(25 Jan 2023, 9:47 pm)ALavery wrote I wouldn’t be surprised, some of the streets they have to go down look like killers, I’m surprised more 60s don’t get into accidents.

Well, 5371 seemed to have a quite big collision a few months ago where all the panels from its doors down to its back wheel were replaced and now is off awaiting an engine replacement.
5373 had the whole back of it replaced after being off for months, then when it came back for a while it kept breaking down on the first return journey back or just a trip or two after its first trip of the day but it has been a lot more reliable and has had fewer break downs. 
5369 had panels after the back wheel on the door side all of which had been replaced as well as the panel just above the wheel on the other side. (Decals on the back are in terrible condition).
While this isn't related to accidents I was on 5374 and the driver got off at Seaham Costa and called the Depot complaining the bus was freezing and was shocked how no one had reported it, then he had to wait at Sunderland for like 20 mins for a Versa to come even though he had called at Seaham Costa.

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(25 Jan 2023, 10:06 pm)nova347 wrote But now the 65 is on the rota for the newer drivers, compared to the 60s which have more senior drivers. I've been on the 65 a lot and the route is tight in a lot of places, not to mention especially before the 65 went back to hourly the timing were always tight. 

One common incident I hear about with the 65s is at Durham where drivers miscalculate the road, whether that's knocking their mirror off or when pulling into the stand they crash into a bus already parked.
Below are just a few incidents that I photos of which my friend had sent me, with no doubt many more occurred. I will say the 65s do get a lot of bricks/rocks thrown through their windows, not as much so lately but in the past, it has happened really often.

The first one occurred at the turning in Murton onto Lukes Cresent, there are normally cars parked there but clearly, the driver misjudged the turn and turned too early and hit a car but judging by how far past the car the bus was, he could have taken that at some speed probably due to it being late, due to the nature of the turning being tight and with the car park just before the junction the turning would have been tight and the driver would have had to go on the curb to get round but clearly the driver didn't realise how close the car was and therefore the bus hit it and this has happened multiple times in this location.  But I know the second photo's driver has had small incidents a few times and as it pulled into Hetton Le Hole it was the island in the middle and just had that driver the other day on the 60. I'm not quite sure what happened on the third one but whatever happened it had all the panels highlighted in the photo below replaced* And the final photo of when the driver misjudged pulling into the stand, colliding the side into a parked Gateshead Centre Taxis Enviro 200MMC where the driver-side mirror of the Enviro smashed the glass of the Streetlite. 

*This photo is just an example of an East Durham Explorer fully decalled. 

My friend who works in Durham gets the 65 practically every day and she said she has been in multiple crashes, there was one at Hetton where there was a delivery truck parked and the 65 couldn't get past and it scrapped along the side of the island in the bus station and you can see where the rocks had been destroyed, PS this was a corporate streetlite. 

I've personally seen a 65 sat at a stand in Durham missing the door-side mirror with a senior Deptford driver waiting for mechanics to bring another mirror. Ive also seen an X20 at Durham go flying down North Street and knock its mirror off.

(25 Jan 2023, 10:16 pm)streetdeckfan wrote If the driver's at fault, then IMO it should be a zero tolerance policy. One at fault accident and you're out.

Ridiculous thing to suggest. People make mistakes and have accidents in the workplace all the time. It's more important learning from them than punishing people at every opportunity. We've already got an industry that is struggling to recruit, without adding an extra fear factor into it.

Plus if you're asking drivers to risk assess on a black or white basis, as they'd have to with your "policy", then drivers would correctly refuse to undertake any part of a route that has a higher than normal risk factor, e.g. with badly parked cars, busy streets (where pedestrians could step in front of them), or the slightest adverse conditions.

I think it’s important to remember that being a bus driver is not just about driving a bus, though that is a big part of it. You have to contend with the public too, the majority are okay but there is always someone who will be rude, aggressive or unpleasant. It’s usually for trivial things too.

Sadly I think certain members of the public have turned quite nasty since the Pandemic. There has been a lot of cancellations lately and it is not the drivers fault but people feel the need to take it out on the driver - at least they turned up to work that day. They might stop turning up if people continue to abuse them though.

Then you have to factor in other road users who are aggressive drivers, badly parked cars (particularly in housing estates). It’s not as easy as it looks.

