But it could be a new driver who doesn't know where every little thing is, he might be relatively new to the area - some drivers pick up things a lot quicker than others. If I was thrown onto the route for the first time on my own, I wouldn't know where a lot of places are as I don't live in that area. The main thing is that I know the roads I need to go down, the rest of it comes with experience.
On Monday, I had to help a First driver with telling a couple which stop they needed to alight at - despite being his regular route, it shows that they still won't always know where everything is!
(18/07/2012 20:53)Mayneway Wrote: [ -> ] (18/07/2012 18:59)R971XVM Wrote: [ -> ]Well, maybe you can do the decent thing then and pipe up and help out rather than wondering why drivers don't know their geography. The countless times that I've been asked whether I go down a particular road / near a particular church / school / temple / hotel / shopping centre and I haven't known the first time and had to ask other passengers who, lets face it, know their patch a lot better than us drivers ever will. I know South Manchester pretty well where I grew up but outside of that I'm still learning as I go along. 99% of the time the passengers help out, 1% of the time someone like your good self will be wondering "God, doesn't he know where such and such a place is"
If I ever route learn the 236 I'll take a note of local landmarks, but anything that's not directly on the route I won't know until it's pointed out to me or I move there.
But is it not part of their job to know that Hadfield is in Glossop?? And tameside college is pretty big. I know that from time to time people do ask for really obscure places and I'm not saying they should know the bee all and end all of minor locations but to turn passengers away from his bus because he aint got a clue where they want to get off is pretty poor, let's not forget drivers are paid a vert decent wage, and surly part of their job is to help passengers who don't know where their going.
I once had a similar experience in London with a driver who I think was of Hong Kong origin or something and could hardly speak a word of English. I wanted to go to the O2 Arena to see a concert and asked the driver if he went there. The conversation went something like:
Me: Do you go anywhere near the O2 Arena?
Driver: Where sorry?
Me: The O2 Arena
Driver: (Opens Cab door and puts his ear to my face) Sorry I can't hear you, the Old what?
Me: (Slightly louder) The O2 Arena
Driver: (After long pause) No, another 2 stops and I finish
At which point I politely thanked him and got off. The bus had Canary Wharf on the front so it was reasonable to assume he may be going that way as I didn't know London, but to meet a driver who had clearly never even heard of one of the world's biggest landmarks was rather amusing at best.
(17/07/2012 19:37)gilbert Wrote: [ -> ]Does anybody have a definitive list of which buses have gone/are going from Manchester to the Olympics?
Thanks
The only ones I know for definite are 10042-10051 and also 19469.
Last I heard I don't think the management were too keen to tell for some reason.
I'm actually going to London for the final week of the Olympics on 6th August.
Would love to know which of our Manchester faithful to look out for.
(18/07/2012 21:23)ace Wrote: [ -> ] (17/07/2012 19:37)gilbert Wrote: [ -> ]Does anybody have a definitive list of which buses have gone/are going from Manchester to the Olympics?
Thanks
The only ones I know for definite are 10042-10051 and also 19469.
Last I heard I don't think the management were too keen to tell for some reason.
I'm actually going to London for the final week of the Olympics on 6th August.
Would love to know which of our Manchester faithful to look out for.
Somebody has apparently seen 19425 operating near Tower Bridge on Olympic duty.
On the subject of the old MAN's 22139,22149 and 22181 were all on the 313 today.
(18/07/2012 21:51)gilbert Wrote: [ -> ] (18/07/2012 21:23)ace Wrote: [ -> ] (17/07/2012 19:37)gilbert Wrote: [ -> ]Does anybody have a definitive list of which buses have gone/are going from Manchester to the Olympics?
Thanks
The only ones I know for definite are 10042-10051 and also 19469.
Last I heard I don't think the management were too keen to tell for some reason.
I'm actually going to London for the final week of the Olympics on 6th August.
Would love to know which of our Manchester faithful to look out for.
Somebody has apparently seen 19425 operating near Tower Bridge on Olympic duty.
On the subject of the old MAN's 22139,22149 and 22181 were all on the 313 today.
I'm pleased you told me that actually. I've been looking for 19425 as it's the only 58 reg I haven't been on since I started my collection back in March. Will definitely be on the lookout for it in London now.
Yes the 313 does seem to have been taken over by the MAN's. I've also seen 22143 and 22160 in Stockport, and surprisingly 22819. This has been housed at Sharston but hardly ever gets used. I think it was a one off from somewhere a while back.
(18/07/2012 20:53)Mayneway Wrote: [ -> ] (18/07/2012 18:59)R971XVM Wrote: [ -> ]Well, maybe you can do the decent thing then and pipe up and help out rather than wondering why drivers don't know their geography. The countless times that I've been asked whether I go down a particular road / near a particular church / school / temple / hotel / shopping centre and I haven't known the first time and had to ask other passengers who, lets face it, know their patch a lot better than us drivers ever will. I know South Manchester pretty well where I grew up but outside of that I'm still learning as I go along. 99% of the time the passengers help out, 1% of the time someone like your good self will be wondering "God, doesn't he know where such and such a place is"
If I ever route learn the 236 I'll take a note of local landmarks, but anything that's not directly on the route I won't know until it's pointed out to me or I move there.
But is it not part of their job to know that Hadfield is in Glossop?? And tameside college is pretty big. I know that from time to time people do ask for really obscure places and I'm not saying they should know the bee all and end all of minor locations but to turn passengers away from his bus because he aint got a clue where they want to get off is pretty poor, let's not forget drivers are paid a vert decent wage, and surly part of their job is to help passengers who don't know where their going.
He's paid a good wage to drive a bus along a pre meditated route with instructions of which roads to use......he's not a taxi driver/social worker/security guard/baby sitter
Once you do a route 3/4/5 times you start to pick up things, iv been at it 8 years and still get surprises and think "oh didn't know that was there"
He's a Human not google
More odd workings from Stagecoach Manchester today saw Ashton Depot using 28506 on 216 this afternoon and Stockport Depot had 13995 out on 370s this afternoon, the first time a Spectra has been back in service unless someone can probe me wrong, also Hyde Road had 22142 operating on 50s
He dosen't need to be google, it's basic knowledge. Surely if he was a new driver he should have familiarised himself with the routes he would be working, there arn't that many at AZ, and Tameside college is virtually next to the depot, how could he have missed.
(18/07/2012 22:32)M60lad Wrote: [ -> ]More odd workings from Stagecoach Manchester today saw Ashton Depot using 28506 on 216 this afternoon and Stockport Depot had 13995 out on 370s this afternoon, the first time a Spectra has been back in service unless someone can probe me wrong, also Hyde Road had 22142 operating on 50s
Yes 28506 is normally on the 345 so that is unusual. I've never known it on the 216 before.
13995 has been back in service a week or two now and I think has maybe worked the 370 the odd time. 22142 was still at Stockport yesterday, so it looks like it's just been moved today.
I suppose we're going to see allsorts going on over the coming weeks as the Olympic buses are away and Stagecoach have to juggle the remaining stock, dealing with various issues such as performance with older buses, etc. And they're not helped when even the remaining newer buses let them down by breaking down, which has happened a few times recently.
Tridents are back in service, but whether they will all last the course of the next 3 months remains to be seen. Some are in a pretty bad way.