What is your view of bus drivers in London.?

Question

I have noticed more and more bus drivers in london driving in a way that can be best described as aggressive. Yesterday, I saw a london bus driver, on the 42 route giving some real stick to a woman about buying a ticket even though the bust stop ticket machine was bust.

I am concerned these people are responsible for the safety of nearly 100 people, more on those damnable bendy buses.

Would you be worried about riding a bus in london?

What are your experiences?

Answer 1

It really cracks me up when I read things like this as London Bus drivers used to be the salt of the earth and everyone used to be able to have a good crack with them when they got on them. However, this was in the days that there was also that took some of the stress off of a drivers shoulders. It must be a very stressful job and it seems to me that the bus companies ought to have more consideration for their employees and also for the safety of their customers if as you say most drivers seem to be driving in an aggressive manner these days.

Life is very stressful for all these days without exception and we all need to understand this and give each other a helping hand to get us through the day. You will of course always get those who don't give a d**n for anyone but themselves.

By the way I live in a rural area and even my bus driver drives like a bat out of h**l. Times and schedules I think is the problem  

Answer 2

Only use buses when the tube packs up. Experiences of buses have been mixed but more weird in Manchester than London.

Answer 3

I've had a mixed bag of experiences, I've had buses ignore my stop, drivers who take off before anyone has a chance to sit down, yes, there are bad drivers out there who treat their bus as if it's their own miniature fiefdom and who enforce the rules to the letter but equally there are really good drivers who try & help their passengers out.  I've also seen drivers abused for simply doing their job and it is a difficult, stressful job.  

If you wish to make a complaint about a driver, you should make a note of the route & time you were on the bus and look for the run number at the front of the bus.  

Bus drivers are not supposed to let people out between stops as it is against health & safety regulations, the buses are also not insured to let people off at unauthorised stops.

Answer 4

I don't think bus drivers are as well trained or competant at driving nowadays.  We have lots of immigrants who don't really get it and the later you leave it to learn, the harder it is.

Answer 5

Sounds like theyre stressed out, that is London.

Denationalised now, so profit (ie slave driving ) is everything.

Profit targets more important than people.

Answer 6

I don't use the buses so I can only give you a car driver's point of view, which is that they are some of the most dangerous drivers on the road. I know they always have the right of way, but that doesn't mean you can pull out on someone who is doing 30mph, with no indication, so they have to do an emergency stop! Also, you have your own private lane which I am not allowed in, so get the f out of my lane you are slowing me up trundling along at 20mph!

Answer 7

There are aggressive and even horrible people in the world, and it just so happens that some of them happen to be bus drivers im afraid, its just the way of life.

My dad's a bus driver (bendy bus) and the amount of stories he's told me about the c**p he gets from passengers is unbelieveable, so it is quite a difficult job dealing with them. So maybe the driver having a bad day. Also as far as i know you dont need to buy a ticket from a machine outside the bus for a 42, you pay on the bus which is probably why the driver was giving her agro because she may have been lying.

All i know is that i use the bus all the time and i always say thank you to the driver for getting me home safely, especially at night, its the things like that that'll make their day easier. Its the a***holes like school children and angry passengers that turn drivers aggressive.

Answer 8

When that happens, the driver is supposed to take the passenger to the next stop, and wait for her to buy one there.

I have had varied experiences. Most of the time it's been ok.

Once, the bus driver was rude when he didn't stop at my bus stop and I told him, even though I pressed the bell. He said I should have been standing next to the door. I'm sure that's not the rule. I told him I couldn't do that, I'm ill, recovering from latest bout of chemo, I can't stand for long nor walk all the way back. He said he didn't care and was cocky. I asked for his driver number and his registration. He didn't give it. He kept shouting at me to get off the bus. I refused, saying I won't, until I get those details. He carried on driving, calling me names! Another passenger was kind enough to show where else I can get that info.

Another time, the driver didn't stop at my stop, again I had pressed the bell ahead of time, and when I simply said "oh for God's sake", he started swearing at me!

Although other times I have been chatted up by drivers, and eyed up. Once he gave me his number, when the bus was packed and I was standing next to him! So it's been varied.

But you've also go to look at their job from their view. They drive the same route every day, over and over again, and get no appreciation from passengers.

Answer 9

really ignorant at the best of times. perhaps part of their training should be the niceties of life

mind you, it is london and you have to fight fire with fire.

Answer 10

Yea I've not had very good experiences with London bus drivers. Mostly they just seem so rude and unhappy to be driving the bus. I think they need a course in customer service. I got completely yelled at once for asking the driver. who was stopped in traffic, to let me off a few meters before the bus stop. As for the driving, it does make me nervous, but that doesn't stop me from taking the bus; it's my only option for getting to work.

Answer 11

they are all polish m**o's,

damb i hate busses, they start indecatin and then just pull out, think that i cant overtake them, i always do and give them my middle finger, then they cath u up at the next traiffic lights, they try to scare you by commin so close to ur car, but then i get the camera out an hope they hit into the back of me

Answer 12

The only real worry from using buses comes from fellow passengers, not the drivers! True,some drivers can be a little heavy on the brake or accelerator but its very easy to knock someone else's driving skills.

They have my sympathy as its clearly a very, very difficult job. Driving in London traffic is a miserable experience at the best of times but having to do it for a living must be horrible. They lose wages if their bus is late OR early, and add to that the constant untold grief given to them by everyone in London, especially kids and teenagers. Its a wonder more drivers dont have nervous breakdowns! I know I wouldn't want to do it.

As for not letting people on without tickets, well thats part of the job and as for not letting people off before the stop...bear in mind that if they are seen or caught or reported by someone for allowing that, they risk losing their jobs. Its regarded as a serious breach of safety proceedure. So dont whine too much if a driver refuses to let you off in the middle of traffic before the stop.