Incident On Paignton Bus Station

Yesterday afternoon I pulled into Paignton Bus Station with about 60 people on board. Most of them got off. There were about 20 people waiting to get on. The first was a little old lady followed by two Asian teenagers. Behind them were two while males, holiday makers in their thirtys.While I was checking the little old lady's ticket one off these bastards asked me in a loud voice if we allowed Muslims on the buses in Torquay.
I told him, "Yes we do; but not you." I told him to get off the bus. He seemed to think I was joking and was most upset when I said I wasn't joking and that I found his remark offensive. His companion then walked round the off side of the bus and squirted water at me through the open window. They then walked off the bus station.
I called the Station Contoller over and pointed them out and asked him to make sure they did not return and board a later bus.

This is Page One from al-Qaeda's manual on "How to Recruit Suicide Bombers" which states:-
"First get Stupid White People to Make Racist Comments to Non White English Teenagers. All will be hurt by them, most will ignore them but a few of them will turn up at our Training Camps. This is our biggest area for recruitment of future heroes."

Two Developments on Brixham Park and Ride.

There were two developments in the saga of Brixham's Park and Ride today. One major and one minor. The minor one was the fact that a bus got stuck in the field but a farmer was on hand with his tractor and dragged the bus out. I belive the Council are looking at this problem.
The second development is the fact that the Travellers were served will an Eviction Notice and have gone.
This is good news as it will leave more space for more cars to use the Park and Ride. Parkinfg is free and the ride is only £1.00 for adults, 50p for children and £3.00 for a family up to 5.



This is Brixham Park and Ride.

Question for the RMT Union.

Reader's letter, Herald Express

NOT READY TO RETIRE - AT 71

27 July 2005

I am tired of the continued prattle concerning the age of retirement - the horror that we might be asked to work a few months longer than the stipulated 65 years retirement age.
I commenced work on July 26, 1950, and have been continuously employed ever since. I have normally worked 12 hours a day for six of the seven days each week, for years on end, as a travel agent, bus company operator and now bus driver for Stagecoach.
Having survived a "tin hip" and cancer of the lymph glands, I handed my company over to my daughter to run.This caused me to have time on my hands, so I looked for something to do.At the age of 70, I approached Stagecoach in Exeter for employment as a "casual" bus driver.
I was appointed initially with the idea of driving for two or three days each week.There was and is, a shortage of drivers, so I found myself working 13-day fortnights, six days a week or sometimes 55 hours a week.
My only complaint is when the work is not available.This, at the age of 71, I am still undertaking.In my situation I just fill up the "blanks" when someone fails to report, or there are advanced warnings of staff shortages during any day.
What has this country developed? A generation of wimps?For me, retirement is the first step to a premature death and I am not ready to do that just yet.

ALAN W PARTRIDGE South Devon.

I seem to remember not so long ago two drivers at Torquay Depot wanting to drive on after 65 but were forced out by the Union. Can some one tell me why they had to leave and the above gentleman (good luck to him) can start work for the company at 70 years of age?

Bikers and The County Council

Devon County Council recently put this and several signs like up along the Newton Road. Probably because they are fed up with having to scrape bikers and their bikes up of the road.
Personally I feel they should have gone for a more aggressive notice such as:-
Bikers, take care. You know car drivers are homicidal maniacs who will kill you at the drop of a hat. Especially if you

1. Ride down the centre of the road at 70mph.
2. Overtake in the face of oncoming traffic round blind bends.
3. Overtake on the left using the cycle lane.
4. Over take cars that are turning right.
5. Have total disregarde for double white lines
   As the top right photo shows, not all bikers would need this warning and some just wouldn't heed it..

PS Torbay Council expect the Travellers on Brixham Park and Ride to be gone soon. They also say it is safe for motorists to use the Park and Ride.

See Duplicate bus for full story.

More Buses Than Ever

When I first started driving the number 12 we drove single deckers that carried 50 passengers and we ran every 12 minutes during the day. That reduced to every 10 minutes and then the single deckers went and we drove double deckers that carried 90 people. As from to day we now run every 7 1/2 minutes between Newton and Brixham. So in 7 years we have gone from a carrying capacity of 250 passengers per hour to 720 per hour in each direction
More people are using the bus, why not join them?