School bus ride of death

[Gandahar]

This is outrageous

http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/x/story-259480...

"The paper witnessed 10 youngsters standing on the top of the 562 Arriva bus as it hurtled along the A21 on Monday afternoon."

Hurtled at 55mph. Presumably Richard Noble doesn't have to be employed for his services.



Irrate mum chimes in

'Sevenoaks mother-of-four, Helen Hall, of The Close, whose three daughters regularly use the service said: “This is dangerous – and something needs to be done. Hopefully now something will be before an accident happens and everyone asks why it was allowed to happen.”'

Now interestingly my own daughter travels on this bus so rather than being irate I decided to ask her about it.

Her " Yes the bus driver is always getting cross at us"
Me " Is there not enough room up there?"
Her " Yes, we just like to stand next to our friends and talk"

Right, so forget the seatbelts, unless you duct tape the little bugger-ettes in ,including Helen Halls 4 angels, you are never going to get them sitting down and therefore its unfair to blame the bus company.

In the old days they would have had a conductor who wore a Nazi uniform to sort them all out

[Huntsman]

If the silly bint Hall wants her children to sit down on the bus she needs to make it happen.

[Impasse]

Now, when you said the top of the bus I pictured some roof surfing going on. But the top deck?

Did I mention that I've got some cotton wool for sale?

[DonkeyApple]

How are they able to get on the roof?

Good skills not to fall off or get swiped off by a tree.

Refreshing to see kids are still able to have a laugh doing silly things.

[maxdb]

What a naff article - I was hoping some roof surfing to be happening

[Cliftonite]

What about parental responsibility, Helen Hall? Should you not be training your kids how to use a bus?

[xxChrisxx]

Gandahar said:

In the old days they would have had a conductor who wore a Nazi uniform to sort them all out

On the Buses was on over Christmas I noticed that they look uncannily like the SS. Surely they didn't look like that in real life.

[beko1987]

I used to get an arriva bus to college. Many a morning I'd be sat on the dashboard chatting to the driver or someone else, as there was nowhere else to sit or stand.

Looking back now it was a bit silly, as he used to hurtle down the Henley-Marlow road at 60 without slowing for the corners, but I never fell off...

[Missingbadly]

Our regular shook bus driver used to turn round for a chat while he's was driving and having a fag.
Great bloke.
Had any eye for the pretty girls too. When I say eye I mean just that because the other one was glass and the lid never shut.
What's wrong with people why does everything have to be so sterile?

[Jagmanv12]

Ok so the driver gets those standing to get off the bus and leave them at the bus stop. I bet the mothers will complain about that as well.

[The Turbonator]

Jagmanv12 said:

Ok so the driver gets those standing to get off the bus and leave them at the bus stop. I bet the mothers will complain about that as well.

As a bus driver, you have no idea just how right you are.

Standing on the upper saloon is strictly forbidden but school kids are a nightmare. You tell them where to sit and you just get abuse, you kick them off, you risk losing your job, you stand the bus, as it's unsafe to travel and 80 odd kids don't get home. If you tell the company about the issues, they just tell you fill in an incident report and if enough reports get filled in, they'll try and get police presence on the route.

I've had kids press the emergency door open button and jump out when the bus is moving, I've found flip knives after doing school runs, I've had them throwing seats out windows, and probably a load of other crap I can't remember.

[Cliftonite]

Missingbadly said:

Our regular shook bus driver used to turn round for a chat while he's was driving and having a fag.
Great bloke.
Had any eye for the pretty girls too. When I say eye I mean just that because the other one was glass and the lid never shut.
What's wrong with people why does everything have to be so sterile?

Talking and smoking and only one eye!

Very safe!

(Speaking and smoking at the wheel are both illegal today (even if not the case then), and you cannot now get a PCV licence with only one functioning eye)!

[thelawnet]

In Indonesia they do it properly.

[Matt UK]

I live in the area. I can see how this would cause quite a kerfuffle in Sevenoaks!

[405dogvan]

xxChrisxx said:

Gandahar said:

In the old days they would have had a conductor who wore a Nazi uniform to sort them all out

On the Buses was on over Christmas I noticed that they look uncannily like the SS. Surely they didn't look like that in real life.

German Border Guards wore leather greatcoats right into the late 80s at least - a friend's wife is an air hostess and her uniform is Nazi lightened by about 2 shades at best...

[ChocolateFrog]

Impasse said:

Now, when you said the top of the bus I pictured some roof surfing going on. But the top deck?

Did I mention that I've got some cotton wool for sale?

Me too. That would be a story.

[klunkT5]

I used to do school runs with Deckers, Fruit and drink fights, Urinating on top deck, Coin thrown and smashed front upper deck screen, Seat bases thrown out of top deck emergency exit, Bell constantly ringing....To name but a few.

[R1 Indy]

When I was in school, which wasn't that many years ago (10)

If you misbehaved you would be kicked off and have to walk home.

Amazing how well that worked.

[w00tman]

ChocolateFrog said:

Me too. That would be a story.

Same - at first I was mildly bemused, but just standing on the top deck? big deal.

It's not like people don't stand up on public transport all day long, every day, across the rest of the country. A train is doing far more than 55mph, too.

[dacouch]

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/B8n5YJ1CUAAD8uH....