September 2004

Thursday, September 30, 2004
Holidays and after.
Back to Work.
Well I have been back at work for almost a week and as usual it feels like I have not been away. We are back on winter running times which are 10 mins shorter than summer. Add on the delays caused by some road works in Brixham and everyone has been running late all week
We have also got a few new routes, none of which I drive on so I will have to listen to other drivers to find out what they are like.
We have also got rid of student single and return fares and replaced then with UniRiders. Students can now buy a weekly ticket that they can use to travel in either Torquay or in Paignton and Brixham for £6.00. The problem for those students living in Brixham and Paignton is the South Devon College is in Torquay so they will need both tickets. £12.00 per week. The problem for the drivers is that it takes 15 key strokes to issue these two tickets. Don't get on a bus in Brixham at 08:00 on a Monday morning when 50 students are getting on the bus and buying their tickets for the week. Then the bus will get to Paignton and 40 more students will get on. Don't blame the driver if your bus is late, it's not our fault.
Posted at 23:43 by desfordaveRing the bell

Saturday, September 25, 2004
Start your engines.
"Start your engines gentlemen". Those words are heard a few minutes before the start of a Formula One Race and the last thing a racing car driver wants to hear before the end of his race is the sound of his engine dying away and stopping. From the comments I heard on a Radio Devon phone in program to day it is also the last thing many bus drivers want to hear.
The first caller was complaining that he lives near a bus terminus and he has to endure the sound of a bus engine running for upto 10 minutes while the bus driver waits time. He asked the program presenter if there was a law or a rule that we had to switch our engines off while we waited at bus stops. Another caller said there was a law that the engine had to be switched of. This is true but only if the driver leaves the bus. If he sits on the bus the Law does not require him to switch off the engine.
Our company rule is that if a driver expects to be stopped for over 2 minutes he should switch off. Some follow this rule, others don't. First, in no particular order, lets look at why we should switch off. Environment, Global Warming, Cost, Peoples' Health, Good Manners, Company Rule, and others I may think of as I type.
Emission gases damage local vegetation add to greenhouse gases and damage peoples health, not just people with illnesses that produce breathing difficulties but children, babies the elderly and even healthy people who are breathing this sh.. these gases and one day they may have breathing difficulties.Why increase the chances. Cost, well it's the company that pays for the fuel so why care about that. Wrong the passengers pay for the fuel just as they pay for almost everything. And half of what the passengers pay goes in my wages. Half of what I waste standing there for ten minutes or so is mine to waste. It comes off next years pay rise. Company Rule, well the inspectors can not be every where all the time. In Torbay alone there are nearly a thousand trips a day, most of those trips involving some waiting time. Good manners, well the drivers in those buses sitting at a terminus with the engine running probably don't know anyone in the house across the road. Reasons for not switching off? Well in winter when you switch off the engine you switch off the heater. I may think of other reasons while I type.
When I listen to the radio phone in type of program I notice that some people just ring in for something to do but some of the people have rung the wrong number. Because the radio presenter wants people to phone in he keeps repeating the phone number, it fills two hours in the afternoon schedule. In return for this, maybe he should have some one in the back room looking up the right number.



Monday, September 20, 2004
Still on Holiday
20 SEPT 04 Monday.
I WENT INTO WORK THE OTHER DAY EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAVE AN OTHER WEEK BEFORE I AM DUE BACK. NOT TO WORK BUT TO SEE THE WINTER ROTAS. THIS TIME LAST YEAR AS PART OF THE STRIKE SETTLEMENT THE 12 ROTA AND TORQUAY LOCAL ROTA HAD BEEN JOINED AT THE HIP AND I HAD 30% LOCAL WORK ON MY ROTA. I HATE LOCAL WORK. HALF HOUR TRIPS THAT SEEM (TO ME) TO GO ON FOR EVER. THE ROUND TRIP ON THE 12 TAKES
2 HOURS 50 MINS AND IS MORE MY CUP OF COFFEE. (I DON'T LIKE TEA). I SPENT THE WHOLE OF LAST WINTER ASKING CONTROLLER FROST TO CHANGE MY DUTIES WHEN EVER A LOCAL DUTY CAME UP AND I AM SURE HE WAS A LOT MORE FED UP OF THE AFFAIR THAN I WAS. HE MANAGED TO CHANGE MOST OF THE LOCALS AND OTHER CONTROLLERS ALSO HELPED REDUCE THE NUMBER OF LOCALS I DID. THANKS GENTLEMEN.
WELL THIS YEAR THERE ARE NO LOCALS ON MY ROTA, JUST TWELVES. WHICH IS A RELIEF TO ME AND TO THE CONTPOLLERS AND THR PASSENGERS ON TORQUAY LOCAL SERVICES.

Monday, September 06, 2004
Away on holiday
Well the summer season ends in 3 weeks but I will miss the end of it as I am on holiday and don't have to drive a number 12 until 26th September 04. Isn't that nice.
I may go on a bus while I am away and if I do I will file a full report.


Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Traffic Jam
click HERE TO SEE SOME PHOTOS I TOOK IN LYMINGTON ROAD. THE TRAFFIC JAM YOU CAN SEE WAS CAUSED BY A LORRY DRIVER UNLOADING IN FLEET WALK AND BLOCKING THE ROAD. FLEET WALK IS 3/4 MILE FROM LYMINGTON ROAD. WHEN THE NEW TESCO STORE OPENS IN FLEET WALK WILL SCENES LIKE THIS BECOME COMMON PLACE? LETS HOPE NOT.