Coming south on the A61 through Hillsborough today, I stopped at some traffic lights. As far as I can see there is a bus about 2 cars back from the front of the line, and I’m about 5 cars back from the bus. The lights change to green and the 1st 2 cars move but the bus doesn’t. I am not sure if there is an obstruction in front so remain calm.
The lights change back to red.
All of a sudden the bus lurches forward, straight through the red light, and slams on his brakes. He’s now stopped about 3 metres over the line.
The lights change to green.
We don’t move.
1…2…HHHHOOOONNNNKKKKK!!!
After about 10 seconds, off we go.
I now pull out to overtake the bus. As I am level with the back of the bus, the driver slams the brakes on at the last minute and enters a bus stop. I ‘toot’ my horn at him again, just to let him know I am a concerned member of the public -ahem-
As I pull past him, i notice he is sort of hunched over his steering wheel, looking a bit odd. I am now worried he may be ill, or having a heart attack.
Nope, he’s off again, and catches me up at the next set of lights, this time accelerating at the line and, again, braking at the last minute.
I looked at him as he looked at the pretty writing on the side of my lorry, happily chatting to himself.
There was something strange about him, like he wasn’t all there. I don’t mean to be horrible and judgemental, but this man is driving a bus for godsakes, and from what I’d seen, not making a very good job of it.
He was sort of rocking backwards and forwards, whilst his head was slowly wandering left and right, concentrating on everything but the road.
It made me glad I don’t have to catch buses often.
There was a article on our local TV down here that discovered serving prisoners from Ford open prison were being trained and employed as bus drivers whilst STILL serving their sentance!!!
smcaul:
There was a article on our local TV down here that discovered serving prisoners from Ford open prison were being trained and employed as bus drivers whilst STILL serving their sentance!!!
It’s easy to make assumptions, but I’m thinking, diabetic. Insulin dependant.
If he informs his employer, he’s out of a job.
The recent (dramatic) change in weather could have affected his blood/sugar level.
I agree, a speculative assessment. But something not to be overlooked.
Krankee:
It’s easy to make assumptions, but I’m thinking, diabetic. Insulin dependant.If he informs his employer, he’s out of a job.
The recent (dramatic) change in weather could have affected his blood/sugar level.
I agree, a speculative assessment. But something not to be overlooked.
theghostofcain:
I looked at him as he looked at the pretty writing on the side of my lorry, happily chatting to himself.
There was something strange about him, like he wasn’t all there.He was sort of rocking backwards and forwards, whilst his head was slowly wandering left and right, concentrating on everything but the road.
and your point is? he’s a bus driver for god’s sake 
or maybe he was polish eh? 
The company I did my class 2 with also had a coach for PCV training, the bloke they were training at the time was hopeless. My instructor took me to the test centre to show me the set up at the same time this character was doing his reversing excercise, he started reversing, ran over the middle cone and went straight back and missed the bay completly (i think he literally ended up in a hedge by the side of the test centre). I doubt he passed although reading this post he might have!
jj72:
theghostofcain:
I looked at him as he looked at the pretty writing on the side of my lorry, happily chatting to himself.
There was something strange about him, like he wasn’t all there.He was sort of rocking backwards and forwards, whilst his head was slowly wandering left and right, concentrating on everything but the road.
and your point is? he’s a bus driver for god’s sake
nar just your average dee dar.
I have yet to see any proof that in general, Truck drivers are any better than Bus drivers!
i read somewhere that simon saw a trucker parked up on the road and thought to himself that it was strange.he pulled over just to check the driver was ok,but it turned out he was having a heart attack.please don’t just assume that he/she is a bad driver there could be something wrong.if in doubt get out and ask him/her if they are ok.you could save their lives and i’m sure they would appreciate it and be able to thank you one day.
did you hear how the driver was simon 
jj72:
theghostofcain:
I looked at him as he looked at the pretty writing on the side of my lorry, happily chatting to himself.
There was something strange about him, like he wasn’t all there.He was sort of rocking backwards and forwards, whilst his head was slowly wandering left and right, concentrating on everything but the road.
and your point is? he’s a bus driver for god’s sake
West Mids. Travel have started taking on poles as they can’t get drivers. I don’t know what bus driving is like but I think the pay was okay with a decent o/t rate.
TC:
I have yet to see any proof that in general, Truck drivers are any better than Bus drivers!
As both a HGV & a PSV driver I have.
The problem is not the standard that the two start off at, but is due to one being tacho & the other being UK regs.
Being on a duty sheet rather than a tacho means you can be given two times, one on the timetable the other on a duty sheet, your illegal duty can be legal simply because it looks so.
Running times for bus routes would often make a tipper driver concerned & as for driving times, if your duty sheet says this duty is 9 hours 59 minutes driving today then regardless of how much extra you do, traffic hold ups etc, then thats what it is.
Also don’t forget that a bus driver can drive for eight & a half hours with nothing other than 45 minutes of other work to give them a break & that only has to be a theoretical as with no tacho as long as it’s on the duty sheet it exists.
It is not uncommon for duty sheets to be very different from timetables simply because one round route can involve two timetables & because the VOSA take a much more lenient attitude towards PSV operators than HGV operators the driving standards of PSV drivers can be very much lower because of the pressure that the VOSA allows companies to put PSV drivers under & as for getting something done about illegal running times, duty’s & driving times, I did try once, but was told “we are too busy”.
The evidence is in the regulations we as HGV drivers drive under & in those that the PSV drivers don’t have drive under.
I have a PSV/PCV licence and have done stage carriage work. I totally agree with everything that Daxi says. You shud try it. The timetable says it takes you 15 minutes to get to the terminus. You know it will take at least 25 minutes if you drive like a lunatic. Then there are the passengers. Especially on ‘hail and ride’. Stop here driver , stop there driver, why didn’t you stop right outside my house. I managed to stand it for 4 years and that was good going, alot never lasted the year. He had probably had a bad day. I would never do it again!!!.