I also feel people in general treat people who work in all kind of public facing roles quite badly at the minute, whether that be shops, cafes, the Metro. This is probably one of the reason why there is a workforce shortage across all sectors.

It’s also sad that bus companies spend money on providing nice vehicles for the public but the public damages them, ripped seats, broken USB’s, graffiti, smashed windows. A lot of these nice additions aren’t on buses in London and people who come up here like the fact we have these things on our buses.

Don’t get me wrong a lot of the public are perfectly fine but it is the minority who spoil it.

(27 Jan 2023, 10:39 am)Jonathan93102 wrote Sadly I think certain members of the public have turned quite nasty since the Pandemic. There has been a lot of cancellations lately and it is not the drivers fault but people feel the need to take it out on the driver - at least they turned up to work that day. They might stop turning up if people continue to abuse them though.

Who are they supposed to take it out on?

Customer services might as well not exist, they're conveniently closed at peak times when people might ACTUALLY need them!

Sure, they can tweet at them, but they generally respond a few hours or even a day later, which is useless. I've heard similar things about messaging them on Facebook as well.

(24 Jan 2023, 6:11 pm)nova347 wrote As a passenger, I would take the Citaros over any GNE single decker especially over an streetlite.

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When it comes to the Drifters:
5369 - Can’t Change Gears
5370 - Slow AF
5371 - N/A - Offroad getting new engine. 
5372 - Painfully Slow Up Hills + Warm
5373 - Brakes are dodgy
5374/75/76 - All pretty good

Was on the 20A and 8329 was NIS in front and it just kept stopping randomly, nothing to do with the driver i think, like it would just be going along like normal and then it would just slow down till it stopped, it happened like 3 times between the Barnes oneway and University Metro, the driver put the hazards on as it just kept randomly stopping in the middle of the road.

Was on 5374 today and the bus was so cold, it was mid day as well. Literally you could see your breath.

(27 Jan 2023, 10:39 am)Jonathan93102 wrote I think it’s important to remember that being a bus driver is not just about driving a bus, though that is a big part of it. You have to contend with the public too, the majority are okay but there is always someone who will be rude, aggressive or unpleasant. It’s usually for trivial things too.

Sadly I think certain members of the public have turned quite nasty since the Pandemic. There has been a lot of cancellations lately and it is not the drivers fault but people feel the need to take it out on the driver - at least they turned up to work that day. They might stop turning up if people continue to abuse them though.

Then you have to factor in other road users who are aggressive drivers, badly parked cars (particularly in housing estates). It’s not as easy as it looks.

I also feel people in general treat people who work in all kind of public facing roles quite badly at the minute, whether that be shops, cafes, the Metro. This is probably one of the reason why there is a workforce shortage across all sectors.

It’s also sad that bus companies spend money on providing nice vehicles for the public but the public damages them, ripped seats, broken USB’s, graffiti, smashed windows. A lot of these nice additions aren’t on buses in London and people who come up here like the fact we have these things on our buses.

Don’t get me wrong a lot of the public are perfectly fine but it is the minority who spoil it.

New London buses have to have USB's fitted to them and they've had NSA's for over a decade with iBus which is a much much better system than up here. Other than that what else do people really want, WiFi would be pointless as the journeys are short and mobile signal is everywhere and tables would be stupid.

I'd take a reliable and cheap bus service over some fancy gimmicks personally.

(09 Dec 2022, 9:29 pm)Unber43 wrote I know this has been brought up recently and I think it needs its own thread, so I went to Newcastle today and got 6334 or 6335 (can't remember), and an E400, and tbh the state of the buses were awful, tables sticky (it was like the second route the bus had been on for that day), penis drawn on "cream" leather, and 6334 or 6335 that a disgrace, the headrests they were black, i've dropped some screenshots about how they looked.

Aswell heating seems to be a massive issue on the entire fleet, I understand it takes time to warm up however on 7 of the buses I went on today I couldn't feel the heat on 6 of them.

Thats why you never put nice buses on school routes.

The penis is still there

It always happens on school routes

I was on an Omnidekka today and It was quite warm, which I was shocked about. 

I also saw a 20A just after Rainton Bridge, it was nearly there for around 3 hours roughly, It had gotton a tire replacement, I think it was the backone, so It couldn't be towed either. GNE got a proper company to replace the tire. 

