An Attempt To Find The New Olympic Park
On Monday, I attempted to find the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which the BBC announced had opened.
After a very unwelcoming walk from Eastfield, I found the entrance and it was crawling in security, who said it opened later.
Information and maps were also a bit lacking about the buses, but eventually I got a 588 to Hackney Wick, from where I got a 30 home.
London’s Hydrogen Buses
London has a few hydrogen-powered buses that run on route RV1 from Tower Gateway to Covent Garden via the South Bank of the Thanes.
I used this route to get back to North of the Thames, so I could get home, after visiting the Tate Modern.
There’s more about the technology between these hydrogen buses here. The buses would appear to be powered by fuel cells from Canadian company, Ballard, running on a Volvo chassis with a body by Wrightbus from Northern Ireland. There’s a lot of independent hybrid vigour there to go with the conservative bit from Volvo.
Children Should Go Free On The Buses
This story from the BBC says that the Liberal Democrats want all children to go free on the buses.
Not having been a child for many years and having no contact with any now, I thought that as in London, all children do go free.
But they don’t!
I think it will be a good idea, especially as reports in London recently have shown that this policy has cut the number of children getting injured on the roads.
It is interesting that the BBC illustrates their story with one of the Hackney Eight.
Are The New Bus for London’s Overheating Problems Fixed?
According to this article in the Standard, Sir Peter Hendy says that the overheating problems on the New Bus for London are fixed.
But don’t just take his word for it.
Today I went with a friend from Trafalgar Square to Warren Street on one of the new buses on Route 24.
It was very pleasant despite it being a very hot day.
I do have a slight reservation about route 24, in that, when the Hackney 8 on route 38 were running double-crewed, the atmosphere did sometimes catch a bit of a party mood. But probably, that’s because Hackney is the East End with all its bustle and humour and Hampstead is a lot more posh and sedate. I’ve even been chatted up by a widow some years older than me on a 38! That certainly wouldn’t happen on a 24!
An Accident On A Bus
I’ve travelled on public transport for something like sixty years and I’d never been involved in any accident until yesterday.
I was on a 6 bus, coming back from the Truscott Arms, when it got hit by a skip lorry.
Does this show that public transport is actually rather safe, as one non-injury accident in sixty years doesn’t seem bad odds.
I Didn’t Think They Used Buses In Hampstead
You can easily make the assumption, that those upmarket people in Hampstead don’t use buses, as why would they travel with their inferiors, when you can drive or use a taxi. So this story from the Ham and High is very surprising. The headline in the paper says it all.
C11 bus driver asks passenger ‘Where’s Hampstead?
For those unfamiliar with the C11, it’s one of a series of single deck buses that meander all over London boroughs to provide local transport and fill-in for the Underground and the major bus routes. They’re almost like rural buses in Central London.
Can The Posh In Pimlico And Hampstead Count?
Tom Edwards on the BBC was reporting, that the Hackney 8 are now running without tail-gunners, as to have two different buses on the same route, might confuse the passengers. So they shut the rear door to make it simpler!
But here in Hackney, when it matters we can count to three and generally have a few fingers to spare. I was on a New Bus for London last night and everybody was behaving as they should and the driver was opening the rear door to ease passengers off and on the bus. I didn’t see any problems! So to the good people of Hackney a selection of buses, just adds to life’s rich pageant.
What we’d really like is a few more New Buses for London, preferably with some wannabee comedians as tail-gunners!
Is No News Good News For The New Bus For London?
I have a Google Alert for the New Bus for London.
I haven’t had a story; pro, anti or neutral for about two weeks now.
So is this good news for the New Bus for London?
As to the Hackney Eight, who are now running single-manned, they seem to be performing well without their tail-gunner. I’ve ridden one of them a few times since they changed to driver-only and everything seems to be working well, with the passengers using all three doors to enter and leave the bus.
There has been no reports at all on how they are now performing!
And The Balloon Came Too!
It would appear that balloons are allowed on the Emirates Air Line.
In some ways, I always follow instances of balloons on public transport, as at Liverpool University in the 1960s, they were banned on the buses in the city.
I wonder if they still are!
Do I Look Decrepit?
When I’m carrying my shopping back from the Angel on the bus, I sometimes get offered a seat, but usually I choose my bus with plenty of empty space.
Yesterday though, I was getting a 141 towards London Bridge, when I was offered a seat by a lady who was probably ten years older than me!
She was also wearing a burkha, which made be a bit embarrassed. Especially, as there were plenty of empty seats towards the back of the bus.
As I’ve said before, everybody is getting very polite on London’s buses!
The incident also got me thinking about why London buses seem to a more polite place, than others like Cambridge, where I’ve ridden the buses quite a few times.
I put it down to one of three things.
London’s buses always have at least two doors, which has two major affects. It separates those getting into the bus from those getting out and it also tends to keep low-life away from the driver. This calms down everybody!
The drivers seem to like a comment and often quip something back, adding to the positive side of the travel experience. I do wonder too, that because of London’s excellent mapping, that drivers do a lot less to sort out lost souls, so they have time to be pleasant.
And then of course London buses are painted bright red! Is it a warning to behave?
The Anonymous Widower 