arriva group "Birkenhead Bed " or "Laird Street bed "
or on First group "Returning to depot"

before electronic displays when it would say eg "x18" with a white/yellow/black blank on the desitination

 

[Darklord8899]

One of the best "Rail replacement" bus screens.....

Please note: not my image (from reddit)

 

[carlberry]

One of the best "Rail replacement" bus screens.....
Please note: not my image (from reddit)

I suspect most travellers who've just been dumped off of a train and are now looking forward to a delay to their journey are not going to see the funny side.

 

[Darandio]

I suspect most travellers who've just been dumped off of a train and are now looking forward to a delay to their journey are not going to see the funny side.

What a shame for them. It's not just this case, but the world really isn't allowed to have a bit of fun any more.

It's just like those that say on board staff shouldn't make comical announcements over the public address system because they should just be doing their job or that people travelling won't see the funny side because they just want to get home/to work.

If I was partaking in the faff of travelling on rail replacement then the front of that coach would lighten it a bit for me. Maybe i'm one of the last of the less miserable bunch left.

 

[43055]

I've noticed that Stagecoach buses now display "Bus Reversing" on some of their vehicles. Even when they're moving forwards.

Arriva in Derby has that but only going backwards.

Though not on the front of the bus they sometimes have little messages on the side screens for remembrance day and the rams going to Wembley and there might have been a D-Day related one today.

 

[robvulpes]

In Switzerland, a steaming coffee cup symbol and "Kaffee Pause" (= coffee break)! (Sorry, I'm away from my pics at present, so can't post the evidence).

 

[Nawm8]

I've noticed on Lothian vehicles with the Hanover DG3 controller there is the option to display 'Bus Reversing' whilst in forward motion and 'We will remember them', amongst some others that I can't remember.

 

[KendalKing]

"Choo Choo I'm A Train" on rail replacement services.

I noticed that, with a lot of operators.

Surprised nobody mention the obvious ones, such Merry Christmas (some with trees), Happy New Year, etc.

The now defunct Princess of Kendal, one year at Halloween, had "Happy Halloween" on the destination display. Whenever it was raining the destination display use to read "sorry about the weather/It's raining again!!!!!!!"

 

[Darklord8899]

I suspect most travellers who've just been dumped off of a train and are now looking forward to a delay to their journey are not going to see the funny side.

....Possibly not

 

[northrob]

Last year, as England got closer to the final of the FIFA World Cup more and more companies put "It's Coming Home" in their displays - right until the time that it wasn't...

 

[Jordan Adam]

A common one with Stagecoach in the Aberdeen area is "Time For Bed... ZZZ".

 

[Strathclyder]

I've noticed that Stagecoach buses now display "Bus Reversing" on some of their vehicles. Even when they're moving forwards.

A similar display is also a feature of First Glasgow's new E400 City deckers for the Airport Express service. Certainly, I've seen it in use when backing away from their stance at Buchanan Bus Station. Not sure if any of the E400MMCs delivered since last October also have it, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

Surprised nobody mention the obvious ones, such Merry Christmas (some with trees), Happy New Year, etc.

Stagecoach are the most obvious examples of this, my local division (Western) is no exception.

 

[Whiteway215]

On Bath destination blinds back in the 60s. 'Reserved' 'Depot'
'Private A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/J/K/L (these referred to MOD contracts for workers' buses running to MOD bases in West Wilts.)
Nowadays we have 'Staff Shuttle' 'Engineering Test' 'Returning to depot'

 

[Megafuss]

Whenever I see companies putting special logos or phrases on the destination boards (like Christmas and the world cup) I feel sorry for the poor soul that has to go bus to bus in the middle of the night updating the the firmware because some bright spark in marketing thinks it would be a good idea.