'Lost' Drivers

[notepanel]

Following on from recent discussions about the Birmingham changes, and a few drivers missing turns etc, it got me thinking about people's experiences of drivers getting lost/missing turn ins.

I myself have had quite a few in recent years

* A Midland 9 driver who asked me when I boarded in Darlaston if I could tell him where to go at the island. I ended up directing him the whole route, and nearly every side street we passed he'd been up on the inbound journey!

* A NXWM driver on the 6 (366), who shortly after leaving the Fire Station on the duplicate service, asked if someone going to Walsall could tell him the way. The lad who did was rewarded with a £1!

* A NXWM driver on the 333, who turned right a little bit early in Bentley and ended up having to turn around.

* A NXWM driver who went straight over the mini-island by Jane Lane in Bentley whilst operating the 340, instead of turning right, about 2 months before the route was changed to go straight on.

* A NXWM driver on the 80 in Birmingham, who forgot to turn off the ring road into the city. Everybody other than 1 little boy upstairs was oblivious to this, with his mother telling him the driver knew the way. Eventually we turned in a lot later than we should have once other people clicked.

I've also had to direct a Diamond driver, following an emergency road closure mid-route. When we circled the island 3 times I realised he didn't know a diversion route!

I'm interested to hear of others experiences...

[BU07 LGO]

* Been on a 33 that went straight past ellerton road and carried on down Warren farm to Mcdonalds and had to go up College road to Beggars bush and down Kings road!

* A Optare Excel on one of the wolverhampthom routes (caught in Willenhall-wolves) and an old man had to direct the driver

And not really getting lost but in the peak when trafficv is heavy in sutton one 451 driver always goes up teh overtaking lane on the ring road and does a lap around the island to skip the traffic waiting to turn left! 33's have often done this in town and gone right at fire station island and entered town the way the sutton routes had used to!

[PM]

Directing diamond driver on the 64 got on by old bournville college, road closed, showed him how to get back on the bristol road by selly oak sainsbury's

[wbdriver]

And not really getting lost but in the peak when trafficv is heavy in sutton one 451 driver always goes up teh overtaking lane on the ring road and does a lap around the island to skip the traffic waiting to turn left!

sounds a lot like me......... done that in the past especially when late..... ::)
anyway was the driver an ugly bloke with a bit of a beard?
then again that could describe any driver on the 451 lol.. ;D

[Stu]

I recall one evening going home from city on the 120 to Bearwood, there was an accident on the Hagley Road (a pedestrian had been killed) and the road was closed by the Plough And Harrow. The 120 was forced to turn off down Highfield Road with the rest of the traffic, and it should have been a simple diversion to rejoin the Hagley Road at the Chad Road junction, however because the driver was clearly unfamiliar with the roads, and the one-way systems there, he ended up following Harborne Road into Harborne itself! I think at this point there was a 448 coming the other way, and that driver stopped to direct him! From there, he carried on up Lordswood Road up to the Hagley Road, then turned back towards the city, turned left onto Meadow Road, and then left onto Sandon Road rejoining the normal route.

To be fair, he was quite apologetic to some customers, most of whom found it all a little amusing, myself included! Its not very often you find a 120 in Harborne!

[andy]

And not really getting lost but in the peak when trafficv is heavy in sutton one 451 driver always goes up teh overtaking lane on the ring road and does a lap around the island to skip the traffic waiting to turn left!

sounds a lot like me......... done that in the past especially when late..... ::)
anyway was the driver an ugly bloke with a bit of a beard?
then again that could describe any driver on the 451 lol.. ;D

I used to do this nearly every time on the 110's, much to the displeasure of NX and North Birmingham Busways drivers that I ended up getting ahead of.....I'm sure they thought this was why I was doing it, when in fact the main reason was that I was running 10 minutes late due to the various obstacles between Tamworth and Sutton!

