Drivers - Bus Reviews & Opinions

[andyr]

The difference between Eu and domestic driving hours is horrific. I work in the coach tour industry and I firmly belive the difference between the two is totally unjust and unfair. Would be interesting to see how bus companies coped if domestic hours were brought in to line with Eu rules which is something I belive they should have to do..

[2900]

While waiting for the staff bus thought I,d read the waffle on the staff notice boards, some time this year new wayfarers and scanners are to be introduced , let's hope it's much faster at reading cards, current system is just hopeless creating a bottle neck when boarding the cattle sorry I mean customers.

[2900]

Apparently yardley wood garage has a female driver whos a Facebook hit, she very bubbly and lively with the travelling public, just an idea may be yardley wood could send this jovial character to West Bromwich may her joviality could rub off on us Dudley road drivers or  may be the reverse could happen she,ll end up going back to yardley wood demoralised, when Dudley rd customers/cattle tell her shut your blood claat mouth drive da damn bus maan. Sucking teeth.

[Liberator9]

@2900

Yardley Wood does have some great drivers from personal experience. Could be down to management (although did once hear one or two moaning over petty dismissals at some point last year) or the routes/clientele. Most of the routes are ok - never had any major problems myself from regularly travelling on them; the majority of routes just have the occasional idiot smoking/mouthing off but on the whole aren't bad. E.g Had a few on the 50/49/6/76 who've tried to fare evade, then got back off after mouthing off over it. And there has been a handful of smokers. Probably the only time I'd find such a thing funny was when a group got on in Sparkbrook, sat in the middle of a Scania; then one got a cigerette out and lighted it. His mates told him he couldn't do that and he put it back out. Good job considering it was a single deck, in the middle of it, and so obvious!

Dudley Road sounds a right pain - don't think I could put up with it from the sounds of it - all the threats and abuse you get coupled with the long duties. 2 year waiting list for the 47/49 sounds bad... hopefully you might strike lucky and get on another set of better routes at some point.

[Liverpool Street]

Apparently yardley wood garage has a female driver whos a Facebook hit, she very bubbly and lively with the travelling public, just an idea may be yardley wood could send this jovial character to West Bromwich may her joviality could rub off on us Dudley road drivers or  may be the reverse could happen she,ll end up going back to yardley wood demoralised, when Dudley rd customers/cattle tell her shut your blood claat mouth drive da damn bus maan. Sucking teeth.

Rules of the (Bristol) road:

1. Don't look at the passengers
2. Don't speak to the passengers
3. Just issue what they ask for
4. Happy days

on rough roads it's best to just mind your own business just not worth even acknowledging these lowlifes - don't like them drag you down to thier level

The highlight of thier day is smoking weed on your bus and getting on for free - my highlight is 2 cars, paid for house, sucessful family, nice pension, and had a cushy job for years

its hard to rise above it but its totally worth it

and when you don't rise to these pieces of shit it annoys them more

as that fat chav would say 'I ain't bovvered'

[MW]

I think it's fair to say that most of the routes you guys mention have their brief spell in a decent/not so bad area. Think about the Outer Circle! Dump after dump, well Bournville's alright, but the rest of it!

[2900]

Rules of the (Bristol) road:

1. Don't look at the passengers
2. Don't speak to the passengers
3. Just issue what they ask for
4. Happy days

on rough roads it's best to just mind your own business just not worth even acknowledging these lowlifes - don't like them drag you down to thier level

The highlight of thier day is smoking weed on your bus and getting on for free - my highlight is 2 cars, paid for house, sucessful family, nice pension, and had a cushy job for years

its hard to rise above it but its totally worth it

and when you don't rise to these pieces of shit it annoys them more

as that fat chav would say 'I ain't bovvered'

i do all the above I don't say shit to no one just keep the bus moving on Dudley rd best policy, it all the other things having missiles thrown at you , people trying to assault you for asking them to leave you alone,  you've done the job and got through it and left at the right time , I,m not holding my breath over the company work save pension scheme even though there's a fair amount in it, I,ve made my own provisions else where, bricks and mortar. I,m going to help myself this year no one else is gona do it for me. One thing I will say it's getting mentally more taxing the job is.
There are those who think company is ace the sun shines out of its Arse ,I will say this come down to west brom and try out Dudley rd and soho rd not for a week or two a year minimum let's see what kind of attitude you have afterwards.

[Liverpool Street]

i do all the above I don't say shit to no one just keep the bus moving on Dudley rd best policy, it all the other things having missiles thrown at you , people trying to assault you for asking them to leave you alone,  you've done the job and got through it and left at the right time , I,m not holding my breath over the company work save pension scheme even though there's a fair amount in it, I,ve made my own provisions else where, bricks and mortar. I,m going to help myself this year no one else is gona do it for me. One thing I will say it's getting mentally more taxing the job is.
There are those who think company is ace the sun shines out of its Arse ,I will say this come down to west brom and try out Dudley rd and soho rd not for a week or two a year minimum let's see what kind of attitude you have afterwards.

