(18 Oct 2020, 12:03 pm)streetdeckfan wrote There's also the people who already have a GNE ticket but not a Network One ticket because they don't usually travel on the Metro.
I've used the 27 end to end quite a few times because I'm too cheap to buy a Metro ticket! The only time I'll get the Metro is if someone else is paying.
I'd imagine it'd be a similar situation for the likes of the 1A.
A friend of mine is travelling as we speak to Whitley Bay from the Metrocentre, she chose to to get the bus to Newcastle then switch to a Metro because it's considerably faster, whereas I would have just got on the 1A and spent an extra hour travelling because I don't want to pay the extra for the Metro (ignore the fact I could just change buses at Newcastle and make up most of that time, that doesn't fit the narrative very well!)
No-one sane would travel on the 1A from end to end it takes way too long and you can just change in Newcastle as you said anyway. It's made even worse that it travels through some of the less pleasant places in North East so it can't be even made up by the scenary etc (X18).
(18 Oct 2020, 12:09 pm)Dan wrote Yes, I think the Citaros these Volvo B9s are replacing are a great example of this! Some of them arguably look just as bad now, three years after refurbishment, than they did ten years after being delivered.
Yeah definitely agreed tbh, it's the same with the flat cloth that Northern trains have used aswell which hasn't aged well at all and looks worse than the hap hazard brands of trains they've inherited over the years.
(18 Oct 2020, 12:09 pm)streetdeckfan wrote The issue isn't the fact that leather is used, it's the type of leather used (be it e-leather or actual dead cows)
The dark blue stuff they used previously looks just as good 5 years later as it did when it was new, but the red and blue leather hasn't aged very well.
I personally like a seat with a bit of slide to it, there's nothing worse than having to stand up a little to adjust yourself in a seat after sitting for a while, which is something I find myself doing quite a lot, especially with the ADL seats as the fabric is too grippy and the seats not very comfortable for longer journeys.
With the older leather seats, they are grippy enough to stop you sliding around, but still allow a bit of slip when you want it.
It's not just the look, they're genuinely the most uncomfortable seats on any bus I've used in quite some time.
I think even those horrific seats on those Solos we had on the 18 were nicer
I've only used the Mercedes buses once since their refurb so can't really remember how uncomfortable they are but they can't be worse than Urban 90's or the rear seats on the VDL Gemini 2's (think they're Esteban Ciclo) both of which literally has padding which is about 2cm thick. The Little Coaster Solo's Esteban Civic's (which are used on 4 of the seats of the VDL Gemini 2's aswell) seats are up there aswell but not as bad.