apologies for not being around as much as normal

[john_h]

hey folks, just wanted to say apologies for not being around as much as i used to be. my new work place has me driving at ungodly hours, so when i get home im too knackered to even open my laptop

had a fairly interesting week driving. (Trem/others from newcastle may know the locations)

last Saturday night i was on the 353's and two lads were on the bus, a passenger comes up and says she can smell burning. i then get a whiff...i stopped the bus and checked the seats, surely enough i find scold marks where they been using lighters to burn the seats so i says "Oi, if i catch you doing that again, ill be calling in the police, thats your fair warning" they apologized so i carried on (im a pretty laid back person). anyway i get to Dinnington and one presses the bell to get off. as i pull away and drive past him, i see him take a swig from a bottle of bud and then next thing, a window was put through on the bus, evidence of Budweiser bottle in wreckage. I detained his mate on the bus, called the blues in (who took an hour!). anyways long story short they got the lad by his mate grassing him in and the CCTV being used against them. his mate who i kept on the bus, was done for perverting the course of justice or something....good result...and they are only 15...who were pissed!!! waste of space and oxygen

i go back on the 353's on monday morning, get to forest hall junction, which is pretty busy and traffic light controlled. in the middle of the junction, the bus stalls and wont start again and when it did eventually, i selected the gear and stalled again. so that was pretty interesting to say the least. the fitters were telling me cheeky ways to get the thing moving again, but everytime i stopped it stalled etc... had to sail past loads of people wanting the bus as i couldnt stop without the engine cutting out.

during the week, i go to take over a bus on the service 4 (callerton to metro centre) anyways at cowgate morrisons (staff change over here) i was walking across the road to get the bus and i noticed the exhaust was hanging off! the driver didnt even know! i was there at the beginning of my shift for an hour and half for it to be fixed...pretty decent job by the fitter, who fixed it at the side of the road!

today on the 32/32a i was at pendower, and the engine temp light came on...i thought "bloody typical arriva crap" so i stopped, switched the engine off and back on thinking it was a sensor issue (the normal) the light stayed off (yes!), how wrong was i. on pulling away i hear a massive bang and the light came back on... well i stopped after the roundabout at two ball lonnen (near cowgate morrisons, again!) switched the engine off and got out to look...yeah there was steam and coolant everywhere. safe to say i blew the rad and coolant cap off! i found out about the cap as the supervisor turned up with a spare bus (for me to break) and asked "John, wheres the coolant cap?" , i replied "Not a clue mate, it was there this morning." to when i clicked and realised the bang was the cap blowing off!

moral of the story if you want anything breaking in good old fashion style...let me drive the arse off it for an hour or two! oh and arriva buses are crap

[bettyswollocks]

Half way through that story i was thinking "Do Peugeot make buses?"

[CAB]

Originally Posted by john_h

moral of the story if you want anything breaking in good old fashion style...let me drive the arse off it for an hour or two!

Might be best if you don't offer to help santa in a couple of weeks time

[john_h]

Haha yeah he's already put me on a backlog for drivers...rudolph refused to let me drive and mentioned something about the union going on strike

[bettyswollocks]

Originally Posted by john_h

Haha yeah he's already put me on a backlog for drivers...rudolph refused to let me drive and mentioned something about the union going on strike

Bloody public sector

[Malcolmd]

Nice to see you are keeping well clear of the Ashington area.

Malcolm.

[trem1]

Originally Posted by Malcolmd

Nice to see you are keeping well clear of the Ashington area
Malcolm.

sshhh heres there next week Malcolm, bet he gets stuck at Station Road/woodhorn Road traffic lights

[sebasteeno]

I spent eighteen months as a driver for Stagecoach in Hull before i left two years ago after telling them where to stick their job so can fully understand where your coming from John. Luckily i stayed quite troble free during my tenure but had lots of issues where chavs would lift the engine cover and turn the bus off in dodgy council estates. My biggest issue though was potheads (and im not anti pot) who would light up on a full bus with young children on which would make me lose it. Dragged a few off for doing this though the bus generally clapped me for doing it!

[john_h]

Originally Posted by Malcolmd

Nice to see you are keeping well clear of the Ashington area.
Malcolm.

haha i learned to drive the buses up there at the ashington depot...funnily enough though my dad drives the buses around that area and he has a tendency to pit manoeuvre 61 plate cars! especially when he is pulling out of bus stops and nobody gives way he says "i count how many rolls they do with one hit then note it down in my notebook"

Originally Posted by trem1

sshhh heres there next week Malcolm, bet he gets stuck at Station Road/woodhorn Road traffic lights

ignore them, just like they do on john reid road and on railway terrace near metro

Originally Posted by sebasteeno

I spent eighteen months as a driver for Stagecoach in Hull before i left two years ago after telling them where to stick their job so can fully understand where your coming from John. Luckily i stayed quite troble free during my tenure but had lots of issues where chavs would lift the engine cover and turn the bus off in dodgy council estates. My biggest issue though was potheads (and im not anti pot) who would light up on a full bus with young children on which would make me lose it. Dragged a few off for doing this though the bus generally clapped me for doing it!

not had that yet, the engine switch off thing...then again i dont think the uneducated deliquants have found the emergancy engine off on the 61 plate Optare Solos....took me 5 mins to find it first time....well hidden also the engine door is well hard to lift and even harder when they dont pull the small lever
you actually use the door? i tend to ask them to pick a window coz they're getting off.

i took the piss the other day out of a woman, she got on and said "megarider please" so i looked at my uniform and pointed at my "arriva" badge she goes "whats up?" i said "megarider is stagecoach franchise, arriva dont issue it" she looked well embarrassed, especially in front of a bus load lol

[trem1]

this'll be John in a few weeks

Is this Britain's best bus driver ? How to get up Saltburn Bank! - YouTube

yea i know we've seen it before but it's good