(23 Jan 2015, 6:41 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote They might change it. It's happened before - take the 'Pronto' X21 and 'Sapphire' X21 in Newcastle.
I've been in Eldon Square when some dopey OAPs went to get on an X1, a Red Arrows B9, assuming it was the Arriva one back to Middlesbrough. They hadn't even looked at the destination! - they'd just seen a bus with X1 number on and assumed it was the one to take them back home. I can only guess they got mixed up with the X1/X2 thing and guessed the X1 waiting was for Middlesbrough, you would think they'd read the blind and checked if it was the X2 or not. Just a few stops down was an Arriva Gemini!
Begs the question - do some people just look at the number (or if they even do that at all!) or even bother to check the desti?
No wonder some people get lost - poor example I know but if someone hasn't used the 71 since the Sunderland changes (not the current ones - when it used to serve Sunderland itself) a couple of years back and assumes it takes them to Sunderland (having not read the destination blind). They could end up in 'the zone'!
Some don't, the worst is turning points where the bus stops at the same stop heading in more than one direction, sometimes used to happen on service 16 at West Park Hospital people wanting to go to Darlington Town Centre would try and get on the Newton Aycliffe bound one. The worst I've experienced was Blackpool Transport's service 20 from Marton Mere Camp and Blackpool Centre when it to Blackpool Zoo people would not look and try and get on the one heading in the opposite direction.
In Newcastle you also have two service 1's (GNE & Stagecoach). I hate bus services which have the same number as other services in the same area.