'Whoopsie' Moments on Buses & Coaches

[wellwhatitis]

A couple of the old town rotes we operated at Grantham usually caused 'brain drain' after a few hours of circuits... The Alma Park 610/611/612 service caught me out after about 6 or 7 alternative circuits - resulting in a couple of slightly 'off-route' diversions. The 614/615 Barrowby Gate circular also foxed me...many a time after turning left out of the bus station and proceeeding along the High Street did a voice in the saloon pipe up "shouldn't we have gone the other way?"; never really seemed to get it wrong when going the opposite way round.

No wonder i never really liked a day on Town services.

We've all been there mate. Why schedulers put all day town service duties together is beyond me. I worked for a while for the old Midland Red North at a perfectly nice little depot in Lichfield when some idiot decided to buy Stevensons and we ended up with Rugeley Town Services. In a 10 hour shift you could do 23 trips as a couple of them were 15 minute round trips. The problem was that all 4 services left the bus station onto the same roundabout but then all went in different directions. None of which offered a turnback for the braindead bus driver.

Rugeley passengers were well trained in a very efficient version of 'you're going the wrong way' timed perfectly for when they felt the bus heading for the wrong exit. At times that roundabout resembled a merry go round as the suddenly corrected driver turned back onto the roundabout and did three trips round it in a panicked attempt to remember which route he/she was actually meant to be on.

If you got to do a Stafford you felt like packing a suitcase!

 

[Tom B]

I was travelling around Lincolnshire in NBC days and got an express bus from Doncaster to Scunthorpe. The whole route ran from Sheffield to Grimsby so was quite long, and was operated by a female driver from Scunthorpe who didn't really know the route. However all went well - until she turned on to the M18 rather than cross it! This ensured an extra 20 mile round trip and a rather late arrival in Scunthorpe, by which time I was the only passenger and agreed that I wouldn't mention the unscheduled diversion, which was put down to busy traffic in Yorkshire.

About 10 years ago a driver for a firm in Doncaster was put onto a school route with which they were unfamiliar and, to boot, they had lost their running board. So what did they do... ask one of the students!

About half an hour later they were phoned by their boss asking why they hadn't turned up for their next run... to be told "I'm still on this one, just gone past Scotch Corner!".

 

[ECML180]

About 10 years ago a driver for a firm in Doncaster was put onto a school route with which they were unfamiliar and, to boot, they had lost their running board. So what did they do... ask one of the students!

About half an hour later they were phoned by their boss asking why they hadn't turned up for their next run... to be told "I'm still on this one, just gone past Scotch Corner!".

I think I know exactly which firm that would be but I daren't mention it!

Having said that I once had a mate stop for a few extra minutes on a school run to deliver for me a large coach tyre that had been donated to my sports club for training!

 

[Strathclyder]

On the subject of deroofings, this bridge in Clydebank has seen it's fair share of double-deckers hitting it over the years.
The one I remember the most was a First Glasgow Volvo Citybus coming out of the bus station and turned left instead of right whilst on the 11 (Robroyston-Parkhall) and shearing it's roof off when the inevitable happened. The Citybus in question later got the roof from a Volvo Alisa. This happened in the mid-2000s, I think.

 

[Deerfold]

When it said 'Whoopsie' moments I thought it meant people pooing themselves on board buses!!

Some years ago I was on the old 963, boarding at Otley for Bradford at around 2100 on a Thursday evening.

Two young ladies who looked to have had a drink or two boarded at Menston and headed for the back seats. At some point it seemed they both realised they needed the loo and the obvious answer was to relieve themselves on the bus floor.

The first I knew of it was when I spotted a trail of liquid rolling towards my bag on the floor which I moved just in time.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Some years ago I was on the old 963, boarding at Otley for Bradford at around 2100 on a Thursday evening.

Two young ladies who looked to have had a drink or two boarded at Menston and headed for the back seats. At some point it seemed they both realised they needed the loo and the obvious answer was to relieve themselves on the bus floor.

The first I knew of it was when I spotted a trail of liquid rolling towards my bag on the floor which I moved just in time.

In the words of Ron Burgundy....Stay Classy

 

[DunsBus]

A friend of mine who used to drive for First at North Berwick related the tale to me some years ago of a passenger who had relieved himself at the back of the bus and then tried to pass it off as rain(!). The gentleman in question was made to stay on all the way to North Berwick where he was then given a mop and pail and made to clean out the bus before he went home. As this happened on one of the last eastbound journeys of the day, with the last bus heading towards Edinburgh having already left North Berwick, he was then faced with a very long walk home.

Another First driver, this time at Musselburgh, once overshot the terminus at Pencaitland and decided to use a nearby field entrance to turn round. Having backed into the entrance, he then tried to move forward only for the back wheels to sink into a patch of mud. He got out - eventually.

 

[quarella]

Pre mobile phone days connections were being held at Victoria Coach Station for a duplicate up from Bristol. No sign of it so they were sent on their way. A while later there is a phone call from the driver who was now at Heston services. It transpired he dropped the passengers at Victoria Bus station, not coach station.

 

[Tom B]

I think I know exactly which firm that would be but I daren't mention it!

