I got a lot of questions this week so I have rolled some over to next week. This weeks answers are below.
Editorialgirl: Do you prefer pax to ring the bell or just stand in view when they want to get off? I’ve been told off for both in the past!
This is actually one of the easiest questions to answer. I prefer passengers to do both. That is ring the bell in plenty of time for your stop but still after the one before you want. Once the bell has been rung start to, carefully, make your way to the front of the bus and stand just behind the drivers cab door. The reason I want both is I have had the bell rung and no one wants to get off and I have also had passengers come to the front of the bus when they were just looking for where they were.
Caroline Charlton:
A few years ago I was on a No. 35 in Balsall Heath when a drunk was causing problems. He wouldn’t get off and the driver drove the bus off the route to Edward Road police station, where two policewomen came out and persuaded the drunk to leave. Is driving the bus to a police station still an option?
Not really. It has been done in the past and could be done again. Sometimes it is quicker to go to the police rather than have them come to you. The problem is that they won’t come out to a moving vehicle. So you have to stop and deal with whoever is causing the problem so it could be safer and quicker to go to them. We would have to radio control for permission to leave the route though.
Theaardwark: Does TWM know why the bus lane on the A38 toward Minworth has not been re-instated? I understand that it was suspended because the Council forgot to enact the by-laws required to give it effect. So why don’t they just enact the appropriate by-laws now? Not that I mind. As a car driver, I’m happy to have access to that lane.
Honestly I have no idea. I know that the signs were spray painted over quite a while ago and people I know say that the traffic flow has improved since then. Other than that I have no idea sorry
Pete Ashton: A couple of times, once in London and once in Birmingham, someone got on the bus without paying and the driver refused to move on until they paid or got off. Eventually the passengers ganged up on the miscreant and got them off the bus. Is this normal? Would you recommend it?
Oh yeah it sure is. The good thing about working for TWM is we just get paid by the hour. We don’t earn anything on the amount of passengers we carry. I have done what you described many times and it always works. I do however go one step further. I turn the engine off as well. It can create an argument but after a while the offender gives up and leaves. It’s very effective in rush hour when there are a lot of passengers on the bus. As all they want to do is go home they tend to gang up on the person that is holding the bus up and usually they end up paying.
Ok so that’s this lot answered. I have some left over so they will get answered next week. Please keep your questions coming though.
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