This guy won't win bus driver of the year

[89-763-733]

Assuming he is not an EX bus driver

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...e-detour-to-winemark-offlicence-16110740.html

 

[BestWestern]

Assuming he is not an EX bus driver

I doubt it, shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[rmt-driver]

Gosh people complain about anything these days

 

[causton]

A few times I've caught the last north London - Hatfield bus of the evening - the timetable is slack enough for the (usually the same female) driver to leave the first stop 10 minutes late, stop off, pick up a Chinese takeaway halfway along the route, then get to Hatfield on time!

I heard from another passenger she stops the other way to place the order :P

 

[90019]

Assuming he is not an EX bus driver

I'll be rather surprised if he is.

 

[StoneRoad]

if it was a soft drink?? wonder what the investigation will / will not find?

it is funny that very often you read stories, but you don't find out the other side.....

 

[Wyvern]

A long time ago I caught a bus from Wolverhampton to somewhere or other.

In the middle of the country the driver stopped next to a farm gate, crossed the road and disappeared behind the hedge.

We're all sitting there thinking "I know what he's up to." but no - he reappeared with a tray of eggs.

 

[anthony263]

Gosh people complain about anything these days

I was thinking that myself.

I know a couple of drivers who have stopped outside the local newsagents to grab a drink of a cup of coffee. Besides if they are running early I don't really see the issue so long as they are not buying then drinking an alcoholic drink.

 

[Ivo]

Although it wouldn't call this perfectly permissible, it is perfectly normal. Not so long ago a driver on one of our routes stopped 40 metres short of a bus stop to buy a newspaper. I didn't mind him doing this - we were 4 minutes early - but he could have at least pulled up in the right place...!

Next people will be complaining about trains having to skip stations without prior notice, even though said notice was given...

...oh, hold on a minute, that happened already :roll:

 

[Statto]

People are complaining as the driver went on an unauthorised diversion, to stop at an Off Licence to buy a drink, now if the driver was on route & was early & done this then it's fair enough, as some drivers do on early morning services to buy a Paper ecc, but passengers dont expect drivers to divert the bus off route to do this.

I don't think the driver will be sacked just a severe reprimand.

 

[jon0844]

I've been on a 63 to King's Cross and we stopped almost at the end (in fact, between the second from last stop and the last stop) and he went in to get a cup of coffee. He was gone for a good few minutes and didn't say a word to anyone on the bus before getting off, or getting back on.

Perhaps he was early, or more likely wanted a warm coffee before his turnaround - but the worrying thing was that he left the cab door open and the engine running.

I was almost tempted to take over control of the bus, but others may have preferred to go for the cash box. As it happened, nobody did anything - not even get off to walk the last 100 yards to the station. Rather odd thinking back, but I guess everyone was in shock!

I didn't report him, but I bet it would have been big news if someone HAD stolen the bus or robbed the cash box.

 

[WestCoast]

It happens on a rural bus route near me (which I tried catching instead of the train for my commute); the regular driver pops into Spar for a paper and a Lucozade, as the bus is always a few minutes early at a timing point in a village. It doesn't bother anyone at all.

Then again, it's the type of bus where the same people are on it every day!

 

[BestWestern]

I've been on a 63 to King's Cross and we stopped almost at the end (in fact, between the second from last stop and the last stop) and he went in to get a cup of coffee. He was gone for a good few minutes and didn't say a word to anyone on the bus before getting off, or getting back on.

Perhaps he was early, or more likely wanted a warm coffee before his turnaround - but the worrying thing was that he left the cab door open and the engine running.

I was almost tempted to take over control of the bus, but others may have preferred to go for the cash box. As it happened, nobody did anything - not even get off to walk the last 100 yards to the station. Rather odd thinking back, but I guess everyone was in shock!

I didn't report him, but I bet it would have been big news if someone HAD stolen the bus or robbed the cash box.

:roll::roll: Now that really is unacceptable, and I used to despair of some of my former colleagues who were in the habit of doing the same thing when I was a driver. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for leaving a bus sitting unattended and running, it's totally irresponsible and, in my humble view, any driver who does so fully deserves the most severe of tellings off, or worse.