@2900 - or even just one bad trip

A friend left shortly after joining after having a bad trip on the BR

Spitting, spliffs and abuse

i must stay neutral due to my position here but just let you know I'm nodding my head and this and that

[Mike K]

I think it's fair to say that most of the routes you guys mention have their brief spell in a decent/not so bad area. Think about the Outer Circle! Dump after dump, well Bournville's alright, but the rest of it!

I'm not so familiar with the northern half of the city but I'd say much of the outer circle from Acocks Green through to Bearwood is pleasant enough, with some nice leafy suburbs passed through. Not to say the more pleasant areas don't have their share of anti-social behaviour though.

Sadly, in any job where you are face to face with the general public, you will come face to face with plenty of low life.

[2206]

I'm not so familiar with the northern half of the city but I'd say much of the outer circle from Acocks Green through to Bearwood is pleasant enough, with some nice leafy suburbs passed through. Not to say the more pleasant areas don't have their share of anti-social behaviour though.

I think Acocks Green to Erdington part of the 11 which I use is also pleasant enough.

[MW]

I think Acocks Green to Erdington part of the 11 which I use is also pleasant enough.

Lol no it's not. Bromford, Stechford, Tyburn Road, Erdington. At the Erdington stop on the 11A, two passengers started a fist fight right on the platform. One of them had a can of beer and some of it ended up on my uniform through the holes in the cab. I then proceeded to kicking every single b*stard of that vehicle, went back to garage and went home to get changed/showered, and then came back and got adjusted on my second trip. NIS to Handsworth then in service back to Acocks Green it was. But yeah, it's not pleasant. Depends on the time of course. In Kings Heath, I had some moron run in front of the bus whilst I was moving and demanded I let him and his pushchair on and decided to make a scene, one he approached the side of the vehicle, I floored it and splashed water from the puddles on the knob. Then seen him the next day, that was interesting lol

Cotteridge/Stirchley is full of chavs aswell to my surprise. Bournville is the nicest bit of the whole route in my experience. Then as someone else said, once you cross Hagley Road into Bearwood, all bets are off.

[BU07 LGO]

Apparently yardley wood garage has a female driver whos a Facebook hit, she very bubbly and lively with the travelling public, just an idea may be yardley wood could send this jovial character to West Bromwich may her joviality could rub off on us Dudley road drivers or  may be the reverse could happen she,ll end up going back to yardley wood demoralised, when Dudley rd customers/cattle tell her shut your blood claat mouth drive da damn bus maan. Sucking teeth.

I did my training with this lady she's an older woman and used to be a teacher which probably explains her patience!

[B.C Driver]

Rules of the (Bristol) road:

1. Don't look at the passengers
2. Don't speak to the passengers
3. Just issue what they ask for
4. Happy days

I look at every one that gets on, in fact I'm looking at them BEFORE they get on, sometimes even BEFORE I've pulled up and stopped at the stop! I can get a good idea what they are like through body language etc and although I don't make a habit of checking passes, I find that on a lot of occasions they give it away by the look on their face, by the way they are looking at you before they've even got on, trying to suss you out. Genuine passengers don't do this. I'm sure @Tony knows what I mean.
I find by NOT looking at them gives them the impression you can't be bothered, and they are more inclined to smoke. Apart from the fact that not looking at them is kind of rude.

I speak to them when spoken to, but when they get on complaining they have been waiting half an hour etc, I try to keep the conversation to a minimum as I know how arguing back at them can escalate.
If a passenger is new to Bham I try to help them and give them directions as I try and put myself in their shoes as I have travelled to other citys a know it can be confusing.

I issue what they ask for.... as long as they pay the correct fare  :)

[ARBB]

Rules of the (Bristol) road:

1. Don't look at the passengers
2. Don't speak to the passengers
3. Just issue what they ask for
4. Happy days

I look at every one that gets on, in fact I'm looking at them BEFORE they get on, sometimes even BEFORE I've pulled up and stopped at the stop! I can get a good idea what they are like through body language etc and although I don't make a habit of checking passes, I find that on a lot of occasions they give it away by the look on their face, by the way they are looking at you before they've even got on, trying to suss you out. Genuine passengers don't do this. I'm sure @Tony knows what I mean.
I find by NOT looking at them gives them the impression you can't be bothered, and they are more inclined to smoke. Apart from the fact that not looking at them is kind of rude.

I speak to them when spoken to, but when they get on complaining they have been waiting half an hour etc, I try to keep the conversation to a minimum as I know how arguing back at them can escalate.
If a passenger is new to Bham I try to help them and give them directions as I try and put myself in their shoes as I have travelled to other citys a know it can be confusing.

I issue what they ask for.... as long as they pay the correct fare  :)

I take exactly the same approach as you, you can tell as you approach the stop the ones with the 'washed' daysaver they're the ones that keep looking at you and are fidgety. You tell them it's out of date and they just say how do you know....... I had a gentleman get on yesterday must have been at least 25 and he put £1.15 in walked off up the bus, I called him back and he wanted to know why I said 'whats this ?' his reply was child fare. I asked do you have a 16 - 18 photo card he replied no I'm 15 and sat down, he didn't get a ticket and fraud/anomaly button was pressed. It's not worth putting myself or my passengers through the trouble

[BU07 LGO]

Reading some of these stories makes me grateful I'm on decent routes, even if the duties are terrible!