I was travelling home this evening on a Plaxton President (4023 to be precise!) which very clearly on its bright orange LED display on the front and side showed 'Solihull Lane 31E'
At the Westley Road stop in Acocks Green, a gentleman got on and sat down, then as the bus moved round the island, and I got up to get off at the Shirley Road stop, he got up and followed me to the front, muttering something about 'wrong bus'.
As I stepped off, I could hear him saying to the driver 'I thought this was the 11'. The driver must have said something to him which I didn't hear, but then this chap just starts with some abuse at the driver, which I won't repeat here.
It really is very difficult for some people to know what bus they're actually getting on, it would seem, and I don't know what more NXWM or even Centro can do to help these unfortunate folk who can't read numbers on a big illuminated LED display. ::)
Quote from: Stu on May 16, 2012, 08:06:30 PM
I was travelling home this evening on a Plaxton President (4023 to be precise!) which very clearly on its bright orange LED display on the front and side showed 'Solihull Lane 31E'
At the Westley Road stop in Acocks Green, a gentleman got on and sat down, then as the bus moved round the island, and I got up to get off at the Shirley Road stop, he got up and followed me to the front, muttering something about 'wrong bus'.
As I stepped off, I could hear him saying to the driver 'I thought this was the 11'. The driver must have said something to him which I didn't hear, but then this chap just starts with some abuse at the driver, which I won't repeat here.
It really is very difficult for some people to know what bus they're actually getting on, it would seem, and I don't know what more NXWM or even Centro can do to help these unfortunate folk who can't read numbers on a big illuminated LED display. ::)
He did get on by the pub so he may have been drunk lol.
It's ridiculous though, that people can't tell. I regularly get the 1910 37E from Solihull to Acocks Green and there's always a clown who stays on the bus when the driver says last stop and then argues. Then you get people saying are you going to Birmingham, when is says very clearly in larger writing than usual, as the Acocks Green 37E is stretched on the front.
This would actually explain why the usual 37's have Solihull in massive letters, along with other AG routes.
P.S. I was on 4023 a few hours ago. Had a woman driver with dark hair and some sort of pink highlighted thing going on.
QuoteI regularly get the 1910 37E from Solihull to Acocks Green and there's always a clown who stays on the bus when the driver says last stop and then argues. Then you get people saying are you going to Birmingham, when is says very clearly in larger writing than usual, as the Acocks Green 37E is stretched on the front.
Oh yes, I've encountered all that before when I used to get the 37 from Solihull back home. 8)
I recall one evening I was in Solihull town centre, and an Omnilink pulls up with 'Acocks Green 37E' on the front display. As the large queue is getting on, a rather obnoxious chap with his missus is asking the driver if he's going to Birmingham, and the driver tells him quite politely that he's only going to Acocks Green. Another woman in the queue tells him no, and I also chip in and inform him that this bus only goes to Acocks Green, and point at the display. The driver then tells him that he should catch the next one due, and this bloke starts cursing at his missus, and then hurling abuse at the driver. Pretty much as soon as the driver is closing the door and pulling away, with this vile chap spouting obscenities, another 37 whizzes round the corner, with 'Birmingham City Centre 37' on the display. ::)
And another time, I'm on another 37E heading home, and the driver stops by Sainsburys in Acocks Green, unloads a couple of passengers, and a bloke gets on. The driver says to him that he's only going one more stop, bloke just looks at him and shows his pass, then sits down. Lo and behold, we get to the Shirley Road stop, everyone else moves to get off the bus, and this bloke then starts asking the driver why he's not going to Birmingham. The funny thing was that there was another Omnilink just behind, and the time that this bloke wasted arguing with the driver meant that he missed the bus he should have caught in the first place! ;D
Give the old folks a chance!! the new digital destinations are sometimes very difficult to read especially in the sun, add that to 50/60 years hard work, dodgy eyesight and a few Special Brews inside ya it's not as easy as you think! :P
I think the old flourescent blinds are much easier to read than the new digital ones. Sometimes people get confused easily if a different type of bus is on their route i.e if they usually have d deckers and a single turns up even before they attempt to read the destination they persume its not their bus and do the back turning slowly walking away thing! Also they will only 'see' the 25 on the display and often miss the 'A' 'E' on the end and then are bemused when they find the bus it doing a different route to what they persumed, people still get on the 79 and expect it to go to Brum!
Mostly however people are too busy messing around on their fones and are not concentrating on a bus comming. Then a bus pulls up they quickly jump on, half show a pass to the driver still 100% engroused in their fone and when they realise they are on the wrong bus pronounce 'stupid buses' 'stupid driver' 'stupid firm' I love it, very funny!!
Have to say as a person with bad eyesight that the LED boards are quite hard to see. However, people should ask the driver if there unsure. There are always some clowns who get the X62 who think it will go into Corparation Street or stop around Peber Mill or Edgbasten and then give a mouth full of abouse to the driver. Like I said, people should just ask or leave it if there not sure
even with the old blinds and you have made sure every one front, side and rear are right I have always had the case of when getting to the finishing point the same old "arn't you going to ..." and when i explain I have finshed here the usual abuse and its my fault and the destination was wrong etc and usually in most cases a trip to the gaffa and a written warning for something you have not done in most bus employers. Its stuff the driver the customer is always right when you know they are wrong no wonder they have no staff. Like buses from a hobby point of view but never again work for them 10 years is enough, lorries are for me know where I stand and never saw the boss except when i got the job and at times like christmas to say thanks for the last year of work before holidays.
