Motoring Discussion > So what annoys you about bus drivers? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Badwolf Replies: 50

 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Badwolf
Now then folks,

In the spirit of the forum this is NOT a chance for anybody and everybody to weigh in and insult us bus drivers.

However, as a bus driver (and one that likes to think that he does his job well) I do get annoyed sometimes at car drivers' perception of us. I'd welcome the chance to answer any questions that you may have about why we do things, or don't do things. The obvious answer may not be what you think...

Anyway, please keep the tone light - I will do the same :-)

Cheers.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - oilburner
Not really from the car driver's perspective, but as a passenger, why is it that some bus drivers absolutely slam the brakes on every time the bus comes to stop, jolting everyone and sending anyone on foot flying. Obviously for more vulnerable passengers (e.g. older folk) this is more than a mere annoyance.

They seem to do it at both bus stops and more predictable stops like traffic lights that are already on red.

Why? Are bus brakes really that snatchy? I'm trying not to tar all bus drivers with the same brush, but it does seem very common.

TIA Badwolf.
Last edited by: oilburner on Mon 15 Mar 10 at 12:03
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - RattleandSmoke
I was on a bus last week and the driver slammed on his brakes. The result was a woman went flying, and I had to wait on a the bus for over an hour while the ambulance turned up - I leant her my coat.

They all seem to drive like they are having a race because they will get a telling of at the depot if they are late.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - oilburner
>> I was on a bus last week and the driver slammed on his brakes. The
>> result was a woman went flying and I had to wait on a the bus
>> for over an hour while the ambulance turned up - I leant her my coat.

Well done Rattle, the world needs more people like you.

>> They all seem to drive like they are having a race because they will get
>> a telling of at the depot if they are late.
>>

I'm not sure it's that simple, when the lights ahead are already on red, or the traffic is at a stop, why accelerate hard then immediately brake hard? Unless it becomes a habit, I guess.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Bromptonaut
>> Not really from the car driver's perspective but as a passenger why is it that
>> some bus drivers absolutely slam the brakes on every time the bus comes to stop
>> jolting everyone and sending anyone on foot flying.

By strange co-incidence HMG is on the case (not that it will help).

www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/2010-17/condoc.pdf (acrobat 150k)

See para 7.2, p13!!
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - oilburner
That only seems concerned with accelerating off after a pick up, which is surely an issue, but it doesn't appear to address the way the brake and accelerator pedals get used as on/off switches! :)
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Crankcase
This can't have helped the cause:

www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Bus-driver-unleashed-torrent-of-abuse.htm
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - oilburner
I wouldn't be so hard on the drivers (aside from this exception), I remember only too well the many journeys plagued by drunks and yobs. The poor drivers must get this each and every day.
More often than not, it's the driver taking the abuse rather than giving it, I would imagine.

There must a reason why the drivers are in enclosed behind plastic screens these days?
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Badwolf
>> Not really from the car driver's perspective but as a passenger why is it that
>> some bus drivers absolutely slam the brakes on every time the bus comes to stop
>> jolting everyone and sending anyone on foot flying.

>> Why? Are bus brakes really that snatchy? I'm trying not to tar all bus drivers
>> with the same brush but it does seem very common.
>>
>> TIA Badwolf.
>>
This one's a bit of a bugbear for me. Some drivers are, quite frankly, appalling and drive with consideration only for themselves. As far as I am concerned, a bus driver should always drive with the comfort and safety of his passengers at the forefront of his mind and I try my hardest to stick to that.

However, some buses do have very severe retarders*. You simply cannot help but come to a sudden stop in one like this. I have, on many occasions, rung the depot to request a replacement bus when I've taken over one with a harsh retarder. If they've prevaricated around the shrubbery then I've mentioned 'safety issue' and 'possible hazard to passengers' to them and I've had my replacement quick-smart. The worst culprits for harsh retarders are Volvo B10M/B single deckers but even then a good driver (he says modestly) can mitigate the effects of the retarder to a certain degree.

