A bus driver may sit lower and have more glass around him, but after the bus has been through the bus wash every day for the last x number of years, actually trying to see clearly through the cab or passenger door windows, or out of those postcard size unbreakable mirrors, in anything other than perfect conditions is not exactly easy - since they are so scratched. Defect the vehicle and most likely nothing will get done since “it’ll pass the MOT”. Add the condensation on the windows on a wet day from 70 odd passengers and a demisting system about as powerful as a baby’s burp , that’s if it even works at all, and the view isn’t so wonderful after all.
Not sure if this has been posted…
dailymail.co.uk/news/article … roads.html
Perhaps the several cycling threads on at the moment could be merged??
When i did my driver training for the buses, it was drummed into us to drive safely and slowly, give way and be polite.
Sadly, alot, not all bus drivers forget the training as soon as they start driving.
But, we also have alot more distractions, mainly the passengers, even though there is a sign on every london bus telling passengers NOT to talk to the driver whilst the bus is moving, the passengers still insist on talking to you as your going around a roundabout.
bazza123:
Not sure if this has been posted…dailymail.co.uk/news/article … roads.html
Perhaps the several cycling threads on at the moment could be merged??
Happen to think he’s spot on.
Headline obviously sounds like he’s being insensitive too soon after a spate of major incidents but the quotes are 100% accurate.
rambo19:
When i did my driver training for the buses, it was drummed into us to drive safely and slowly, give way and be polite.
Sadly, alot, not all bus drivers forget the training as soon as they start driving.But, we also have alot more distractions, mainly the passengers, even though there is a sign on every london bus telling passengers NOT to talk to the driver whilst the bus is moving, the passengers still insist on talking to you as your going around a roundabout.
That was one of the advantages of the old RT and Routemaster types in having seperate cabs and a conductor.While the issue of driver distraction would be helped by stopping standing passengers which is also a safety issue in the event of having to make an emergency stop.
lankyphil:
8wheels:
Buses have much smaller mirrors than trucks …My thoughts too. Sat next to a bus this afternoon on my way home, for a double decker, he has 2 mirrors, both about the size of an A5 piece of paper, whereas I’ve got 6?
The bus driver is much closer to the ground and I found those mirrors plus the side windows gave better visibility on the road. There are also low sides to the bus so less likely for someone to go under it.
Unless they’re pratting around at the front…
found this dailymail.co.uk/news/article … -wide.html
what are they complaining about they squeeze into smaller gaps than that at junctions quite happily
Pimpdaddy:
Bus drivers are a law to themselves…
Yep, and because of that every one knows to stay well away from buses, including cyclists.
Well apart from the loons (regardless of their mode of transport) who are with camera looking for an easy target to be pick on with their holier than thou attitude and cameras 
GasGas:
When the red buses were owned and operated by London Transport they had relatively stable workforces and experienced drivers.It was a job for life: wages maybe not brilliant but a very good pension etc meant that it was a job worth sticking at.
After privatisation driver staff turnover on the ex-LT companies was standing at 120 per cent per year. Competitive tendering driving down wages, and when one company lost a route the drivers would take generous redundancy rather than be re-engaed by the new company.
Common sense at last. I worked in both the pre and post privatisation bus industry and the above statement carries a lot of weight. The old ways of time spent training were replaced with cost efficiencies across the board - and it’s been dragged down to the same point as most industries within the UK whereby training is now showing new entrants what the company wants them to know in order to alleviate the company of any responsibility.
Stan