Still low on drivers?

[AndrewLee]

im the same though you can still get abuse! The amount of threats ive received by people not realising the x51 doesn't stop at one stop is amusing!

Yeah still get some abuse. But I don't carry it with me.

Anyway, how many times has a driver said " the jobs shit" "I hate it" ?
I ask them how long they've been doing it - "20 years" they say.
If it's that bad then leave.

[fleetline6477]

There's a steady stream of rookies coming through west brom at the moment , I heard one comment from a buddy driver about one of them his/hers driving was shocking God only how he/she got through Walsall.
The reality now of the job it eh worth it for £9.50 an hour,  I have family and friends urging me to leave the job. The  job was still ok up to mid 2000 , from talking to some who have joined recently , only here for a bit , passing time, it eh nothing like how Walsall painted it, no shit Sherlock they never gona tell you about Dudley rd and the others they would rather sweep that under the carpet.

Interesting how things change, back in the late 80s / early 90s at Quinton the Dudley Road (only 82) was the rota to be on. 15 minute frequency, 30 minutes from Bus Station to New Street and 27 minutes back to Bearwood with 17 minute layovers at Bearwood Bus Station with regular re-fuelling at Mr. Cross' café. Plenty of running boards were allocated Fleetlines with no security screens. When vacancies came up they were allocated to longest serving driver who put in a bid to transfer from another rota or two drivers could agree to swop rotas. Can't remember anybody transferring off DR, you retired off there. One driver, who at the time was fairly new to the job, and is still driving got one of the longest serving drivers to fill the vacancy on the Dudley Road rota and basically paid him to do a swop rota (which didn't happen of course). I quite often swapped a week of late nights with one of the Sikh drivers on DR just to get a week on Dudley Road. Free guaranteed parking in the yard through the gates into Lightswood Park, behind where the current 82 stop is. Wouldn't want to do it today, mind you!

[979]

A driver back in the days was a highly respected job, many of us had to pay for our own license to get in as that was the only way. Once in you had free shares allocated and had the option of joining a share scheme that rolled out every three years, must say because of this we are in a financially secure position today. But now it's just a paying job like any other with everyone wanting to take there frustration out on the driver from passengers to other road users, even if your standing on the footpath in uniform you have kids throwing objects at you, I guess it's just the way society is today.

[Jaysnerz007]

AG are definetley low on drivers it says something when they have the dundee drivers back here and put up in the westley hotel and food expenses. !

[2900]

Interesting how things change, back in the late 80s / early 90s at Quinton the Dudley Road (only 82) was the rota to be on. 15 minute frequency, 30 minutes from Bus Station to New Street and 27 minutes back to Bearwood with 17 minute layovers at Bearwood Bus Station with regular re-fuelling at Mr. Cross' café. Plenty of running boards were allocated Fleetlines with no security screens. When vacancies came up they were allocated to longest serving driver who put in a bid to transfer from another rota or two drivers could agree to swop rotas. Can't remember anybody transferring off DR, you retired off there. One driver, who at the time was fairly new to the job, and is still driving got one of the longest serving drivers to fill the vacancy on the Dudley Road rota and basically paid him to do a swop rota (which didn't happen of course). I quite often swapped a week of late nights with one of the Sikh drivers on DR just to get a week on Dudley Road. Free guaranteed parking in the yard through the gates into Lightswood Park, behind where the current 82 stop is. Wouldn't want to do it today, mind you!

when Hockley garage closed the 82 transferred to west brom in 2005 , the 82 was placed on its own rota excellent dutys, one hour travelling time , metrobus operated on the whole, one driver paid me £30 to cover his late night dutys, during the summer during breaks I would go into light woods park eat my sandwiches then treat myself to a fresh 99 from the ice cream van,all good,  the journeys times were hopeless we would run in convoy regularly amusing as hell when you had 5/6 going one way , the gawps from joe public amusing to. Back when I first started I didn't care about running times I use to leave bearwood 6/7 minutes late boot it to new st then boot it back to bearwood arrive early very nice drop backs. Do that today and your gone.

[2900]

AG are definitely low on drivers it says something when they have the dundee drivers back here and put up in the westley hotel and food expenses. !

driver shortage, company tries every thing to cover mileage bringing drivers from other garages or from across the land, in 2004 they flew in Polish drivers by the plane load and most of them have long gone on to the trucks after what many described the job as bullshit , clearly there is an issue to be addressed on retention.

[2900]

Yeah still get some abuse. But I don't carry it with me.

Anyway, how many times has a driver said " the jobs shit" "I hate it" ?
I ask them how long they've been doing it - "20 years" they say.
If it's that bad then leave.

i,m one, you get used to the routine , as my mate says to me you,ve become institutionalised because I,ve been in one job far to long. When my mate pointed it out I thought omg he's right , life is passing me by . I,m thinking life is to short for this nonsense, I,m still young enough to try new things.

