MIG wrote:

(snip)

I thought that beginning 3xx or 4xx implied that the route wasn't
direct. It certainly seems to work that way in practice.

Like the 484, which seems to visit every single house in south London
while going nowhere much. And a 3 something which I got on at Queen
Elizabeth Hospital to go a very short distance to Woolwich centre. I
think it went via Margate.

I'll have less bad mouthing of the 484 thank you! I have several
friends down that way, many of whom utilise it frequently, and I
patronise it occasionally as well.

Yes, in places it does go all around the houses, but should one be
familiar with those parts of south London you'd see it provides good
"cross-country" links (to completely abuse a phrase!) between
neighbourhoods in ways that the trunk bus routes along main roads
cannot do, as the main roads just aren't in the 'right' places.