As well there was a 78 I saw with the all the door side windows covered in plastic, a Corporate Solo followed it, It seemed to be either 5404/5407

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(27 Jan 2023, 9:02 pm)NEbushopper wrote It always happens on school routes

Its the exact same one on the E400 its been like over a month, nearly two months god knows how I long it was there before I noticed it

(27 Jan 2023, 8:52 pm)Unber43 wrote The penis is still there

I mean the civic v3s themselves can look very penisy in the right (or wrong) colour.

(27 Jan 2023, 9:52 pm)Unber43 wrote I was on an Omnidekka today and It was quite warm, which I was shocked about. 

I also saw a 20A just after Rainton Bridge, it was nearly there for around 3 hours roughly, It had gotton a tire replacement, I think it was the backone, so It couldn't be towed either. GNE got a proper company to replace the tire. 

As well there was a 78 I saw with the all the door side windows covered in plastic, a Corporate Solo followed it, It seemed to be either 5404/5407

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Its the exact same one on the E400 its been like over a month, nearly two months god knows how I long it was there before I noticed it

The streetlite was 5400,at saltmeadows this afterboon

I was on a Coaster Streetlite and my god it doesn't rattle it violently shakes when stationary. 

Even the cab door nearly bounced its way off the hinges

(31 Jan 2023, 9:14 pm)Unber43 wrote I was on a Coaster Streetlite and my god it doesn't rattle it violently shakes when stationary. 

Even the cab door nearly bounced its way off the hinges

You dont half like to over exaggerate

Rode on 6049 on a 20 from Durham to Sunderland last month that was pretty badly vandalised up top. Either scholars or regular riff raff. Interiors are suffering more because of social issues than anything, bus companies can't win.

(03 Feb 2023, 11:28 am)54APhotography wrote Rode on 6049 on a 20 from Durham to Sunderland last month that was pretty badly vandalised up top. Either scholars or regular riff raff. Interiors are suffering more because of social issues than anything, bus companies can't win.

Was on an E10 and a lot of the wireless charger flips were snapped.

(03 Feb 2023, 9:32 pm)Unber43 wrote Was on an E10 and a lot of the wireless charger flips were snapped.

Some Washington streetdecks have the same issue

(03 Feb 2023, 10:40 pm)EastCoastMXZ1751 wrote Some Washington streetdecks have the same issue

I cant remember a fleet number but one of the X1 Streetdecks has all the wireless charger flap things snapped all the way down barring one or two.

(04 Feb 2023, 9:38 am)nova347 wrote I cant remember a fleet number but one of the X1 Streetdecks has all the wireless charger flap things snapped all the way down barring one or two.

I've been on that one but also can't remember the number though ?

There is a few which are a few to a lot of snapped wireless charger flips

(04 Feb 2023, 9:38 am)nova347 wrote I cant remember a fleet number but one of the X1 Streetdecks has all the wireless charger flap things snapped all the way down barring one or two.

2 of the green ones, 6362/63 I think, are the same

There are so many buses with either dimmed displays or different displays are different colours, or rear displays aren't working

Please ban my account, I don't want to be a member of this shitty forum anymore. I'm not a bus enthusiast anymore. Goodbye.

Have I missed some drama?

People are free to come and go as they please, you don't need to ask for your account to be banned. Just don't bother signing in, no need to announce your departure either, this isn't a railway station.

I've left tonnes of forums / groups or just don't bother looking at them again, no point did I feel the need to say I'm out of here.

Surely Orange should of posted that on the NSA thread

(05 Feb 2023, 10:23 am)JP6004 wrote Surely Orange should of posted that on the NSA thread

I forgot 6336 existed until I saw it on the X21 the other day, its been on school routes for the majority of the past 2 weeks, god knows what states its in.

Also I think 6334 has had its headrests replaced

(05 Feb 2023, 12:50 am)OrangeArrow49 wrote Please ban my account, I don't want to be a member of this shitty forum anymore. I'm not a bus enthusiast anymore. Goodbye.

I hope that you're ok and goodbye.

Whats going on with 3943, it just keeps breaking down all the time. 

It broke down today on the 20, seems like on the 24th Jan it went to Washington, presumably cos it had an issue. 

It sounds like a train as well.

It's old?