Cambridge Busway Handed Over?
Well possibly according to this report. But anyway there is some progress and it is hoping that the ill-fated project will open in August.
Do Bendy Buses Encourage Cheating?
I tend to avoid bendy buses, but sometimes they are the first to turn up and I’m in a hurry. When you get on a normal bus, where you touch the Oyster reader by the driver, you never see people get on without doing it. On the other hand a couple of weeks ago, I was in the middle of a bendy bus and at least half who got on at the middle and rear doors didn’t touch the reader.
It will be interesting to see the increase in revenue on a route like the seventy-free, when they change to normal buses in a couple of months.
More on the Clutter Around Dalston Junction
I now avoid Dalston Junction as much as I can because of the bad pedestrian routes, as I want to go on my terms and not those of a driver who feels pedestrians are targets to be hit. However today, I wanted to explore an address to the east of the station, so I had no excuse but to try and walk up the Kingsland Road and turn into Dalston Lane.
Pavement Clutter at Dalston Junction
The picture illustrates why I said try and walk. note the several advertising hoardings and the cafe encroaching towards the road.
As it was sunny and I’m feeling better, I was able to get through and then had to cross Dalston Lane and walk down an equally restricted narrow pavement on the north side of that road. There was nowhere to cross until a set of pedestrian lights, well past the station. One point I noticed, was that if you had wanted to take say a 30 bus to Hackney Wick, you’d have to walk some way to the stop and where it was wasn’t at all obvious. In the end I walked south and then used Forest Road to get back to the Kingsland Road. At least I was able to ascertain, that the bus station at Dalston Junction appeared to be complete.
opening the Southern entrance to the station would make things so much better and safer.
The Angel, Islington Is Now Clean and Tidy
This picture shows how islington have cleaned up the Angel.
The New Pavements at the Angel
It must have impressed the BBC as they conducted interviews for BBC Breakfast one day last week on the pavements on the opposite side of the road to this picture.
Just before I took this picture, I had bumped into a person of the female gender, who had just got off the same 38 bus as I had. I won’t call her a young lady, as she’d debussed (does it have one s or two?) and immediately stopped to light up her cigarette. As I was close behind her, I walked straight into her. I apologised profusely, but got a mouthful. Whereupon I told her that she should stop smoking, as it will eventually kill her! Possibly it will be sooner than I think, as she immediately wandered in front of the 38 bus to cross to Islington Green. Luckily for her the driver was paying attention to the lights, which had turned red.
It must be very disheartening for the council, as the pavements were already covered with discarded cigarette ends and chewing gum.
Does Public Transport Combat Racism?
I wonder about this, but the masses of different races and nationalities, that use public transport have to get on.
When you swipe your card by the driver on a bus say, you often wave and say thank you and if the bus isn’t busy you’ll often get a cherry reply, whatever the race of the driver. And let’s face it, is there a race not represented amongst London bus drivers.
Often too, you’ll strike up a conversation with the person next to you, about something trivial. Sometimes this will be caused by my apologising for being clumsy because of the stroke and I can’t remember receiving a rude response.
One incident stands out. I was needing to get by a black man of my own age, as I’d rather hidden myself away on a corner seat, at the back of the bus. So I apologised before I hit him with my rucksack. He said not too bother, as he was very happy and after five years as a widower he was going to propse to his girlfriend that day. I said I was a widower too and he said that it’ll all work out. He waved me goodbye as I left the bus. Good luck to him and I hope the lady accepted his proposal.
So when you throw people together and they all get mixed up, does it take the racial tension out of living?
I think the only thing we need to ensure is that when we travel on a bus or train, that we treat everybody in the way we would like to be treated ourselves.
Bus Information Signs
We need a lot more of these.
Bus Information Sign
And hopefully, you’ll be able to check them on the Internet. That way, I wouldn’t have to leave the house in the rain, unless I knew a bus was turning up in a few minutes.
Apparently improvements and more signs are on the way.
Should Buses Be Named?
The number 30 bus, I got on today was dedicated to Dave Gardner. This picture shows the plaque inside. His name is also on the back.
Plaque on a Bus Dedicated to Dave Gardner
He was obviously a great guy to have around and the named bus is a great tribute.
I think we should do it more often. It has to be remembered that many acts of heroism on the railways have been commemorated by the naming of locomotives. They are described here.
London’s Bendy Buses Are a Dangerous Joke
Yesterday on my way to Kings Cross, I was nearly run down because of a 73 bendy bus. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the fact that I’d just got off it, it might have been closer. It blocked the junction by Kings Cross, because it was just too long to get round the corner and then everybody jumped the lights to get through. I was crossing on the green in all this mayhem, but pulled back to safety well out of the way. As I wasn’t in a hurry, I decided to be safe rather than sorry.
Thinking about it afterwards, the bus might have been blocking drivers views of the lights, so they thought it safe to carry on. A standard double-ecker with a smaller footprint would have been able to get round the corner and allow the lights to be clearly seen.
And then today, as I was coming back from the Angel, another 73 bendy was causing a traffic jam as it struggled to pass another of its ilk at Essex Road station.
They are just too long for London’s streets. If you don’t believe me read this from the Evening Standard.
I just can’t wait until the 3rd September this year, when according to Wikipedia, they will be replaced by a mixture of hybrid and diesel buses. The seventy-free will only be missed by fare dodgers.
Buses Outside London
Most London double-deck buses have a separate entrance and exit.
This means that those leaving the bus, don’t get in the way of those getting in. It also makes it a lot easier for wheelchair access and those with children in buggies. I don’t travel on buses outside London very often, but find negotiating the obstacle course of suitcases and buggies to get to the front door somewhat tiresome. In Cambridge for example, I will walk if I can, rather than use the bus.
So if a double xit bus is so much better and as I think speeds up public transport, why do so many buses not have a centre exit.
Single Entrance/Edit Bus in Leeds
Here’s a bus from Leeds yesterday.
I suppose it’s all down to costs!
There is Still No Busway
This bus in Cambridge makes a haunting plea!
Wot No Busway!
The Cambridge Busway still shows no sign of being opened.
Some estimates have put the opening as far away as 2047. What a way to celebrate my hundredth birthday!
The Anonymous Widower 