28 Nov 2017, 10:35 pm
#81
(28 Nov 2017, 6:57 pm)OrangeArrow49 I heard back from Stagecoach today. The 7 to Metrocentre did turn up 14 minutes late and got to Metrocentre 20 minutes late. I would've only been a little bit late for work, but it was a problem too regularly unfortunately. Traffic congestion and road works have caused significant delays on the route and throw bad weather into the mix, I would be late almost daily. The second problem was the cold weather and waiting a long time for the bus in ever decreasing temperatures.
Now the job is gone I don't have to wait in the cold for the number 7 bus anymore, which is a relief.
Too many things put buses off timetable, and I think in the future this will only get worse unfortunately, for all bus service from all of the operators. I think we have to not rely on the bus too much.
I'm currently doing a school run which involves 2 buses each way, both subject to their own delays. Rather than being late collecting my kid from school, I catch an earlier bus (I could catch the 14:18, then onto a 14:45 connection to arrive at school just before 15:25, when the bell goes, but instead, I catch the 13:48, then the 14:33 connection, giving myself lots of wiggle room on all but the very worst days - I caught the 14:21 connection when Lumiere was on, giving myself 25 minutes leeway). I know the 7 is only hourly, but the bus from my village is only twice an hour and I catch it at the end of an over 3 hour round trip, meaning that 15 minute or more delays are not unusual. I just have to kill time. Whatever the weather. Killing time at the metrocentre isn't so weather dependent.
(28 Nov 2017, 9:59 pm)Andreos1 Years ago, I relied on a bus on a half hourly frequency to get me to work in a shop.
It took roughly half an hour to do the journey, so I knew if I got the 10.20 bus, I could run the 5mins (used to compete, so was pretty nippy) and still have 5mins to spare before the shift started.
It didn't take much to make the bus late and quite often a doddery old person got in the way just as I got up to full speed.
It annoyed me at the time when the boss told me to get an earlier bus. Not because I was lazy and wanted the extra half hour in bed or in front of the telly, but because if I was late, it was never my fault.
It was the bus drivers fault, the car in fronts fault, the doddery old person who dawdled out in front of me or blocked the entrance to the shop...
If that bus turned up on time, if the car didn't drive so slow, if the doddery old person didn't dawdle, I would still be early.
I suppose the question is, how long do we give ourselves to ensure we aren't late? Get the earlier bus (and wait around as that's late too or has broken down)? The one before then?
Learning to drive and sacking off the bus still hasn't given me the answer - despite me having 20 odd years to come up with one.
It took 15 mins to get back from the office the other night. 2 hours to get there in the morning...
Husband gave up after 2 hours and worked from home after that idiot car thief snarled up the A19/A689, last week! Definitely no guarantees with the car, but he does work 8-4, rather than 9-5 because his journey there and back is 10 minutes quicker, as a result.
