(27 May 2016, 3:32 pm)BusLoverMum wrote It doesn't matter how big a litter bin is if some twit is going to leave their empty bottle on the seat, regardless.

And stuff projected onto the pavement is just something I'd feel like I was going to trip over. Stop the rattles, great, but dispense with silly gimmicks.

(28 May 2016, 7:57 pm)Andreos1 wrote Decent luggage racks (can't think of owt decent in recent years apart from the Solars) and rattle reduction technology would do me.

(29 May 2016, 10:34 am)Adrian wrote New buses don't have any luggage space at all. It's as simple as that. The one tiny place for them on a Streetlite has the fire extinguisher and Metro newspaper rack there, so I'd argue you couldn't put anything there for fear of obstructing the fire extinguisher. Geminis are no better mind, with a tiny bit of storage space at the front. It's as if we were spoilt with buses like Nationals and the Olympians... you could literally store suitcase upon suitcase in them.

It's an issue that hasn't gone away, so I'm not sure why manufacturers no longer include luggage space? Passengers get frustrated (and I saw quite a bit of this in Brighton), that other passengers have bags with them, and on the seat next to them. How can you channel behaviour if you're removing the solutions?

(29 May 2016, 10:34 am)Adrian wrote I don't think buses need to have bins. People just need to be civilised, and take their litter with them. It's rare that you're going somewhere that doesn't have a bin.

New buses don't have any luggage space at all. It's as simple as that. The one tiny place for them on a Streetlite has the fire extinguisher and Metro newspaper rack there, so I'd argue you couldn't put anything there for fear of obstructing the fire extinguisher. Geminis are no better mind, with a tiny bit of storage space at the front. It's as if we were spoilt with buses like Nationals and the Olympians... you could literally store suitcase upon suitcase in them.

It's an issue that hasn't gone away, so I'm not sure why manufacturers no longer include luggage space? Passengers get frustrated (and I saw quite a bit of this in Brighton), that other passengers have bags with them, and on the seat next to them. How can you channel behaviour if you're removing the solutions?

(29 May 2016, 10:55 am)Adrian wrote I mean more luggage space is going to equal to less seats, but if seats are being used as luggage space, then you've got that problem anyway.

The other alternative is to have what Lothian have on their deckers - https://www.flickr.com/photos/lothian_buses/8015251428/in/

(29 May 2016, 11:01 am)Tom wrote Wasn't that an Airlink originally though and thats why it has them?

(29 May 2016, 10:34 am)Adrian wrote I don't think buses need to have bins. People just need to be civilised, and take their litter with them. It's rare that you're going somewhere that doesn't have a bin.

New buses don't have any luggage space at all. It's as simple as that. The one tiny place for them on a Streetlite has the fire extinguisher and Metro newspaper rack there, so I'd argue you couldn't put anything there for fear of obstructing the fire extinguisher. Geminis are no better mind, with a tiny bit of storage space at the front. It's as if we were spoilt with buses like Nationals and the Olympians... you could literally store suitcase upon suitcase in them.

It's an issue that hasn't gone away, so I'm not sure why manufacturers no longer include luggage space? Passengers get frustrated (and I saw quite a bit of this in Brighton), that other passengers have bags with them, and on the seat next to them. How can you channel behaviour if you're removing the solutions?

(29 May 2016, 10:55 am)Adrian wrote I mean more luggage space is going to equal to less seats, but if seats are being used as luggage space, then you've got that problem anyway.

The other alternative is to have what Lothian have on their deckers - https://www.flickr.com/photos/lothian_buses/8015251428/in/

(29 May 2016, 9:06 pm)BusLoverMum wrote They would just fill up with kids like the ones above the front wheels on pulsars do!

(16 Jun 2016, 2:04 pm)Andreos1 wrote For 10 #NEBpoints, can anyone tell me the correct spelling that should be used on the NSA screen on the 4?
Is it:
a) North View Terrace - The Granaries?
or
b) North View Terrace - The Graneries?

The incorrect answer will be uploaded later on.

(16 Jun 2016, 7:08 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Is that the same Granaries that the Prince Bishops stops at? I heard mutterings from another passenger about the spelling of that, once.

(30 Aug 2017, 10:01 pm)Andreos1 wrote I had my first ride on a refurbished Merc today. Eager to give it a go, I snubbed a Solar (which would have got me to my destination quicker), in favour of the longer trip on the Merc.

I was impressed as I first boarded.
It had more about it than those Streetlites. The embossed logos looked classy.

However, my first impressions didn't last long.
I sat down and noticed that the logos were becoming frayed. Stitching was coming away too.
Finding a seat proved trickier than I thought. Not because of the number of passengers, but because of the sticky/greasy finger marks glinting in the early evening sun.
I have no idea what the cleaning arrangement is for these seats, but after the money spent on them, I would hope it was an efficient clean.
The sausage roll flavoured finger marks looked fresh and I didnt want them transferring to my clothes, so I chose the least affected seat.

After the bus pulled away, I also noticed the lack of padding on the seats. Im not sure if mine had been missed out at the factory or if it was intentionally thin.
The seats may look good (when clean and when the logos aren't frayed), but they're not comfy. 

I didn't have a usb charger with me to test out the plugs, so can't comment on the effectiveness of them.

The next stop/bus stopping set-up looked like an after thought too.
The positioning, font and different colour LED's just didn't do it for me I'm afraid. It was almost like the street sign clutter that we hear about every so often.

Having seen fares increase and justifications of the increases from GNE staff, pointing towards these refurbs, I would have hoped to have enjoyed a far better experience.