Odd little incidents

First was good, I pulled into the stop at the Grand Hotel heading for Newton. There was a 12A behind me heading for Teignmouth which didn't stop. There was no one at the stop. Then two ladies came running up just as the 12A pulled out into the flow of traffic. It had gone. But the ladies wanted to go to Teignmouth and would have a wait of 30 minutes so I called them over and told them to get on my bus and I would take them to the next stop. I intended to get on the radio and ask the 12A driver to wait but the driver of the 12A had beaten me to it and was on the radio telling me to do just what I was doing. The two passengers could not believe what was happening. "This would never happen back home in Yorkshire." they said.

Then later I went up to Teignmouth as a 12A. Once you go over Sheldon Bridge and turn in towards Teignmouth the road narrows and there are parked cars on the right, enough room for a car and a bus to pass but not two buses, maybe there is but as the bus coming towards me was a brand spanking new 2nd day on the road Enviro 400 with 213 miles on the clock I wasn't going to find out. So I slowed down and allowed the other bus to come through. There was also a road on the left with a car trying to turn right, the driver had enough room in front of me and enough time before the other bus arrived to go, so go he did, but cautiously. I then noticed two red cars, what is it about red cars, pull out from the line of traffic behind me, not the car behind me but 5 or 6 cars behind me, and accelerate like a photon leaving the Sun in a mad desperate attempt to get past the bus. Remember it is a non Olympic sport, get past the bus even if it kills you. Well this time it almost did. Hand on horn, half Teignmouth must have heard it. The cautious driver of the emerging car certainly did and put his foot hard on his brake. Red cars missed him by a couple of layers of paint. Would have brought Teignmouth to a dead stop other wise.

Third little incident happened on the way back from Teignmouth in Anseys Cove at the bus stop there. Someone on the bus had rung the bell and being a nice bus driver I had stopped to let them of. As they were getting off I noticed a person, a female, walking in the direction of the bus stop. She wasn't giving any indication that she wanted the bus, no little increase in speed, no bus pass in hand, no urgancy of any sort. I checked the mirror for passing traffic, bus drivers do that dispite report to the contrary. None there, close doors, right indicator on, last quick glance at aproching female. Still walking along with out a care in the world. Started moving, by now car in distance so accelorating fairly briskly. Female's expression changed for indifferance to disbelief to anoyance to hatered to 'if looks could kill' in about 1.769 seconds, plus waved fist. Now if she could do all that why couldn't she put her hand out in the first place. Then I would have know she wanted the bus and waited for her?

It's all part of driving a bus and helps to make it such an interesting job.