Hope I've explained myself clearly there, chaps.

*The Retarder For The Uninitiated:

The retarder is a device that provides supplementary braking. When the brake pedal is depressed, the retarder works as well and will slow the vehicle down to approximately 10-15mph before the 'foundation' brakes (ie the vehicle's own brakes) kick in. It is possible to use a retarder smoothly by very imperceptibly releasing pressure on the brake pedal and re-applying it equally gently in stages until the vehicle has stopped. Very few drivers can master this (or can be bothered to) and I do count myself as one. Frequently I have had passengers complimenting me on my smooth braking, saying that they wished the other drivers could drive as smoothly. Not being arrogant there, just illustrating the fact that, if a driver wants to, he can provide a smooth ride.

Last edited by: Badwolf {P} on Mon 15 Mar 10 at 12:26
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - oilburner
Thanks Badwolf. I had no idea about retarders, that does explain a lot.

So next time my neck goes through similar repeated G forces as F1 drivers, it may not be entirely the driver's fault.

I'm guessing (because of cost issues) that the maintenance of these buses isn't always 100% either eh?
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Badwolf
>> I'm guessing (because of cost issues) that the maintenance of these buses isn't always >>100% either eh?

Sadly, that is true. I heard from a reputable source that the Depot Engineer of our local bus company (the one that Arrives on time...) has been told on more than one occasion that he is not allowed to spend any more money - and that is only halfway through the month.

In my experience, as long as the bus starts, goes and stops and will not attract the attention of the Ministry then the bus company will send it out of the garage. Most frustrating when you, as a driver, take pride in your driving.

I always like to think that my passengers get off not having noticed how I drove. That, to me, means that I have done a good job.

Snaily - if only there were more like you on the roads... :-)
Last edited by: Badwolf {P} on Mon 15 Mar 10 at 12:37
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - L'escargot
>> So next time my neck goes through similar repeated G forces as F1 drivers it
>> may not be entirely the driver's fault.

The retardation given by brake retarders is usually relatively light. As far as I know they come in at least three types ~ hydraulic, eddy current, and exhaust brakes. However it's a few years since I had anything to do with them so there may now be more (or even less!) than three types. Here's some information about heavy vehicle braking systems. tinyurl.com/yzk3v28
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - L'escargot
Nothing about them annoys me. In fact I try not to get annoyed by anybody. It helps to keep my blood pressure down.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - FotheringtonTomas
Difficult. A slight propensity to move off without indicating. That's all I can say I've noticed.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - crocks
... or indicating and not moving off.

Some around here will indicate, so I hold back and not overtake the bus at the bus stop, only to notice the doors are still open and people still getting on/off.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - spamcan61
>> Difficult. A slight propensity to move off without indicating. That's all I can say I've
>> noticed.
>>

Much the same here, I can't recall the last time I muttered under my breath about a bus driver. I can't say the same about motorway coach drivers, but even there the proportion of pfds* seems pretty low.

* have we established an C4P equivalent naughty word replacement?
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - VxFan
>> * have we established an C4P equivalent naughty word replacement?

Not yet. Maybe I ought to open it up for debate.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Fursty Ferret
We're all adults. Perhaps we could just allow the naughty words?
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Pat
No, please NO!

It wouldn't be fair, you all know how to swear posh, I only know how to do it as a lorry driver:)

Pat
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Alanovich
Idling used to irritate the daylights out of me. But that seems to have stopped these days.

That went for coach drivers too. I used to travel with National Express a lot in my yoof, and I used to hate waiting in an indoor coach station like Nottingham, Birmingham or Preston whilst 17 coaches all sat belching out fumes whilst going absolutely nowhere. Yeeuck.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Badwolf
>> Idling used to irritate the daylights out of me. But that seems to have stopped
>> these days.

That's a common cause of complaint from people who live near a bus terminus or layover point. Why they bought the house in the first place, knowing this is beyond me but that's a whole new topic!

