In article ,
says...

Neil Williams wrote:
On Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:14:52 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

Whatever happened to the strange new NX minibus service (between
airport and City Centre) with the dots on the side (same branding as
the then-new NXEC)? Dotty by name and dotty by nature, perhaps.

It was a failure. Probably going after a market that doesn't exist,
TBH - you're either time-sensitive in which case you will use HEx and
a taxi (or just a taxi), or you're price-sensitive in which case
you'll use the Picc.

That said, the concept seems to do well in the US.

The 'dot to dot' homepage is still there, with links to another company
(Skyshuttle) offering the same service, but only Heathrow AFAICT...

http://www.dot2.com/

Paul S

National Express Dot2Dot ceased operation last November.

Skyshuttle ceased operation on 2nd February this year [according to
Travellers Toolkits site]

On Mar 21, 10:23*pm, Neil Williams
wrote:

On 21 Mar 2010 21:51:24 +0000 (GMT), Theo Markettos
wrote:
I think GreenLine still run some 7x7 - Luton Airport to London is operated
by GreenLine and I think that's numbered 7x7. *I'm not sure if there's any
connection other than they both picked the same numbering series.

Green Line don't operate anything - it's a "franchise" brand that I
think has its origins in London Country Bus Services, though I'm not
clear who (if anyone) owns it now. *Arriva operate the Luton-London
coach service.

Hmm, that's not quite right any more, though it once was. However
Arriva appear to own the Green Line brand nowadays.

The IPO's trade mark database says that "GREEN LINE" is a trade mark
in classes 12, 16 and 39 - the description for class 12 states "Motor
omnibuses and motor coaches for sale or dealing with only within a
circular area having a radius of 45 miles from Charing Cross, London"
- which suggests that it's the correct entry that I've found.
Furthermore it was first registered in 1986, when London Country Bus
Services Ltd was split up for privatisation (having been a subsidiary
of the state owned National Bus Company). The crucial point here
however is that the trade mark's proprietor is "Arriva the Shires
Limited", registered address being 1 Admiral Way, Doxford
International Business Park, Sunderland.

Source:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/domestic?domesticnum=1285773

The Green Line website is very obviously operated by Arriva, and
furthermore on this webpage the company makes reference to "its Green
Line brand":
http://www.greenline.co.uk/conditions-of-carriage/

This "History of Green Line" page refers to the creation of a new
company in 1986, "Green Line Travel Ltd", which "offering marketing
and support services" to the four new companies which were now
providing Green Line services (those four companies being the result
of the LCBS break-up and sell-off).
http://www.greenline.co.uk/history/

Looking at Companies House, "Green Line Travel Ltd" does still exist
as a company (Company No. 02005558), but it's basically dormant - and
the registered address is 1 Admiral Way, Doxford International
Business Park, Sunderland - aka Arriva PLC HQ.

So I think it's fair to conclude that Arriva own the Green Line brand!

However, as the history page says, "First Group absorbed former London
Country operations in the Thames Valley and has continued their use of
Green Line for London to Windsor and Bracknell routes". So in practice
this is two Green Line routes - the 701 and 702 - whilst the remaining
seven routes are operated by Arriva.


Confusingly (and I have seen many people caught out by this), the same
coach is operated for Green Line, easyBus, Terravision and some other
brand as well, and there are separate ticket desks for each. *I think
they also sell tickets for it on board easyJet flights, and these are
sold under the NatEx banner, even though NatEx operate their own
coaches (though not, I think, to London).

The 757 is basically operated by Arriva (aka Green Line), but in
conjunction with easyBus - whatever deal easyBus made with Arriva
resulted in a number of the 757 coaches being repainted in easyBus
orange, whilst the others stay in Green Line, er, green.

Terravision (what a great name!) just sell tickets for this service -
though seemingly they do enough business to operate a desk at Luton
airport, along with easyBus as well. Is there a Green Line desk as
well? However I can't think what the "some other brand" that you refer
to could be. Of course alongside all that NX sell tickets for it - as
you say they do so on-board easyJet flights (and maybe others?!), but
also from their website and presumably from all other NX coach ticket
outlets too.

There's more information on this confusing arrangement on this helpful
"Travellers Toolkit for London" website:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/luton_bus.htm
and
http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/luton_easybus.htm

And also on this website from a London hotel agency:
http://www.milesfaster.co.uk/informa...-transfers.htm

Whilst one is almost tempted to wonder whether there might be some
sort of anti-competitive cartel going on w.r.t. the coach service
between Luton airport and London given that in reality there's only
one service the 757, but one then remembers that all the different
companies involved offer seats on said coach for differing prices - so
there's competition alright, it's just happening within the coach
itself!

In message , at 19:24:40
on Sun, 21 Mar 2010, remarked:
Think dot2dot it still features on some of the station signage at
Kings Cross though.

I think it must be those signs that confused me into thinking it was still
going or had closed more recently!

And this kind of thing confuses tourists too Someone should pay more
attention to this kind of thing - it's bad enough trying to find an
airport bus in a strange city, without signs to ones that don't exist.
--
Roland Perry

On Mar 22, 8:19*am, Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at 19:24:40
on Sun, 21 Mar 2010, remarked:

Think dot2dot it still features on some of the station signage at
Kings Cross though.

