Teignmouth, three times in one day.

A couple of photos taken in Teignmouth today. The bus was the one I used on my first trip up there. I have to admit it was easier driving this small bus along the not exactly wide road between Torquay and Teignmouth but it has a limited carrying capacity. Fortunately we are not fully into the summer season yet so I managed OK. The destination blind could be a bit more informative. A holiday maker in Teignmouth is unlikely to know where Roselands is but might like to know that the bus is going to Torquay. I know they could ask but some tourists are reluctant to ask bus drivers questions due to the reaction they get back home. Down here we do try to be helpful but I have been told by visitors from some places that asking a bus driver a question is about a safe as burning the garden rubbish using an ex army flame thrower. We are due to get some larger buses on loan, usual practice in the summer so these Mercs should not be making too many more trips up the coast.

One item I heard on the bus radio today was about carer passes. We used to allow travel around Torbay to a person travelling with a disabled traveller but this concession is not included in the Government funding so Torbay reluctantly withdrew this facility. Some, richer, local authorities do fund carer passes but only in their own area. So down here the carer has to pay. An other driver had a little difficulty getting this message across to the holder of a carers pass from an other town and the driver had to delay the bus while she used the radio to contact control and asked them to confirm the situation. When you get your first mobile phone most people read the instruction book carefully, when you move on to your tenth mobile phone the instruction book gets thrown in a draw with hardly a look. Concessionary Passes are new, it's your first one, at least glance in the direction of the rules. Also I have been surprised over the last few weeks how many visitors have got on the bus and said they have a pass but left it at home because they didn't know they could use it in Torbay. A costly mistake but one that leaves more money in the pot for those who do bring their passes with them. A resident of Teignmouth who couldn't care less about buses or bus passes. All he cares about is flying and will the visitors feed him?