If you look carefully you might make out 3 cracks in the paint work next to the lights. Well OK, to call it a bus crash was a bit over the top. On the accident report form where it asked for Speed at Time of Accident I wrote half a mile an hour. Unfortunately what I hit was an other bus. Which came off slightly better than my bus did. Indeed the station controller told me that there had been no damage; but the light was poor on the bus station, when I got to Newton Abbot where the light was better I noticed the cracks. An other black mark on the record. I do have a defense but my lawyer says it will only hold water if I freeze the water first and that is cheating.
2 comments:
Interesting reading of your experiences.I applied to manchester but am awaiting medical results.what are they like to work for?What are the actual daily hours and shifts like,i.e a week in the life of a driver hours wise?
What do you get paid for e.g checking the bus .breaks etc.
I note that you were a teacher in salford,you know what the people are like here,would you drive in Manchester?Be grateful for your honest opinions and advice.
Hi Jeff
I can only answer the hours and shifts as they are in Torquay, each group in Stagecoach is different.
Here we have a 41 hour week, a working week is any 5 days out of 7 so get used to working Sat and Sunday on a fifty fifty basis. If you work more you get paid for the time you work, it will be the same in Manchester. Shifts come in 4 varieties, early, middle, splits and lates. If you are on earlies you will usually have two days break before doing a late, Then a two day break before going back on earlies. Earlies can start as early as 5 am which is a pain in that you tend to fall asleep about 9 pm. middles are few but start at about 10am and end about 7 pm, lates tend to start at about 3 pm and end after midnight. Splits are the worst as you start at 7 am and end at 7 pm but have a 4 hour break, unpaid in Torquay, in the middle of the day, fine if you live close to your depot but it can be a pain sitting around the rest room for 4 hours.
You will get paid for checking the bus but that only takes 10 mins, breaks in Manchester are I believe first 40mins unpaid but paid for anything over that.
I left Manchester, 20 years ago and have rarely been back. But I have driven a bus in London and did enjoy it. Like every where else there are bad bits and good bits. Take a trip on a bus in the area you will be working, start at 2:30 so you are on the bus for the school run. All drivers dislike school runs, generally you will do one a day. If you can stand that you can stand any thing else the job sends your way.
In the company literature it says you should like driving and get on well with people. You don’t need to get on well with people, you just need to tolerate them. Most are fine, get on, know where they are going and have fare or pass ready. Some just aren’t as good and it is these people that will get you down at first, as they mess about looking for change or ask daft questions you will start to think, “Why me” but it’s not just you, it’s shopkeepers, bar staff, people stood behind them in the queue, it’s not their fault, it’s just how they are and is why you are paid as much as you are.
Now and then, once or twice a year down here there will be the odd person who makes you glad you have a security screen.
I can not say that I love the job, but we are good friends, if you find you hate the job then once you have done your 6 months leave. Two rules to remember Be nice to the passengers when you can, they do pay your wages and two, never ever give a damn about any of the mad things car drivers do, always ignore any temptation to have a go at them, you will always loose.
Go for it and good luck
David
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