Basically, bus drivers will very often leave their engines running at these points under instruction of the management. Why? Because if the engines are switched off there is more than a sporting chance that they won't start again.

There is also the issue of comfort for the driver. It really annoys me when someone comes from their nice, warm, centrally heated house on a sub-zero morning to complain about me keeping the engine running for five minutes in an effort to keep me warm. The bus is my workplace and, in my book, everybody has the right to be warm and comfortable in their workplace.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Alanovich

>> That's a common cause of complaint from people who live near a bus terminus or
>> layover point. Why they bought the house in the first place knowing this is beyond
>> me but that's a whole new topic!

Agreed to an extent, like people who buy houses near a football stadium then complain about the crowds. But I still think idling buses and coaches is a bit anti-social.

>> Because if the engines are switched off there is more than
>> a sporting chance that they won't start again.

Has something changed in bus technology recently which prevents this problem? So far as I'm aware even bus company management now frown upon idling. What's different now which ensures that a bus will start again? And was it always so bad? I've neither seen nor heard a bus or coach turning over fruitlessly in the manner of my old Alfa 33 when there was a hint of damp in the air. Maybe because they're always idling I suppose......:-)

>> The bus is my workplace and in my book everybody has the right to
>> be warm and comfortable in their workplace.

Dare I suggest warmer clothing, perhaps more layers? Sounds a bit like your comfort is put above that of those around you, in terms of noise and fumes.

Not having a go btw, please don't take my replies as argumentative. Just interested in your viewpoint.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Badwolf
>>Not having a go btw please don't take my replies as argumentative

Wouldn't dream of it ;-)

>>So far as I'm aware even bus company management now frown upon idling.

They do in the 'big' companies. My new employers (one of the biggest bus companies in the world) have lots of notices around the place instructing us not to run our engines for longer than a minute. My last employers, however, were a small tin-pot firm run, on the face of it, responsibly. However, while out route-learning I was instructed to never switch the engine off. Ever.

>> What's different now which ensures that a bus will start again?

Poor maintenance. Purely and simply.

>>Dare I suggest warmer clothing, perhaps more layers?

Fine in practice, but once the bus is moving again I would get uncomfortably warm. You may not appreciate this, but there is precious little chance to stop on a morning service and take layers off - every second counts.

I guess it's give and take really. Would it really hurt me to put up with the cold for five minutes? Probably not. Would it really hurt the householder to put up with a bus engine running outside their house for five minutes? Probably not.

 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Fursty Ferret
The only thing that really annoys me is when, due to some scheduling glitch, the bus pulls over and waits for 10-15 minutes at a bus stop to get back on the correct timing or the change drivers.

Wouldn't mind so much but it's so frustrating just sitting there with no announcements or apologies. Apart from that, I'm happy. :-)
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Boxsterboy
Bus drivers have my sympathy - most of the time. Their job cannot be easy, and I fully understand how parked cars can obstruct their route or their bus stops.

What really annoys me however is when there are no obstructions to them using their bus stop, but they refuse to pull in, holding other traffic up.

 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Badwolf
>> What really annoys me however is when there are no obstructions to them using their
>> bus stop but they refuse to pull in holding other traffic up.

Fair point, bb. I can't really defend those that do it on purpose but sometimes I have had to do this as somebody has pushed the bell a bit late meaning that I can't pull into the layby for the stop. Also, it may well be that the driver knows that if he does pull in then he doesn't have much chance of being let out again. Not a valid excuse really, but not being let out of bus stops is one of our major problems.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - RattleandSmoke
I always think in the city on frequent bus routes e.g thos every five or ten minutes it would be more reliable but stick to the time table but just run them at the set frequency apart. This way you won't get speeding bus drivers going through red in fear of being late and you won't get bus drivers waiting ten minutes at stops to make up time.

Modern buses such as the Enviro 400 also have a cut out, if the engine is left ideling more than a set time it automatically cuts out.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Mapmaker
Sitting on a stand, with the engine running. For hours and hours.