About 3 or 4 years ago, I was waiting in the old Wolverhampton bus station for a 255 service to Bromley. It followed a 254E service that left about 5.50 pm and terminated at Kingswinford Cross. On this particular day, the service was operated by one of the old Alexander Strider B10B's (1317-26) which only had a three track route number. Thus it arrived at the stand displaying number 54E. One woman in the queue immediately announced that she did not realise that the 546 used this stop!
I remember one evening last year, just after the route number changes in Wolves, people on the number 2 were complaining it terminated at Park Lane Garage instead going all the way to Bushbury Hill.
I'm guessing because the Excel was displaying "2" instead of "2E" they felt it was the driver who was at fault and not themselves. Though it did say "Park Lane" on the destination blind .
Another problem with digital blinds is they knacker up more often, I once walked up Trinity Street in Coventry to jump on Stagecoach's 39684 which I forgot at the time has a faulty rear blind, it either shows nothing or the last route displayed, it had 57 on the back but it was actually on the 55 route (both take me home but the 55 goes via half the solar system first).
When the 57 gets into Coventry it swaps to a 55 meaning the rear blind showed 57, I always make sure to also heck the side blind now! I've never noticed this destination problem on a National Express bus, only Stagecoach 39684 & Warwickshire County Council KN04 XCT (Stagecoach 34398).
All blinds have their downfalls though, it's not so easy to update roller blinds and they're a real pain to set if the handle has it's rotating end missing or if it isn't lubricated properly. It once took me about 5 minutes just to set 3 numbers because of a mixture of the above plus they all changed at the same time...
The X51 is a common route for people getting on the wrong bus, it's funny as people ring the bell going through Newtown to only relise that the bus doesnt stop until the towers seen it happen a few times people mistaken the X51 for a normal 51 service
;D, people do that all the time on express routes?
Quote from: Ash on May 20, 2012, 05:46:49 PM
The X51 is a common route for people getting on the wrong bus, it's funny as people ring the bell going through Newtown to only relise that the bus doesnt stop until the towers seen it happen a few times people mistaken the X51 for a normal 51 service
agree always happened when i did old 951 on flyovers from perry barr bell rings for 6 ways aston sorry mate ha ha ha
Ally. talking about these 'rollers'-we used to call them "bay cities". But that might be 'over your head'--So to speak.. :: :)You might like to read my last report in 'Avin a larf'
I have to admit, I once ended up on the wrong bus and went all the way to the terminus before realising!
I came out of Maplin in Erdington and jumped on an E400, thinking it was a 903/4/5 heading to Sutton, only to realise after about 15 minutes that it was 638 :o
Did you see that public information clip on TV a few years ago?-where an old age duffer at a bus stop jumps on a big red blur? in the next shot you see this bloke desperatly hanging on to back of a fire engine as it flies round the corner :) The. dialogue was -"Is'nt it time you got your eyes tested?. :)
Quote from: Stu on May 16, 2012, 08:06:30 PM
I was travelling home this evening on a Plaxton President (4023 to be precise!) which very clearly on its bright orange LED display on the front and side showed 'Solihull Lane 31E'
At the Westley Road stop in Acocks Green, a gentleman got on and sat down, then as the bus moved round the island, and I got up to get off at the Shirley Road stop, he got up and followed me to the front, muttering something about 'wrong bus'.
As I stepped off, I could hear him saying to the driver 'I thought this was the 11'. The driver must have said something to him which I didn't hear, but then this chap just starts with some abuse at the driver, which I won't repeat here.
It really is very difficult for some people to know what bus they're actually getting on, it would seem, and I don't know what more NXWM or even Centro can do to help these unfortunate folk who can't read numbers on a big illuminated LED display. ::)
Some prat got the 3 from Sparkbrook today and thought it was the 31... Ridiculous. I say prat because he was drunk and swearing etc so he is entirely to blame here.
I was on the 8 today and there was this drunken women on the bus shouting down the phone, and people towards the back started calling her a drunken *****, and telling her to shut the **** up
I also have eyesight difficulties and the only time I can read LED dispays is at night or on darker days. Many times if im waiting and a bus comes, unless iv got a good idea what it will be I have to flag the bus down and if its not the one I want I feel abit of a fool for wasting the drivers time but I suppose if you dont ask you dont know. Roller blinds are much easier to see or even simple white on black would probably be legible. Althought I like the colour contrast on the 255E blinds, I think more buses should have that. Sorry I cant see in colour so I cant elaborate on some details of this post
Quote from: Ashley on June 15, 2012, 10:31:41 PM
I also have eyesight difficulties and the only time I can read LED dispays is at night or on darker days. Many times if im waiting and a bus comes, unless iv got a good idea what it will be I have to flag the bus down and if its not the one I want I feel abit of a fool for wasting the drivers time but I suppose if you dont ask you dont know. Roller blinds are much easier to see or even simple white on black would probably be legible. Althought I like the colour contrast on the 255E blinds, I think more buses should have that. Sorry I cant see in colour so I cant elaborate on some details of this post
Other bus companies use various colour led blinds most are in the east mids I think trent do would they be better and could existing blinds be reprogrammed to do this or is it replacement unit what do people think?
The blinds on Claribels Commanders is probably the best example of easy to read LED blinds in the West Midlands
Quote from: Ashley on June 16, 2012, 08:31:32 PM
The blinds on Claribels Commanders is probably the best example of easy to read LED blinds in the West Midlands
Claribel Commanders don't have LED's, do they? Aren't they all roller blinds?
No they aren't rollers, its a light and dark text contrast that i saw change in the push of a button for example i saw 55 blinds change from chelmsley wood to city centre without the driver twisting a handle like you would on say a Merc
Sounds like electric roller blinds to me then.
Thats probably what I meant. Their Pulsars don't have the same type of blinds