I think it must be those signs that confused me into thinking it was still
going or had closed more recently!

And this kind of thing confuses tourists too Someone should pay more
attention to this kind of thing - it's bad enough trying to find an
airport bus in a strange city, without signs to ones that don't exist.

The signs don't says anything other than "National Express dot2dot" -
it doesn't say "Buses to Heathrow" or anything like that, and given
that dot2dot was a pre-booking service only these particular signs
shouldn't really serve to confuse anyone - though they should still be
removed or covered up anyway.

On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:09:28 -0000
"Ian F." wrote:
wrote in message
...

Hotels check your passport to make sure its you but I don't remember
any of them photocopying my details.

I have had my passport photocopied dozens of times in hotels and company
offices all over the world. Some offices make you leave your passport with

Bully for you. I haven't.


them and exchange it for a security pass while you are in the building.

Who do you work for, MI6?

I really don't mind - or care.

I don't really care if you get run over by a bus but no doubt someone would.

Well, maybe not.

B2003

In message , at 09:26:14 on Mon, 22 Mar
2010, d remarked:
I have had my passport photocopied dozens of times in hotels and company
offices all over the world. Some offices make you leave your passport with

Bully for you. I haven't.

All that shows is a lack of relevant experience.

them and exchange it for a security pass while you are in the building.

Who do you work for, MI6?

It's not commonplace, but sometimes an office will ask for a passport in
exchange for the normal "Visitors pass", perhaps to ensure that you
check out of the building properly when you leave.

--
Roland Perry

In message
, at
01:50:39 on Mon, 22 Mar 2010, Mizter T remarked:
Think dot2dot it still features on some of the station signage at
Kings Cross though.

I think it must be those signs that confused me into thinking it was still
going or had closed more recently!

And this kind of thing confuses tourists too Someone should pay more
attention to this kind of thing - it's bad enough trying to find an
airport bus in a strange city, without signs to ones that don't exist.

The signs don't says anything other than "National Express dot2dot" -

Which, if their marketing was any good would be associated the
traveller's mind with "Buses to Heathrow".

it doesn't say "Buses to Heathrow" or anything like that, and given
that dot2dot was a pre-booking service only

Ah, that could be one reason why it was not successful (who in their
right mind would pre-book a minibus in the face of arrival delays at an
airport like Heathrow). Similar services in the USA would probably
accept walk-up passengers (to a nearby ticket desk, if not the driver).
Elsewhere, such a system is almost the only sensible way to travel from
Seoul airport to the city - and there are hundreds of minibuses plying
the route.

these particular signs
shouldn't really serve to confuse anyone - though they should still be
removed or covered up anyway.

--
Roland Perry

On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:56:03 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:26:14 on Mon, 22 Mar
2010, d remarked:
I have had my passport photocopied dozens of times in hotels and company
offices all over the world. Some offices make you leave your passport with

Bully for you. I haven't.

All that shows is a lack of relevant experience.

Or that I've stayed in decent hotels and worked for sane companies.

them and exchange it for a security pass while you are in the building.

Who do you work for, MI6?

It's not commonplace, but sometimes an office will ask for a passport in
exchange for the normal "Visitors pass", perhaps to ensure that you
check out of the building properly when you leave.

Not commonplace? Thats putting it mildly. I worked in the City for 10 years
and I never saw it even there. Passport for proof of id when joining the
company? Sure. Passport to go to a meeting elsewhere? Do me a favour.

I've no idea where you people work but it must be somewhere near Paranoia
City. You might want to check for bugs under your desks while you're at it.

B2003

In message , at 10:15:36 on Mon, 22 Mar
2010, d remarked:

I have had my passport photocopied dozens of times in hotels and company
offices all over the world. Some offices make you leave your passport with

Bully for you. I haven't.

All that shows is a lack of relevant experience.

Or that I've stayed in decent hotels and worked for sane companies.

them and exchange it for a security pass while you are in the building.

Who do you work for, MI6?

It's not commonplace, but sometimes an office will ask for a passport in
exchange for the normal "Visitors pass", perhaps to ensure that you
check out of the building properly when you leave.

Not commonplace? Thats putting it mildly. I worked in the City for 10 years
and I never saw it even there.

You seem to have missed the "all over the world" part.

Passport for proof of id when joining the
company? Sure. Passport to go to a meeting elsewhere? Do me a favour.

It's part of the "ID card culture" that is extremely commonplace in most
of the rest of the world.

I've no idea where you people work but it must be somewhere near Paranoia
City. You might want to check for bugs under your desks while you're at it.

I do visit high security locations from time to time, but an example of
an almost-public-building with a "leave your passport at the security
desk" rule is one of the bigger offices of the European Commission in
Brussels. eg the equivalent of somewhere like whatever the DTI's called
this week.

The European Parliament building requires you to log your laptop in (but
curiously, not back out again - because the rule is probably to stop
people stealing laptops from inside the building). Same rule in the
Library of Congress (Washington). No such rule in the Palace of
Westminster - I could tell you about a building in London that does, but
then I'd have to kill you
--
Roland Perry

wrote in message
...

I don't really care if you get run over by a bus but no doubt someone
would.

Well, maybe not.

Christ, you are one foul little oik, aren't you? Do grow up.

Ian