I used to live near a bus stop where buses would wait during the night. Engines running, for hours and hours...
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Dog
All bus drivers, plod, taxi drivers, are The Devils Spawn!
Well, I used to believe that a long, long time ago in a city called London.
I've growd up a bit since then & moved on and out and into ... A Land Apart.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Ted

I actually went on 2 buses today. Both single deckers. I got up to get off on one of them at a bus stop 50 yds past some traffic lights which were on red. He accelerated away from the lights so briskly that I was thrown backward into a woman waiting behind me.. I was hanging on but I was wrenched off the handrail !

A road I use regularly has a stop just before some lights. It's actually in the left turn lane.
It's irritating when the bus suddenly indicates and wants to go straight on when you're passing it to turn left..Mirrors seem to be not used too much here !

Apart from isolated cases like that, I have no problem generally and will always let a signalling bus out....they're in more of a hurry than me.

I've also noticed that a large proportion of passengers alighting say ' Thanks ' to the driver.

Ted
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - RattleandSmoke

>> I've also noticed that a large proportion of passengers alighting say ' Thanks ' to
>> the driver.
>>
>> Ted
>>

I've noticed this too I was always taught to thank the bus driver but 15 years ago when I first started using them it was rare, now most people thank the drivers. I have also noticed that bus drivers are slightly less miserable than they used to be.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Boxsterboy
>> Sitting on a stand with the engine running. For hours and hours.
>>

Oh yes, we have tenants who complain endlessly about this going on at the bus stand outside their block of flats. Very anti-social of the bus drivers to do this.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Dog
The most worrying bus journey I've ever taken was from Puerto del Rosario to Corralejo in Fuerteventura ...
It was quite early on a Saturday morning and we had just pulled in from Tenerife.
El Hombre drove the Mercedes single decker like a complete and utter lunatic.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Iffy
...El Hombre drove the Mercedes single decker like a complete and utter lunatic...

Dog,

But you did have all those gold bars in the back at the time. :)
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Dog
>>> But you did have all those gold bars in the back at the time. :) <<<

That could well be the reason ifih = hell dorado (or Brinksie's mat!)
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Badwolf
>> I used to live near a bus stop where buses would wait during the night.
>> Engines running for hours and hours...

That's not on and is, in my view, indefensible M.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - L'escargot
>> Engines running for hours and hours...
>>

Hours and hours or really just minutes and minutes?
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Pat
Dare I star 'what annoys you about lorry drivers'............no, no, no:)
You are brave Badwolf!

Pat
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Iffy
...You are brave Badwolf!...

Perhaps he's a Big Bad Wolf. :)

Like others, I'm struggling to find something about bus drivers that really gets to me.

If I'm stopped in one line of traffic, buses in another lane sometimes go past one side of the car or the other with inches to spare.

This gives me visions of a car-long scrape which would cost about £5K to fix.

Buses also tend to pull up very close to the vehicle in front.

I'm aware experienced drivers such as Badwolf can judge the extremities of their vehicle literally to an inch or two, but it can be nerve-wracking for other road users.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Pat
I'd have a job to find anything at all really, we have a job to do just as busses do and generally we are both very synpathetic and helpful to each other.
I know if I'm waiting on the road to pull across and reverse in a gateway, it will always be a bus in town who will read the situation and stop the traffic to let me do it.

Pat
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Badwolf
>>...You are brave Badwolf!...

>>Perhaps he's a Big Bad Wolf. :)

Nah, I’m just a big pussycat!

>>If I'm stopped in one line of traffic, buses in another lane sometimes go past one side of >>the car or the other with inches to spare.
>>I'm aware experienced drivers such as Badwolf can judge the extremities of their >>vehicle literally to an inch or two, but it can be nerve-wracking for other road users.

I can understand entirely how that could be the case. However, one of the most fun parts of the job is seeing the look of sheer terror on the faces of motorists and their passengers as you come through a gap that you know you can make.

