First Manchester

[Polo Mint]

RE: First Manchester
Certainly an old picture.

(30/12/2013 22:00)33109 Wrote:  I had my first merc citaro today & was surprised/disappointed. They're a decent bus, quick off the mark, plenty of space inside but the down points are:

They rattle like crazy & very tired internally looking very tatty
The destination displays aren't that easy to read, the dot matrix displays are gd but in bright sun or when its dark their nigh on impossible to read sometimes. Why haven't the citaros been fitted with led displays???

Also dunno if anyone else has noticed this but a few of firsts drivers are incredibly rude to passengers. Couple i've come across talk really quietly to passengers then have a go when they've gotta repeat themselves c'mopn what gives what is their problem?

Its all relative, the buses are coming up to being 14 years old. When compared to Darts of a similar age the buses are very quiet, comfortable and look good. Agreed about the displays, maybe it is because LED displays were relatively new when the bus was built.

(31/12/2013 10:13)Mayneway Wrote:  

(31/12/2013 06:49)jimbo Wrote:  That woman who said "why are you late?" She must jot understand this world, buses are late due to traffic, slow buses, traffic lights, slow customers or those needing help, and annoying customers constantly asking them why they are late...

It's a man Jimbo and he's a councillor who sits on the TfGM committee.
I do agree though that if your travelling at peak you should expect the bus to be slightly late.

But in the other hand a lot of bus drivers i experience (not just First either) are very rude. What's more despite the articles claims, stagecoach and First seem to be doing very little to combat the rude unhelpfulness of some of their drivers.

(31/12/2013 11:46)126th street Wrote:  People who get on the bus and then engage the driver in a conversation as to why the bus is late are possibly the most idiotic individuals imaginable as they don't appear to realise that they are making the service even later by doing so.

As for the poster who comments that First and Stagecoach should be doing things to 'combat the rude unhelpfulness of some of their drivers': What do you suggest?

Drivers should be respectful to passengers, and passengers do have a right to ask.

Perhaps the 'rudeness' is because of the nature of the job being sat on your own driving through busy town centres all day. It could also be because of poor recruitment/training at bus companies.

Overall though, people tend to remember the rude drivers compared to the friendly ones. I have had few problems with drivers compared to the number of good drivers I have noticed.