Having said that I once had a mate stop for a few extra minutes on a school run to deliver for me a large coach tyre that had been donated to my sports club for training!

Surprisingly it wasn't Leon - their buses would have fallen apart if taken on the A1!

 

[ECML180]

Surprisingly it wasn't Leon - their buses would have fallen apart if taken on the A1!

Agreed! Not who I had in mind though

 

[ThePannier]

Once had a bit of a scare on Go North East's Volvo B10BLE 4850, whilst on Service 78; got on at my grandads, intending to get off in Chester-le-Street. Got about half way through the journey when the back tyres both 'exploded', and we stopped. Problem was, it was in the most rural place imaginable, on a small stretch of road between two villages. - everybody got off and had to walk. I stopped to speak to the driver for a moment, before following everyone else on the long walk! However, what made it laughable now was, she managed to get the vehicle to limp it's way home, and she caught up to me and opened the doors to give me a lift. Everyone else's faces as we passed them were just absolutely priceless! :P

 

[Wyvern]

Some years ago the last train to Matlock from Derby was regularly substituted by a bus. It tended to be an old Volvo that was forever breaking down. However one night a brand new enormous Saab turned up.

Clearly after a day pottering round the City the driver wanted to give it its head. On Flaxhome straight we passed three cars in a row. (I swear the drivers got out to see why they had stopped)

THe next week it was the old Volvo again. Apparently the Saab was out of service while all the drivers got trained. The driver told me one had stopped at a stop too close to a parked car. It pulled out sharply to get round it, not realising how big the rear overhang was, and it went through a shop window.

On the other hand, if you want a good ride, try the last bus to Chesterfield from Matlock by Kelstedge.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Not sure, I think the Optare Solos might have caused a few whoopsies when they were first introduced locally, before the drivers got used to the front wheels being right at the front with no overhang

 

[ECML180]

Saw exactly that sort of thing earlier! Driver moved a full & standing load back as far as he could but still had poor vision to his left, pulled up at a stop and had a shock as he mounted the curb. Front bumper loose and the nearside wheel about 1/8th on the curb as I got off!

 

[quarella]

In the first couple of years of deregulation an operator I know picked up several council subsidised routes. Always one to push the boundaries he operated the service with two vehicles instead of the specified three doing away with the long layover at each end and by picking up on the outward journey, bypassing that section on the return. This worked fine for some time until a council inspector who was also an enthusiast was out checking one evening and realised one of the buses they were paying for was missing.

 

[83G/84D]

http://m.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news...after_number_two_is_found_on_bus_seat/?ref=mr

Read, weep

I thought the "poo bus" was in Bristol?!

 

[ThePannier]

I thought the "poo bus" was in Bristol?!

Haha - that's just made my day!

In all seriousness though, he does look like a rather mysterious fellow. I know the O-APs are rather rebelious when it comes to making their opinions known, but one things for sure, I'm not getting on any Stagecoach in Newcastle deckers for a long time!

 

[Martin1988]

Am not sure if this counts but admittedly a few sundays ago I ended up doing the whole 173 journey from Bath to Wells in dire need of the toilet the whole time. I felt aware of it pretty much from the moment we reversed out of Bath Bus Station and it got so bad I considered asking the driver to stop the bus as I was genuinely concerned I wasn't going to be able to hold on The driver must have thought I was very keen to visit Wells Cathedral given the way I dashed off to use the ones there when we finally arrived.

I also remember another incident a few years ago when I was attending college in Bath. After being unwell during the day(a stomach virus) I had to get myself back to Yate on the 620 route. Fortunatley I made it home without incident but I always dread to think what would have happened if the worst had occurred and how embarrassing it would have been. I remember the driver asking me to tell him in plenty of time if I needed him to stop as he had a short turnaround at Tetbury and didn't have time for cleaning.

 

[quarella]

Sadly I had to leave before I saw the outcome of this one but a double decker coach had dropped off at Bristol Temple Meads and was trying to depart. The power going through the back wheels was just pushing the coach in a straight line across the damp cobbles towards the canopy irrespective of the front wheel position.

 

[ECML180]

Saw another one at Sheffield Interchange recently, sunday and all the holiday coaches parading in and out. Minicoach stops on the first stand (E6) and having arrived early the driver decides decides to have a break, so...not moving for 15 minutes. Within 10 all passengers had arrived but a late running coach had pulled up behind without enough room to pull around(blocking the zebra crossing) anticipating it to move on. With another bus then stopping right up to that coach, it was all stuck until the driver's break was over!

 

[Temple Meads]

Interesting one last night, rail replacement from Liskeard to Plymouth, late at night in a very dark corner of East Cornwall there was an incessant beeping as the coach ground to a halt with the EML illuminated.. Luckily all sorted with restarting the engine!

Gearbox was stuffed on that one too, with a horribly thumping upshift at times.

 

[LuSiVe]

On the other hand, if you want a good ride, try the last bus to Chesterfield from Matlock by Kelstedge.

Is it still a double decker at that time? I must admit I've never risked staying there for the last bus in case it didn't come.

 

[Wyvern]

No it was an Optare Solo type (this was back in the 'nineties)

I swear it took off in places.