Any help that we get on the road is very much appreciated but it can get a little frustrating when car drivers hold you up by manouevring to get out of your way even though you know that you could have made it through the gap.

>>Buses also tend to pull up very close to the vehicle in front.

Yup, I’m guilty of that one. I have no idea why, as I have had ‘tyres and tarmac’ drummed into me over the years. I guess it’s just a bad habit that I’ve got into.

 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - LEDFoot
Must admit I always felt a bit sorry for bus drivers.

Comes from living in one of the more 'lively' areas of Manchester for 5 years, where the youngsters - 'Scalleys' as they were affectionately termed used to wait for a bus to stop and then hit the 'emergency engine cut' button on the outside back of the bus.

Not sure why they put that button there mind you....
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - PhilW
Not read all the replies in this thread but enough to get the idea.
I use buses every day - usually in parts of the country I am not familiar with. 99% of drivers are very helpful and will give you a shout when your stop comes up and point out your destination. Many in rural ares are obviously "friends" with their regulars and have a chat with them - we even had a 10 min stop at some village in Co Durham today and several of us got out and had a smoke and chat with driver.
The one thing that does get me though is (as mentioned above) the sudden stops, which throw you forward and then back in your seat! Daft when the stop is known to be coming up. Mainly seems to happen in cities though, probably when drivers are pushed to keep to timetable.
Suppose it's the same as in most walks of life - most people are very pleasant and then there are the odd ones that are very grumpy!
Round here virtually everyone thanks the driver when they get off - why not? Hope it makes them feel appreciated - everyone likes that don't they?
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Londoner
Very nice thread this. Civilised. Makes you think. Teaches you a bit.
I never knew about the Retarder. I just thought that a bus had regular-style brakes, only more powerful. That Retarder looks like it was designed to make life uncomfortable!

I'm OK with Bus drivers. I always let them out, and I always get a friendly wave or a blip of the hazards. I get most grief from private motorists, TBH, and then only from a tiny minority.

BTW, does anyone remember the Bob Newhart monologue about bus driver training school, where the driver is taught to accelerate/brake/accelerate/brake until all the passengers are spinning like tops?
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Ted

..tinyurl.com/ylaja2c

Ted
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Londoner
Thanks, Ted!
Even funnier than I remembered. :-)
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Iffy
...we even had a 10 min stop at some village in Co Durham today and several of us got out and had a smoke and chat with driver...

Wasn't a JSB bus was it?

Their drivers are known to like a tab.

 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - grumpyscot
I really don't have a problem with bus drivers - but I live in Edinburgh so have the luxury of being served by Lothian Bus. They've been voted best bus company in the UK a number of times, and the way most of the drivers do their job, you can see why.

How they keep their cool in a city that's undergoing turmoil to install unwanted trams beats me. But they do it, with a smile and are almsot always courteous.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - hawkeye
>> So what annoys you about bus drivers?

Nothing. Like other road users there are good'uns and bad'uns. Having taken my PSV test in 1978 I still have a certain sympathy and understanding, I hope.

Interesting about retarders. When I worked for Tetley Travel in Leeds they had a Seddon Atkinson 56 seater with an electric retarder. It was more a bolt-on column stalk than part of the foot pedal operation. Smooth stops were easy despite the air brakes (he says modestly).

I had a day job at the time as well so I used to pick up a load of gobby but likeable factory girls and deliver them to work for 7am, return the coach to the depot then hoof it up to work in the Rover 2000. Some evenings I would take a darts team to an away match. How I managed without Sat Nav I have no idea but I seemed to get around the place OK.

 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Snakey
...the way some (notice the word 'some', I'm not having a go at all bus drivers!) sail out of the end of a bus lane without barely checking to see if anything is coming in the 'normal'lane they are about to join.
 So what annoys you about bus drivers? - Mike Hannon
I once married the daughter of one.
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