London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

MarkVarley - MVP wrote:

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:36:49 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote this gibberish:

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:38:03 -0700 (PDT), Railist
wrote:

On Apr 11, 1:48�am, Nick W wrote:
Perhaps a combination of tube (tm), railway and walking might get you
home quicker than inferior bus travel.

I would normally get 38 to Victoria, Southern to Streatham Hill then
417 but the last train is at 2336 and the Victoria Line was closed
etc.

The thing I am slightly bemused about is that you didn't opt to try the
rail replacement bus for the Vic Line south of Victoria. It would at
least be reasonably quick as it's effectively limited stop and you might
have stood a bit more of a chance at Brixton in getting a connection.

Easy to wise after the event I know but perhaps an option to store away.

My only experiences of replacement bus services is that they hang
around at each station on-route for what feels like forever making it
quicker to get a regular bus route to the station or more directly to
final destination. Maybe I've been unlucky.


Were these mainline rail replacement bus services? If so I think they
have to hang around more working to a timetable. I don't think you'd
get the same problem with LU replacement buses, except perhaps late at
night when they're running the last few services.

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On 12 Apr, 02:12, Barry Salter wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:44:29 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

On Thu, 10 Apr 2008, Railist wrote:
Just what is it with London Buses and ME?

It isn't. It's me as well!

And me - sometimes. However I don't believe it is the disaster area
that people are painting it as although the TfL Buses Customer Services
department might disagree given the complaints I make about my local
route. However I do expect perfection on that service ;-)

The trouble with TfL Surface Transport Customer Services (as it's the
same contact centre that deals with TfL Streets, LBL and the PCO) is
that they're not open when you're most likely to have a complaint (i.e.
early morning, late evening, or at the weekend) and they appear to have
an attitude of "the customer is always wrong".

I have complained about late evening *early* running on my local route
(the humble W6) on a number of occasions, where it's not unusual for
buses to run up to 5 minutes early. In fact, I once had the penultimate
bus of the night pass me five minute *BEFORE* it should have started its
journey, leaving me a 40 minute wait for the next, and last, one.

Customer Disservices response was to basically tell me I was imagining
things, and some rubbish about buses being sent out of garages to meet
demand, which had absolutely nothing to do with my original complaint!

LBL's response was to adjust the timetable so that the "early" running
became on time running!

Needless to say, when the inspectors are around the service runs like
clockwork, which surely defeats the entire purpose of doing the checks
as it gives a false impression that First London are competent.


As Tom Anderson pointed out in another current utl thread " Bus
Information Signs" the new iBus system with GPS tracking should
hopefully ensure TfL are capable of keeping track of how buses are
running all the time, rather than merely when the inspectors are out
and about.

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On 11 Apr, 01:10, Railist wrote:
I'm about to have a whinge. An unreasonable one, which ignores 'stuff'
like operational problems and the like.

Or design problems. Buses are a fundamentally flawed form of public
transport.

Just what is it with London Buses and ME? Why can't they just get me
home in a reasonable time?

Because they are crap. It's not ust you, it's only old people and scum
that use them

Take today. I sense my day is going to be bad when I get a 333 from
Streatham to Brixton. I swear that the drivers of this bus, and the
133, are on a permanent 'go slow'. Today, we were overtaken by
cyclists

That's really not unusual. On a ride from Willesden Jn to Shepherds
bush, it's not unusual for me to pass 3 buses on the same route. Even
going from the Bush through Notting Hill I'm never beaten by a bus.
It's not traffic that causes the problem, it's the fact they stop
every 20 seconds.

I got a bus from Hammersmith to Shepherds Bush the other day, it was
late and cold and I'd been at the pub. It took twice as long as it
takes me driving that route in the morning rush hour, and slightly
longer than walking. There were only about 3 stops too. Every time I
take a bus (once a year perhaps), I'm reminded how crap they are.

On my way home, Regent Street - Streatham, I get to the bus stop on
Regent Street, at 2315hrs, just as a 159 passes. I never run for
buses, but a woman does. She runs all the way from Vigo Street to the
bus, which has stopped at the bus stop near Air Street. The bus waits.
And waits. She reaches the stop, and the driver closes the doors. He
won't let her on. He then drives forward literally two feet, and stops
at the traffic lights. He still won't let her on. He drives off.

Yes, that's because the drivers are scum, who bully other road users,
drive dangerously, but are immune from prosecution because Ken
protects them all.

By 2335 I have counted 3 x Route 12s, 2 x Route 453's, 3 x Route 15s
and 3 x Route 94s. No sign of an 88, 3 or 159 which most of the people
waiting want.

Presumably people who want a 453 will not be waiting after one goes
past.

At 2337, another 159 appears. It waits at the stop until
2342, for some reason. By 2357, we have reached Whitehall. There are
no obvious traffic problems, even with the roadworks at Haymarket.

The bus trundles to Streatham, and at 0020, I get off. According to
the Mobile Journey Planner, there is a 417 due at 0024. The countdown
timer at the stop shows that it will be there in "10 mins". Again I do
the county thing - 3 x Route 57, 2 x Route 333, 1 x Route 59, 2 x
Route 137, etc. etc. At 0034, the 417 is 'Due', and a 133 is in '3
minutes'. The 133 arrives 3 minutes later. Still no sign of the 417.
It eventually arrives five minutes after being 'Due'. I get home at
0059.

