Leapfrogging.

Leapfrogging: a game played by children and something bus drivers do.

The first half of the day was fairly straight forward, except it started at 6:21 when the alarm went of. I don't normally do earlies and 6:21 is close to the middle of the night as far as I'm concerned. Anyway off the work where I was on stand by for the first 50 minutes. Not a great deal you can do on stand by in 50 minutes especially as I have to be in Brixham for 08:56 to run the 09:01 number 12 to Newton Abbot. One thing I did notice about this trip was the number of passengers brandishing Around Torbay concessionary passes before 9:30. They can not be used before 9:30, a rule that came in last April but 7 such passes were thrust in my face before this magic hour arrived. "Too early." Twerlies they are called. Then lunch at 11:15. Bit of jet lag type reaction here, I'm usually having my lunch at about 3 pm so at 11 am I really didn't feel like eating so I just had a cup of coffee before going out for the second half.

Out from the rest room at 11:51 to walk round to Cary Parade in the centre of Torquay to take over a bus due at 11:59. Not quiet enough time with the harbour area full of tourist who are not in a hurry to get anywhere. The odd local in a desperate rush amid thousands of aimless strangers with no idea where they are going and no idea that I have a bus to catch while they suddenly stop and block the footpath and decide which way to go. Anyway I got to the stop just as a 12A arrived. 20 passengers got off but the driver didn't, not my bus, it must be late. Another bus came round the corner but that was a 12, I'm waiting for a 12A. That dropped 20 more aimless wanders on the the streets of downtown Torquay and vanished into Fleet Walk. Then an other 12, same procedure drop and go. 3 buses in two minutes. Then mine. I climb aboard and head for Newton, number 4 in a convoy of 4. The latest number 12 got turned by control but the remaining three of us are now going to play leapfrog all the way to Newton. First bus stops to pick up, the other two drive past. Then the bus at the front stops and I go sailing past. Then I stop to pick up and the two behind overtake me. We all arrive in Newton at the same time and all leave within a minute of each other and continue to play leapfrog all the way to Paignton. Stopping to pick up, get overtaken, set off, pass the bus in front when it stops to pick up, get through some lights and the bus behind doesn't. Will you be able to get some distance in front so they don't passes you again, it's much easier if you are on your own. No such luck today, every time I stopped the bus behind would pass. It is quiet hard work this kind of driving, especially when it goes on for so long. Then I got into Torquay and our little convoy was joined by a 12B that had come down from St Marychurch but is now heading for Paignton and Brixham. Four buses playing leapfrog, even harder work. We all pulled away from the Grand Hotel when one of the drivers got on the radio and reported that there had been an accident at the Grand and the road was partly blocked. At least I had missed that, just, by about 20 seconds. Into Paignton and the 12 and the 12B took the short route to Brixham and I and the other 12A continued to leapfrog round Roseland and South Devon College taking the long route to Brixham. When we got to Brixham the other 12A had got there first and was loading up and I just unloaded and went. All I had to do was drive to the depot, about an hour and 20 minutes and that was it, cash up and go home. But we still managed to end up leapfrogging all the way. And by now I was begining to notice that not eating lunch, even an early lunch is not a good idea.

Got the same duty again on Monday.