Lost Drivers

[Trident 4609]

I'm sure there was a thread similar to this but i can't locate it.

Basically just post your experiences of being on a bus when it has taken a wrong turning.

Which way did the driver go to get himself back on track?

Did you have to direct the driver the right way?

For instance moments before starting this thread the driver of the bus i was on (2018 on the 25C) accidentally went down Ring Rd instead of Stafford St so he went to the Waterloo Rd junction and did a U-Turn to go back the other way.

[Rob H]

I'm sure there was a thread similar to this but i can't locate it.

Basically just post your experiences of being on a bus when it has taken a wrong turning.

Which way did the driver go to get himself back on track?

Did you have to direct the driver the right way?

For instance moments before starting this thread the driver of the bus i was on (2018 on the 25C) accidentally went down Ring Rd instead of Stafford St so he went to the Waterloo Rd junction and did a U-Turn to go back the other way.

Back when Lynxs were at AG and when the 37A was in operation I had to direct the driver on a City Centre to Airport Working he accidently missed the turn onto Lincoln Road and carried on up Warwick Road for a short distance and I said to him "You should've turned left onto Lincoln Road" so he turned himself round by using the petrol station then turned round the island at Olton Boulevard East so he could turn left onto Lincoln Road and then carried on as normal to the Airport 1141 was the bus involved.

[Steveminor]

Back when Ampm operated the 900 whilst travelling out to coventry one of our buses too a wrong turn at the motorcycle museum & ended up turning onto the motorway. The funny thing was that the nx 900 that was right behind him followed him onto the motorway. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall of either of those buses when they both realised what they had done.

[Stuharris 6360]

Back when Ampm operated the 900 whilst travelling out to coventry one of our buses too a wrong turn at the motorcycle museum & ended up turning onto the motorway. The funny thing was that the nx 900 that was right behind him followed him onto the motorway. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall of either of those buses when they both realised what they had done.

Sounds like a scene from On The Buses   :) :) :)

[P419 EJW]

One afternoon, I was on 583 (Merry Hill Centre to Wolverhampton via Dudley and Bilston), when we got just before Prospect Row, the driver forgot the route to Dudley Bus Station. The bus was a Optare Excel (ew), I was sitting on one seat by the doors and the driver looked at me and asked "Do you know where to go to Dudley Bus Station?" I nodded and hopped next to the driver's window, directed him to the station. He was very thankful to me.

[Cheese]

Many years ago, 2004/5 ish maybe I was catching a 22 back home in the evening and Newhall Street was shut at the junction of Colmore Row, signs were up diverting traffic down Church Street off Colmore Row.  The driver of my President on the 22 back to Harborne clearly missed the road closed signs and got to Newhall Street to find the road shut.  So, had no choice but to continue down Colmore Row and back round onto Waterloo Street, then he did a left onto Temple Row West past the Joint Stock and then had no choice but to turn right and go back down Colmore Row the wrong way!  Luckily there was nothing coming the other way at the time...  He then turned left and went down Church Street as he should have done in the first place.

Had a few bizarre diversions going to and from Harborne in years gone by, Westfield Road was cleared more than once for haulage if the road past the White Swan was shut.

[domino.99]

One afternoon, I was on 583 (Merry Hill Centre to Wolverhampton via Dudley and Bilston), when we got just before Prospect Row, the driver forgot the route to Dudley Bus Station. The bus was a Optare Excel (ew), I was sitting on one seat by the doors and the driver looked at me and asked "Do you know where to go to Dudley Bus Station?" I nodded and hopped next to the driver's window, directed him to the station. He was very thankful to me.

I had something similar to that when I was 7 on the old 581A on a sunday (Wolves-merry hell centre) There was a new driver who didnt know the route and asked all the passengers on the bus if anyone knew the route, I did due to living on the route and I guided him the whole route and got a packet of sweets out of it. I speak no word of a lie THIS REALLY HAPPENED.

[Liverpool Street]

One afternoon, I was on 583 (Merry Hill Centre to Wolverhampton via Dudley and Bilston), when we got just before Prospect Row, the driver forgot the route to Dudley Bus Station. The bus was a Optare Excel (ew), I was sitting on one seat by the doors and the driver looked at me and asked "Do you know where to go to Dudley Bus Station?" I nodded and hopped next to the driver's window, directed him to the station. He was very thankful to me.

I had something similar to that when I was 7 on the old 581A on a sunday (Wolves-merry hell centre) There was a new driver who didnt know the route and asked all the passengers on the bus if anyone knew the route, I did due to living on the route and I guided him the whole route and got a packet of sweets out of it. I speak no word of a lie THIS REALLY HAPPENED.

Pics or it didn't happen bro . . .

[notepanel]

I remember posting these in the old thread but I had a few experiences...

Once on the old 333 service, at the time when it did the odd little loop after Attlee Road via Morris Ave/Slim Road, the bus seemed to have taken the right turn too early - instead turning right at the end of Granbourne Road. The driver was alerted by several passengers groans and turned around at the bottom of Western Avenue. (303 route)

Another time, I remember boarding what at the time was a Midland 9 from Darlaston towards Lodge Farm. The bus still had 'Walsall' on the front, and, as I knew it was late I just double checked if he was going to Lodge Farm and not turning at Darlaston. I was quite surprised by his response, which was to pick up his running board and go through the timing points before telling me yes. He then asked me if I could tell him which way to go at the island. Needless to say I ended up directing him the whole route back to Lodge Farm (virtually every side street we passed he informed me he'd been up on previous journeys!).

Once on the WA6 service, on what was the school/college extra which started at 1545 outside the Fire Station/College, the bus driver popped his head round and asked if anybody was going to Walsall. He then asked them to direct him the whole route, as he didn't know it. The lad who did was rewarded with a pound!

One of my favourite times was going back a while on the WB80. At the time I was unfamiliar with Birmingham and was sat on quite a busy upper deck. Just after what I think may have been Five Ways, a little lad, probably less than 10 starts telling his mum the bus was going the wrong way. No one else seemed to a bat an eyelid, and the mother assured her son that the driver knew the way. I realised the boy was right, when we mounted a kerb to change lanes and turn into what I think was probably Bristol Street to enter town at the last minute at a set of traffic lights.     

[Stu]

The one I always remember was the driver of the 120 I was on having to ask directions off a passing 448 driver in Harborne...  ???

There had been an accident on the Hagley Road by the Plough And Harrow, so the traffic was being turned off onto Highfield Road by the police. The 120 driver was obviously unfamiliar with the one-way roads round there, so instead of heading back up Norfolk Road to rejoin the Hagley Road, he took a wrong turning and ended up in Harborne! It made for an interesting journey anyway; ended up heading up Lordswood Road before turning right back onto the Hagley Road, and then turning onto Sandon Road via Meadow Road to rejoin the route.