Friday 2 October 2009

What to do when some idiot parks his car in your bus stop.

From The Herald Express Friday 02 Oct 09

A Bus driver was left nursing a broken wrist and a head wound after confronting a man who had parked a car at his stop.
The 63-year-old driver was about to stop his bus outside the British Heart Foundation shop in Union Street, Torquay, when he saw a vehicle already parked there.
According to police, he got out of the bus and asked a man to move the vehicle.
A 'verbal altercation' took place and the man became aggressive.
A police spokesman said: "He allegedly pushed him causing him to fall over, banging his head, causing a visible injury."
An ambulance was called and the driver was treated at the scene.
A Stagecoach spokeswoman confirmed: "On Monday, September 28, one of our drivers asked a member of the public to move his vehicle which was parked at a bus stop.
"As a result he suffered a broken wrist.
"A man was subsequently arrested at the scene.
"We are cooperating with the police in their investigation.
"We would like to offer our full support to the driver during his recovery."
An unemployed 58-year-old Torquay man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and later bailed.


Seen in Fleet St.
The 12 can't get past the 32 because the bus stop is too close to a bench for the driver to straighten up and stop at the bus stop without blocking the road.


"Shift that bleeding bus..............Please"

When I had been driving a bus for about a week in London I had a go at a driver who had parked in a bus stop, very similar to the event in the Herald Express. An other bus driver who had seen the incident said, "Well done. That told him, he'll never park on a bus stop again" Slight pause, "But what about the other 23 million car drivers who will?"


After that I gave up having a go at anyone who parked on bus stops (except coach drivers of course). It's a waste of time and effort. I would get as near to the bus stop as I could and if this meant I was blocking the road for a couple of minutes it wasn't my fault or my problem and I didn't get home that evening and spend the night working out all the really nasty, cutting, sarcastic, abusive, witty things I could have said but didn't think of at the time. I also got home without wondering if I had gone over the top and said something that might get me into trouble at work the next day.



An other thing I remember from London was the instruction to only get out of the bus if it was on fire.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

and the bloke who was done for GBH had no insurance or MOT either

Ex DG said...

Nice view of the rear advert for a greener Torbay- as the bus sits there, stuck in traffic, pumping out diesel fumes!

David said...

I hadn't noticed that, mind you I did ask Nick Bye to move the offending bench a couple of weeks ago. Cllr Lewis, on Nick's behalf said NO. Not until we get Government funding to move it. So it looks like we are stuck with it.

Anonymous said...

To be fair, the Dart could have stopped a metre or so further forward and avoided one problem at least.

Lord Hutton said...

Plenty of things in Fleet St causing grief, not the least being the campaign of a small group to get rid of buses altogether, like they dont bring customers.

David said...

To Anon, Sometimes the waiting passengers, fed up with having to walk 5 metres to get on the bus stand in the way making the bus stop too soon and sometimes the driver thinks only a couple there, I'll stop short and be away in ten seconds before any other buses turn up. Fat chance.

David said...

Anyone who is insane enough to thinks we can stop buses using Fleet St should expect a call from some kind gentlemen in white carrying a straight jacket who have a nice padded cell spare.

Ex DG said...

Totally agree Dave with your last comments - course could always send them all down Lucius Street and Belgrave Road, then along the seafront to the Strand- now that would cause some fun!!!!

David said...

Fun yes. The hotel I drive for is in Belgrave Rd and I have to reverse into the hotel grounds and I am not the worlds fastest reverser. Last thing I want is a crowd of bus drivers watching and giving me the slow handclap.