Schnellzug
Established Member
Something I have always wondered is why do bus companies give such precise timings in Timetables? You'll see things like "Depart 03 minutes past the hour, and scheduled at this stop at 09 past and that stop at 12 minutes past" and so on. Surely we all realise that it's virtually impossible to schedule things that precisely on anything using ordinary roads. It might be possible on railways when you can time things much more accurately since you (should) know precisely how long it should take to get from A to B. But if you're planning to drive somewhere, you wouldn't say "we will arrive at 10:57", would you, you'd say "we should get there about 11, near enough, hopefully". Why do Bus companies (and the Traffic commissioners) insist on such unrealistically precise timings? Surely 5 minute windows would be about the best that could realistically be hoped for. Of course, in practice, most drivers usually seem to take the attitude that if it says 3 minutes past, 5 past is near enough, in any case, mind.