1h45 Regent St to Stretham. At least my 1h05 commute puts me 40 miles
outside of London.

Google maps puts it at about 7 miles, that's about 30-40 minutes on a
bike depending on traffic and lights. Try the tube in future, it'd
cost £2.

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On 12 Apr, 13:33, Paul Weaver wrote:

On 11 Apr, 01:10, Railist wrote:

I'm about to have a whinge. An unreasonable one, which ignores 'stuff'
like operational problems and the like.

Or design problems. Buses are a fundamentally flawed form of public
transport.

Just what is it with London Buses and ME? Why can't they just get me
home in a reasonable time?

Because they are crap. It's not ust you, it's only old people and scum
that use them


OK, even though you're trolling, I'll bite - you're doing a very good
job of making out to the world at large that you're a bit of a bell
end.

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:33:08 -0700 (PDT), Paul Weaver
wrote:


Because they are crap. It's not ust you, it's only old people and scum
that use them

Ah, to be considered old at 28!

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

"James Farrar" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:33:08 -0700 (PDT), Paul Weaver
wrote:


Because they are crap. It's not ust you, it's only old people and scum
that use them

Ah, to be considered old at 28!

Now you know how it feels to be a woman.

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:44:29 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

On Thu, 10 Apr 2008, Railist wrote:

According to the Mobile Journey Planner, there is a 417 due at 0024. The
countdown timer at the stop shows that it will be there in "10 mins".
Again I do the county thing - 3 x Route 57, 2 x Route 333, 1 x Route 59,
2 x Route 137, etc. etc. At 0034, the 417 is 'Due', and a 133 is in '3
minutes'. The 133 arrives 3 minutes later. Still no sign of the 417. It
eventually arrives five minutes after being 'Due'. I get home at 0059.

Normal service, then.

That really is not normal service any more than normal service on the
tube is every single line having horrendous delays every day of the
week, every week of the year.

For buses late at night, it absolutely is.

I still would not describe the system as a lottery though - trying to
catch a once an hour bus in the suburbs of Manchester or Newcastle with
no timetable info, no stop numbers on the bus stop and the operator
probably being some small time bus company is what I call a lottery.

You're quite right. On the occasions i have to use buses out in the
provinces, i am reminded how good London's system can be.

My completely serious suggestion would be to buy a bike. I've got one,
and avoid all forms of public transport like the plague. As a result, i
get where i'm going faster and more reliably, and much more enjoyably,
than any travelcard monkey making the same trip. Yes, faster - door to
door, i can even beat the Victoria line to work!

I agree that for a reasonable proportion of trips then a bike is a good
option. I used to cycle commute and I once beat the public transport
time by bike (Walthamstow - St James Park) but then that is competing
with the Vic Line which is pretty fast. The big disadvantage was having
to park up, get showered and changed and then get to the desk. That adds
time and inconvenience.

Fair enough. There are railings i can lock up to right next to my building
at work, and there's always a space there, which helps a lot. If i'm out
on the town, i can always find a lamp-post or railings within a hundred
metres of my destination; i can honestly that's very rarely a problem. As
for showering and changing, i just don't do it; i may get a bbit sweaty,
but in a T-shirt, i dry off quickly, and it's not sweat that smells, it's
stale sweat that's had a chance to foster growth of bacteria. I'm not
aware that i'm considered an aroma menace by my colleagues!

tom

--
The MAtrix had evarything in it: guns, a juimping off teh walls, flying
guns, a bullet tiem, evil computar machenes, numbers that flew, flying
gun bullets in slowar motian, juimping into a gun, dead police men,
computar hackeing, Kevin Mitnick, oven trailers, a old womans kitchen,
stairs, mature women in clotheing, head spark plugs, mechaanical squids,
Japaneseses assasins, tiem traval, volcanos, a monstar, slow time at
fastar speed, magic, wizzards, some dirty place, Kung Few, fighting,
a lot of mess explodsians EVARYWHERE, and just about anything else yuo
can names!

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

Paul Weaver wrote:
On 11 Apr, 01:10, Railist wrote:
I'm about to have a whinge. An unreasonable one, which ignores 'stuff'
like operational problems and the like.



Because they are crap. It's not ust you, it's only old people and scum
that use them



I got a bus from Hammersmith to Shepherds Bush the other day, it was
late and cold and I'd been at the pub. It took twice as long as it
takes me driving that route in the morning rush hour, and slightly
longer than walking. There were only about 3 stops too. Every time I
take a bus (once a year perhaps), I'm reminded how crap they are.

Please tell us are you an old person or scum?

--
Tony the Dragon

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

In message , Paul Corfield
writes
On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:18:21 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

We should go out boozing one
night, and then try some test trips on the buses [1]. In fact, we should have
a utl meet, and settle it once and for all!

Well volunteered Mr Anderson. On what date is this grand event going to
occur? ;-)

I thought we were doing this sometime in Burton-on-Trent. :-))

(In which case you would **all** be seriously shocked about how elastic
the term "public transport" can be.......
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

I hate London buses: you wait for 20 minutes then 2-3 come together
(because drivers chat together at the local terminus). And since most
of the buses are bendy, you have all the undesirables sitting
uncontrolled in the back (yobs, thugs, and other people without any
personal hygiene).