[Liverpool Street]

The bottom line is we deserve a decent pay rise, not a poultry pay rise year after year.
There are plenty of jobs that pay the same, but don't have the responsibility of driving hundreds of people around every day safely, that don't force you to inhale cigarettes or drugs, deal with drunks, irate passengers.

Oh, I'm not disagreeing there; I guess I meant what bus company would pay the same?

Diamond is some shitty rate for 45+ hours a week, Johnsons is 50hrs, and other operators are the usual shit minimum wage and exploitation. That isn't to say other, bigger companies don't exploit workers...

Just some food for thoughts

[MW]

Oh, I'm not disagreeing there; I guess I meant what bus company would pay the same?

Diamond is some shitty rate for 45+ hours a week, Johnsons is 50hrs, and other operators are the usual shit minimum wage and exploitation. That isn't to say other, bigger companies don't exploit workers...

Just some food for thoughts

When I was at Diamond (2 days and they didn't pay me lol), the drivers were wishing for Stagecoach to take over. Something like £11 an hour I think it was, with less hours is their rate.

[Liverpool Street]

When I was at Diamond (2 days and they didn't pay me lol), the drivers were wishing for Stagecoach to take over. Something like £11 an hour I think it was, with less hours is their rate.

Where are you working now and is it true about the nature of your dismissal?

[MW]

Where are you working now and is it true about the nature of your dismissal?

Oh nah I'm not working at the moment. Just chilling for a bit.

Yeah the dismissal is true, although they worded it to make it sound bad, I.e insubordination and not following the inspectors instructions, because he told me to drive. The head engineer also said the vehicle was fit for service. So all that stacked up against me. And I was on my probation period because I wasn't at the company for long. I did take photos of the mirror which are on the forum somewhere. In my opinion, the inspector and head engineer tried to belittle me when they came to the vehicle and there were about 7 other drivers there. They were talking to me like a retard and I put them both in there place complying with the company rules, quoting Dean Finch, when he bangs on about safety, and how it's not safe when I can't see the nearside of the vehicle. It was also due to the position of my driving position which contributed to not seeing the mirror as I was sitting in the lowest and furtherst position due to my height. The inspector was a midget and the engineer didn't even sit in the bus. Basically they were heard saying we want this guy suspended by another engineer who happened to be a friend of mine. So they got there way. In my dismissal meeting, the acting operation manager and the assistant refused to join me where the buses were parked and see for themselves. All they did was ask the head engineer who said yes the vehicle was fit for service. Furthermore the union rep has raised the wing mirror issue on the Geminis many times. I'd also refused to drive certain Geminis many times before as other drivers have, so the company knew this was an issue. Personally I think I hurt the inspectors and head engineers ego who used there persuasion to get rid of me.

[Liverpool Street]

@MW , I'm sorry to hear you've lost your job though. Did you appeal?

How tall are you? It is obvious that people of different height will see the mirror differently.

Honestly they need to reinstate the metrobus standard mirrors or whatever they're called. And not those stupid big arms. Accident waiting to happen.

All in all a stupid reason for dismissal.

[MW]

@MW , I'm sorry to hear you've lost your job though. Did you appeal?

How tall are you? It is obvious that people of different height will see the mirror differently.

Honestly they need to reinstate the metrobus standard mirrors or whatever they're called. And not those stupid big arms. Accident waiting to happen.

All in all a stupid reason for dismissal.

I'm 6ft 2, so not way above average height, so other drivers also complained of this. They also said in my meeting that all the Geminis are fitted with the exact same wing mirror arms which is lies. This wasn't included on the minutes for the meeting. The union rep also recalled them saying that all are the same but wasn't willing to "testify" when I called them to it when presenting my evidence. Pathetic tbh.

They did offer me my job back after they dismissed me, but not on writing. The area manager for South Birmingham offered it (AG/YW), but I didn't take it. I might go back however, I'm starting to miss blasting the Geminis around lol.

[2900]

MW, I can see your point about the mirrors, there aren't to many drivers that stand there ground fair play to you for doing so, try raising your point with HSE they probably back you, nx are skating on thin ice with them after what happened at Walsall, that's one of reasons you now see a whole raft of safety measures implemented through out the company. Best one no farting in cabs excess pollution.
Any way by the sounds of it your rep is weak, I have used the union chap from Liverpool st to help me he's good. So they offered you a job back basically management full of shit then nothing new there just demonstrating there superiority over you. Are you taking time out from studies or am I confusing you with some one else. I remember you saying you saying you wished to the drive the enviro 400s try yardley wood what's the worst that can happen getting canned so what, no doubt they,ll offer you your job  back, I suppose being on starter rate has its up sides I definitely wouldn't give a shit drive with freedom.

[GeminiFan1991]

I should have mentioned this when the story initially came out but I feel for MW here. He clearly made the right choice in not wanting to drive the vehicle as it was hardly fit for purpose. Had he went ahead and drove the bus, it would have been a clear threat to anyone else on the road as he would endangering others and I can't help but think that might be case from NX if he went ahead and drove and the next driver reported that.

It's sad we don't have someone who tells us some AG news but oh well. Good Luck in finding a new job mate.