[Tomjusttom]

A diamond driver on the 226...Got diverted due to road works so because he went round a cicuit and half of Brierley Hill, ended up following the opposite of the 250 route! Got dropped off by my house for my troubles

A Arriva 208 driver...didnt know between Cradley and Merry Hill....advised them "follow that 141!" - ended up literally following the 141 without any passengers. Driver asked how to get back - anyone want to guess?

[Gareth]

Ive had to help Blue diamond drivers on the 53 on 3 occasions. Twice around Nechells and once just before Spaghetti Junction when they got a bit confused as to where they should be going.

I also had to be a banksman for a 26 once. There was a road closure around Duddeston that the Driver forgot about. He should have gone up Melvina Road, but instead took the normal line of route. Driver asked me if I would mind getting out and help him reverse into a car park, which was quite a tight entrance. Nice little round of applause from other passengers too!  :)

[MW]

I remember when North Birmingham Busways got taken over by Central Connect, on the 821 school service, the driver got lost and a student directed him, only to make him be dropped off outside his house, and then jumped off the bus and we had to direct the driver back. That guy was so smug when the bus literally came outside his house.

[Andrew1991]

A couple drivers of the #1 (WN) have made mistakes coming out of wolverhampton & carried on down birmingam new road a few times, their reasons "I've been doing 126 all week"

[4006]

A couple drivers of the #1 (WN) have made mistakes coming out of wolverhampton & carried on down birmingam new road a few times, their reasons "I've been doing 126 all week"

Lol impossible to do 126's all week 1's are mixed in thats the duties although they would do more 126's to be fair and I guess easy to go straight down the New Road instead of turning down onto Dudley road! what do they do when they realise they are going the wrong way? carry on to Parkfield road turn right at the lights I guess?

[Andrew1991]

A couple drivers of the #1 (WN) have made mistakes coming out of wolverhampton & carried on down birmingam new road a few times, their reasons "I've been doing 126 all week"

Lol impossible to do 126's all week 1's are mixed in thats the duties although they would do more 126's to be fair and I guess easy to go straight down the New Road instead of turning down onto Dudley road! what do they do when they realise they are going the wrong way? carry on to Parkfield road turn right at the lights I guess?

Yeah they carry onto the lights, turn right and then join the normal route

[swifty]

Lol I remember spending 10 days working on the 447/448, then I came in on a Saturday and was on the 428 all day, naturally I came out West Bromwich Bus Station and instantly turned left to head to Bearwood. The penny dropped as I sat at the Traffic Lights next to the bus station, so I carried on over and came back round the roundabout and turned left next to Busby's and carried on back onto normal line of route.

Best thing was that the bus was full and no one even noticed, not even one of the inspectors who was hitching a lift up to Wednesbury lol

[SMK]

I remember being on the 526 leaving Wolves.
As soon as it turned off the Penn Road and let a passenger off at the stop, the driver popped his head out of the cab and asked if anyone knew the route to Stowlawn because he was "unfamiliar with the route".
Luckily someone was stopping on all the way to the terminus.

I also remember when I was the on the 583 that Old Heath road was blocked at the junction with Deansfield Road.
Another driver coming the other way stopped to say that the route was blocked.
The driver then asked the passengers if he could get to the Willenhall Road via Brooklands Parade and if the bus (an Excel) would fit down there.
The answer he got was "yes" and "probably"  ;D

[Discodave]

I remember when North Birmingham Busways got taken over by Central Connect, on the 821 school service, the driver got lost and a student directed him, only to make him be dropped off outside his house, and then jumped off the bus and we had to direct the driver back. That guy was so smug when the bus literally came outside his house.

One golden rule never ask students or kids to direct you on school services I would rather get lost and eventually they either help or will be on the bus a lot longer I am being paid so I did not care plus miss a few trips on the service you should be on next... result plus again route training should be better regardless of whatever company the big boys (NXWM and ARRIVA) have no excuse theyhave decidicated driver trainers and a school