Pulled by Police

[john_h]

just thought id share the laughter with everyone.

anyways, i was on the service 32 and 32a...nexus contract bus. again people in the tyne and wear area will know the places and what they are like. but heres the google map link so you can see:

cowgate morrisons - Google Maps

so as i say i was on the 32 on the way back to the city centre on a friday night...my last run before returning to depot and bed. so i get to cowgate morrisons (bus stop shown in link) and theres an older fella...boards the bus shows his pass, no problems. as he heading to his seat i shut the doors and start the indicator to signal i was going to move off. this took approx 20-30 secs for him to sit down so i can move (dont want him falling - law suit)

so i check the mirrors, and keep checking and pull away...on pulling away a police car comes tear arsing around the roundabout just before the bus stop and tries to floor it past me, where i was already moving off and couldnt do anything. so he slams his brakes on and stops before he goes head on into a traffic light

so he follows me down two ball lonnen, obviously checking my speed and other details but being a local bobby he has limited knowledge on buses and other large vehicles. so i get to pease ave/pendower way :

pendower way newcastle - Google Maps

and i notice blue lights flashing behind me, so i pulls over...put the bus in neutral and opens the door...ready for the copper

so he gets on and i say "evening, offi-cer, what can i do for you" this is where i notice he has all his jackets un-zipped....looked intimidating...and right in front of all my passengers he shouts "I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE MANNER OF YOUR DRIVING BACK THERE" i reply "why? whats up?" (knowing fine well) and he goes "DRIVING LIKE A F***ING TW@T, PULLING AWAY WHEN I WAS RIGHT ONTOP OF YOU, NEARLY SENDING ME INTO THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS"

now im a sorta person who is generally all smiley and pleasant but when someone takes the piss and starts giving me attitude i give it right back...no matter who they are...hence being charged when i was in the RAF on a few occasions for telling my CO to do one.

so i responded along the lines of informing him that i signalled in good time, checked my mirrors and moved off when it was clear...its not my problem if he was speeding, breaking the highway code in regards to giving way to buses and speeding!!!! when he didnt even have his blues on when he did this.

he comes back with i know the highway code im a police officer and i wouldnt pull you if i was wrong.

so i replied back thats he is a local copper and not motorway police, so he clearly doesnt know the highway code properly as he did that then it gets really interesting...my passengers got involved...

they told him that he was in the wrong, that they would stand witness against him if he made a complaint to which i informed him the cameras on the bus would also be used if a complaint is made and his face drops. he walks back to his car with tail between legs and i carry on...

i obviously apologised to the customers, got their details just in case...highly embarrassing for both me and the company...not to mention the copper.

ive heard nothing yet from head office (touch wood) so all good.

he never took my details in the end and i didnt get his, so its all forgotten so to speak.

i bet there will be a few comments in regards to buses pulling out on people regardless etc, yes that does happen, but im quite considerate in my opinion...until i drive through gosforth high street (need to drive mental to get through on time)

[Karl68s]

There is more buses in Glasgow these days then cars so they all just pull out on each other all the time.
I think I'm quite considerate to bus drives as I know plenty

Police are always arses when they are in the wrong but get pissed cus you've made them look a twat.

[jmkent]

If I do say so myself, I am pretty good to bus drivers, normally letting them pull out - they've got a job to do, and I know how it feels to get places on time

Story just goes to show there are some real asshole fuzz out there!

Now I'll retreat to the corner before I'm next on the list

[john_h]

yeah karl, i know what you mean. being a driver i can see easily what a bus driver is wanting to do and give them the room to move...obviously there is times and scenerios where this is just not safe to do.

the biggest gripe to us, is when you have to sit there for ageis as your signalling but no one is giving way as they should...so i normally count 5 cars and then pull out regardless (typical gosforth high street method)...i always show courtesy to the fella who let me out by flashing my hazards a few times. (obv cant see my hand lol)

we want the scottish method of buses here...where as the driver is isolated and the money all drops into a safe and has to be exact money only etc.

[collyflowercheese]

that brought back memories, i used to do that run 23 years ago when i worked for newcastle busways, it was a killer. lol

[john_h]

aii city centre to west end to cowgate to kenton/blakelaw to gosforth to hospital to Four lane ends metro to DSS and back again hour to get halfway...pain in the arse when you cant be bothered

i prefer the circles, you might remember them as 350 and 351's...its the 353 now.

[Karl68s]

Originally Posted by john_h

the biggest gripe to us, is when you have to sit there for ageis as your signalling but no one is giving way as they should...so i normally count 5 cars and then pull out regardless (typical gosforth high street method)...i always show courtesy to the fella who let me out by flashing my hazards a few times. (obv cant see my hand lol)

I guess we all know roads like that. On my daily commute I travel along the A82 which is a 40MPH dual, but I would say 95% of the cars travel at 60+ along it nose to tail like a motorway. Nobody gives way to the poor bus driver sitting in the bus stop trying to pull out, so they just have to go for it n hope the cars move over or slow down.

Originally Posted by john_h

we want the scottish method of buses here...where as the driver is isolated and the money all drops into a safe and has to be exact money only etc.

I hadn't been on a bus for several years till I moved up here, but it's easier if you go on the piss in town. I thought they all had the safe things on them now, though they probably need them here.
They are a good idea, no point in trying to mug a driver if he can't even access the cash.

[sterion75]

Interesting reading which i can easily identify with. Just retired 2 years ago from 42 on the road hgv ing. The daily runs through some of the worst traffic, The hold ups, aggravation from everyone blaming the driver and most days never going to plan. The ministry, the police,.. Id do it all again....but not in this life. just got my licence renewal through but its gonna lapse, its served its purpose. Now theres only one 3 oclock in a day!! Now I can spend my days growing old and hoping I get to finish all the jobs on the 407. OK you can wake up now.

[Mellkat86]

I never understand why people don't just let a bus out. I mean, if they picking up passengers, fine, pass them. But if they're signalling and trying to move out, let them out. The point of being a good driver is to keep the flow of traffic moving, so letting the bus driver out to get on with his commute is not a big deal. A min to let them out?

But! Coppers are really pissing me off lately! I was in a queue of traffic at some traffic lights and they were just changing, and this little f-ing police stupid car, lights on, squeels down the road on the other side of the road, gets passed everyone and returns to the left to carry on down the road as though nothing happened. Do not like this.... :0(

Got no respect for coppers these days, but bus drivers deserve it cause some people on the buses are just plain old weird! And dealing with the school kids... They just evil.

[nige65]

I remember about 30 years ago a bus pullng out on a rover driver the driver of the rover stopped the bus walked upto the windowscreen of the bus and punched the screen out hitting the driver he must have been upset