Drivers - Bus Reviews & Opinions

[Liberator9]

Nearly all NX drivers I've ever had have been considerate in their driving to passengers - most remain stationary till someone who can't walk well has sat down. It is very easy to go past a stop when the passenger fails to ring the bell. There's a reason why there is a bell, yet some passengers still fail to use it! Quite what the size of a driver in London has to do with this I don't know - no relevance at all!

Most NX drivers I've experienced have been polite and well trained - other day for example a relief failed to turn up but the driver despite the situation, remained very calm and explained it well to us, keeping us informed and apologising. The drivers have a tough time driving at times, so perhaps you should show a little more respect to them and stop generalising about their habits/driving skills. They're clued up thanks to training and I fully agree with the fact that if a passengers sneaks up on you about a metre from a stop, it's safer for everyone to just continue to the next one.

[MW]

I just had a creeper on my 31. Didn't press the bell, and I passed the stop. Is that my fault or hers? She was standing in the aisle along with other standees or for some reason didn't sit.

[Mike K]

I like the term 'creeper'. I recall some years back, when bell buttons were much fewer and further between on buses, that the bell was not used so often, and people would go and stand on the platform when they wanted to get off. That must have made life a bit more tricky for drivers. Which were the buses that had a bell 'strip' almost the length of the ceiling of the bus (it never worked half the time you pressed it)?

[don]

I just had a creeper on my 31. Didn't press the bell, and I passed the stop. Is that my fault or hers? She was standing in the aisle along with other standees or for some reason didn't sit.

An old adage - the customer is always right - occasionally annoying etc etc though.

[don]

Nearly all NX drivers I've ever had have been considerate in their driving to passengers - most remain stationary till someone who can't walk well has sat down. It is very easy to go past a stop when the passenger fails to ring the bell. There's a reason why there is a bell, yet some passengers still fail to use it! Quite what the size of a driver in London has to do with this I don't know - no relevance at all!

Most NX drivers I've experienced have been polite and well trained - other day for example a relief failed to turn up but the driver despite the situation, remained very calm and explained it well to us, keeping us informed and apologising. The drivers have a tough time driving at times, so perhaps you should show a little more respect to them and stop generalising about their habits/driving skills. They're clued up thanks to training and I fully agree with the fact that if a passengers sneaks up on you about a metre from a stop, it's safer for everyone to just continue to the next one.

You're presuming a bus driver never makes a mistake and it is always the passenger's fault. This is far from the truth in my experience.

I rather liked the comment made by the experienced driver who posted on here that every day for him is a learning experience - this is rather more positive than labelling and stereotyping customers.

The reference to some bus drivers needing exercise as much as the OAPs The Trainbasher was referring to (or perhaps bashing) is as valid in the West Midlands as anywhere else - I have seen for myself such drivers - it was intended to be a humorous response to the allegation OAPs could do with some exercise!

As you say, many if not most bus drivers are excellent and have to put up with a lot generally. However no one's perfect and everyone makes mistakes from time to time.

[GeminiFan1991]

I remember chatting to an AG driver who told me "Theirs a lot of a s*** with the job" and the more I think of it, I can see why.

Over the 12 years I've been travelling on buses, I've seen drivers treated badly, sworn at by people who have "The customer is always right" mentality.The worst regular occurance I find is during driver changeovers. I understand the drill, so I'm happy to wait and it's never really long but I usually tend to hear "This driver is taking the piss" or "This driver is a ****" amongst other things. I've noted 1 thing and it's that people who have jobs are usually more respect full and they get the drill.

Having said that, some drivers I've seen can be blantantly disrespectful. Back in the day when BC used to operate OmniLinks on the 97, I remember getting on at Bus Mall, and the driver proceeded to drive fairly fast as if he was racing, he even over took 2 buses which were somewhat ahead by some good distance (Quite admirable I must say, I look at Omnilinks differently now !) but you get the idea. OAPs on the bus were holding on for dear life and I even i was left somewhat shaken. Having said all that, this was an isolated incudent and nothing really close has happened since (Well to me anyway).