As for the cash box, if he wants to spend a week's wages paying for his own stupidity then that's his problem

 

[rmt-driver]

:roll::roll: Now that really is unacceptable, and I used to despair of some of my former colleagues who were in the habit of doing the same thing when I was a driver. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for leaving a bus sitting unattended and running, it's totally irresponsible and, in my humble view, any driver who does so fully deserves the most severe of tellings off, or worse.

As for the cash box, if he wants to spend a week's wages paying for his own stupidity then that's his problem

Cabs on London buses are fully locked and have full bandit screens , so nothing would happen

 

[Mike395]

Cabs on London buses are fully locked and have full bandit screens , so nothing would happen

jonmorris0844 stated the cab door was left open though... so anything really could have happened.

 

[jon0844]

Cabs on London buses are fully locked and have full bandit screens , so nothing would happen

When a driver steps off a bus and leaves it running with the cab door open, it's pretty irrelevant.

Edit, just to clarify; I was on the bus so this isn't a 'friend of a friend said' story.

 

[185]

An off-license? That's not news.

I moved house from Leeds to Manchester whilst working on National Express.

...with my coach.

 

[Statto]

When a driver steps off a bus and leaves it running with the cab door open, it's pretty irrelevant.

Edit, just to clarify; I was on the bus so this isn't a 'friend of a friend said' story.

When the driver is on the route & pops into a Shop it's irrelevant, & doesn't bother me[it's happened on a few buses that i've been on], it's when a driver takes an unauthorised diversion just to pop in to an Off Licence, then it should be delt with.

 

[Nym]

At least he didn't get back on clutching an open bottle of wine in a brown paper back and start chuging back while driving the route...

 

[transmanche]

As for the cash box, if he wants to spend a week's wages paying for his own stupidity then that's his problem

It's almost a rare event to see someone paying cash for a bus fare in London these days.

 

[jon0844]

It's almost a rare event to see someone paying cash for a bus fare in London these days.

That is true. Stealing the cash box wouldn't be quite as bad for the passengers on the bus as someone getting in and driving off though - especially as they can lock themselves in!

 

[ert47]

That is true. Stealing the cash box wouldn't be quite as bad for the passengers on the bus as someone getting in and driving off though - especially as they can lock themselves in!

I've been told the cash float used by drivers in London are provided by the drivers themselves

 

[Deerfold]

It's almost a rare event to see someone paying cash for a bus fare in London these days.

For info: About 2% of fares are cash.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I've been told the cash float used by drivers in London are provided by the drivers themselves

I suspect it probably varies from company to company.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

I've had a 31 (Preston Bus) come into my road on a detour for a driver to chat with his mate. Mind him, it was 11:40 so I guess it's fine:P

 

[150222]

An off-license? That's not news.

I moved house from Leeds to Manchester whilst working on National Express.

...with my coach.

You used a Nat-Ex coach to move house!
I'll bet you had Blakey breathing down your neck after that.

 

[Badger]

In these cases I always want to take the keys and sit back down, or sit in the driver's seat, just to highlight how utterly stupid the driver's been. But I doubt the police would see the hilarity in my actions..

Cross city drivers in Wolverhampton leave the cab running while they use the toilets in the bookies.

 

[150222]

In these cases I always want to take the keys and sit back down, or sit in the driver's seat, just to highlight how utterly stupid the driver's been. But I doubt the police would see the hilarity in my actions..

Cross city drivers in Wolverhampton leave the cab running while they use the toilets in the bookies.

I don't think buses have keys. (?)

 

[90019]

In these cases I always want to take the keys and sit back down, or sit in the driver's seat, just to highlight how utterly stupid the driver's been. But I doubt the police would see the hilarity in my actions..

Generally, there are no keys to take.

 

[jon0844]

You used a Nat-Ex coach to move house!
I'll bet you had Blakey breathing down your neck after that.

Forget PlusBus, that was clearly a PlusPickfords ticket you had there!

 

[transmanche]

It's almost a rare event to see someone paying cash for a bus fare in London these days.

For info: About 2% of fares are cash.

Does that include cash fares purchased at roadside ticket machines? (Buses in the West End and on certain other routes don't accept cash on board at all. If you want to pay in cash, you have buy it from a ticket machine at the bus stop.)