Where’s The Middle Door?
I took this picture of one of Birmingham’s many buses.
Where’s The Middle Door?
Outside of London, buses rarely have the second door, that all London buses do.
Two door buses have the advantage of much quicker loading and unloading, especially for buggies and wheelchairs, which results in a faster service.
A Manchester bus driver told me that the low life hangs around the driver trying to nick his money on a one-door bus, but with two doors in London you never see this behaviour, as they leave the driver to get on with his job.
The image of bus travel could be greatly improved by making every one two doors, as the service would be faster and less hassle.
And whilst they’re at, why do drivers outside of London issue me with a ticket despite the fact I have a free bus pass?
An Old London Bendy Bus In Liverpool
I saw this example of one of the dreaded London bendy buses in Liverpool.
An Old London Bendy Bus In Liverpool
It was being used to take students to and from accommodation.
Note the wi-fi.
A Poppy Covered Bus
For Poppy Day, TfL have decorated two buses appropriately.
A Poppy Covered Bus
This picture shows one on route 55 at the Angel, Islington.
No Football Today
Ipswich are at home and there’s rail replacement buses both way. I’ve normally nothing against buses, but rail replacement ones generally have a standard that leaves a lot to be desired and given the weather they’ll probably be icy.
The Cheeky Conductor
I got a New Bus for London home from the Angel this morning. I’d not seen him before or the route and I suspect, he could have been someone training to do the job.
He was certainly enjoying himself balancing on the platform watching the street.
I used the expression cheeky in the title, as at one set of lights, whilst the bus was stationary and waiting for the green, he dismounted and went and looked in a shop window, before getting back on the bus well before it moved away.
A couple of conductors on New Buses for London have said to me how much they like the job and the interactions with the public. He was only demonstrating this in a direct way.
Hull’s Hybrid Buses
Hull has ten Alexander Dennis Enviro400 hybrid buses.
Note that the transmission is by BAe Systems. See the Hybridrive web site.
The big beasts are showing interest in the field of efficient transport. That can only improve the introduction of more and better solutions.
I Want Several Of These!
I need some grab rails in my shower. Just look at this.
Grab-Rail On A New Bus for London
It is absolutely ideal and the texture is great. Although I might prefer a different colour. I could also use them on the side of this stair-case.
My Staircase
Are they a standard item or are they made specially for the bus?
If they’re the latter, they could be sold as souvenirs in the London Transport Museum.
There’s A Lot Of Skyfall About
Skyfall seems to be everywhere and especially on the buses.
Usually, lots of bus adverts indicate that a film isn’t as good as it might be.
I shall go, as I once bought a house from Daniel Craig‘s stepfather.
And Some Think London’s Got Traffic Problems!
I just read this piece on the BBC web site about a legal challenge to a new bus lane in Delhi.
I think it is interesting to look at how well London survived the Olympics. A lot of the road network was closed down and people found better ways to work or get to work. I started referring to buses as Big Red Taxis.
Since the end of the Olympics, you’d think road traffic would have got back to previous levels. I’m not sure, but when I walk up the Balls Pond Road at rush hour, it may be busy, but not as bad as I remember before the Olympics. The only really bad times are when Arsenal are at home, as a large number of people still drive to one of the easiest stadia in the country to get to by public transport.
I would love to see some properly collected figures on traffic in Central London. Do they publish the amount of money raised by the Congestion Charge? I can’t seem to find any recent results. They should publish the takings on a regular basis. Probably daily!
A Double-Headed Wedding
These two Routemasters were parked at the Angel today.
Is it getting hitched in style or just showing off?
The Anonymous Widower 