Moral of my story is, lets all be respectful of each other and do good ! No one's perfect

[Stu]

I just had a creeper on my 31. Didn't press the bell, and I passed the stop. Is that my fault or hers? She was standing in the aisle along with other standees or for some reason didn't sit.

As far as I have always been aware, if a passenger wants the driver to stop at the next stop, then they should press the bell button. That, of course, is what they are installed for. I don't expect drivers to have psychic mind powers. There is more cause for concern if someone presses the bell and the driver doesn't stop. But then again, with the number of people who just randomly press the stop button 'for fun', it does help if you try to make your way to the front of the bus (safely of course) if you've pressed the button and want to get off.

Which were the buses that had a bell 'strip' almost the length of the ceiling of the bus (it never worked half the time you pressed it)?

I remember the Metrobuses having them, but if you were short you couldn't reach it, as it was on the ceiling!

[karl724223]

I just had a creeper on my 31. Didn't press the bell, and I passed the stop. Is that my fault or hers? She was standing in the aisle along with other standees or for some reason didn't sit.

known as coffin dodgers over here

[B.C Driver]

One thing that makes my blood boil is the bell ringers. A trend that has increased more and more over the last 10 years or so.
I'm talking about the ones who press the bell constantly when you are parked up to wait your time as if to say - "get moving".
Once I was origionally only going to wait 2 minutes, but after somebody constantly rang the bell I stayed there for 4 minutes. And I said to the person "thanks to you ringing the bell, I stayed there even longer". That didnt go down to well.
By the way the old 32xx scanias had something where the bell would only press once, untill the doors opened - modern bus designers take note!

[domino.99]

One thing that makes my blood boil is the bell ringers. A trend that has increased more and more over the last 10 years or so.
I'm talking about the ones who press the bell constantly when you are parked up to wait your time as if to say - "get moving".
Once I was origionally only going to wait 2 minutes, but after somebody constantly rang the bell I stayed there for 4 minutes. And I said to the person "thanks to you ringing the bell, I stayed there even longer". That didnt go down to well.
By the way the old 32xx scanias had something where the bell would only press once, untill the doors opened - modern bus designers take note!

A majority of the mercs did the same

[Liberator9]

@MW 

Passenger's fault there - need to press the bell. Hope your driving is going well!

@Bham Central Driver

Yeah really annoying when some decide to ring the bell continuously thinking it will get the bus moving. They seem to lack the care or idea that buses have to wait at stops to wait time occasionally... Think ADL have something like that on the MMCs, at least on the lower deck. One driver I knew when some schoolkids kept ranging the bell stopped the bus and threatened to take the bus out of service - that worked well  :D Didn't ring the bell but then later got into argument with another set of schoolkids...

[BU07 LGO]

I think the omnilinks have a button to disable the bell iirc

[MW]

Just came off late night 31s, I had an interesting one.

Was a Eclipse2, and I was driving along when the gentleman got up from the back and walked towards the front. He was stood in the pushchair area. I slowed down thinking he wants the next stop. As I got around 6 feet from it, I came to the conclusion that he didn't want that one so carried on. He pressed the bell as I pushed the accelerator, and then walked towards the front swearing and saying he wanted that one. I said to him sorry, you pressed it too late, to which he threw a tantrum, called me some stuff and got off the next stop.

Also, I errr spotted this on my travels :P

[Liberator9]

@BU07 LGO

Yeah they do - I think if you hold it down it disables it.

@MW

Very odd - that's some passengers for you!

Haha - nice one ;) How are the Eclipse 2s to drive by the way?

[MW]

@BU07 LGO

Yeah they do - I think if you hold it down it disables it.

@MW

Very odd - that's some passengers for you!

Haha - nice one ;) How are the Eclipse 2s to drive by the way?

To drive, they're incredibly easy, the steering is very smooth. It took getting used to the brakes however. You have to really push the pedal down when coming to a stop. The noise they make is incredibly boring though. They rev to around 1300rpm. I did manage to get it to rev upto 1600rpm where the engine sounded more alive, but that was uphill on Bradford Street in the City.

I'm on the 37s today and tomorrow so hopefully I'll get a Scania at one point as I've not driven them in service before either.
Yesterday was my first day in an Eclipse2.