Forgot my adventure from yesterday! #whoops
#21 - My House to Durham Bus Station (10:05 --- 10:22) - GNE 6058 - Volvo B5HL/Wright Gemini 2
Got a Get Around day ticket for £3.75 - and a very friendly driver. Sat upstairs at the top, and enjoyed the run into Durham. I always love that stretch of the 21 route - Chester to Durham...no idea why. I think I can relate it back to when I was younger, I've mentioned before I used to do regular trips into Chester with him when little - I fondly remember getting on an Arriva bus - a Delta, fondly remember getting on it - at the Black Horse and getting off in Durham Bus Station. Back on topic, 6058 sounded nice and elegent.
#15A - Durham Bus Station to Consett Bus Station - (10:30 --- 11:09) - GNE 6014 - Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President
I was hoping for an Olympian, but I love the Volvo Presidents so was still pleased. Wouldn't have minded a Lolyne either, but I was happy with the President shall I say. I always love the stairs heading towards the back, then the seemingly long walk to the front seats upstairs lol. I was having a field day as there was only one more person upstairs, a drunken chav at the back. Put my headphones in and enjoyed the scenic journey.
#45 - Consett Bus Station to Newcastle, Eldon Square - (11:33 --- 12:39) - GNE 3822 - Volvo Olympian/Palatine 2
Wooooo!!!! FUCK YEAH!! Oh. My. God. I've finally got an Olympian!! After weeks of searching - the hunter has found his prey....I walked upstairs to sit at that spot with loads of legroom. There was a couple of families towards the back, and an Asian couple joined me at the front. As I enjoyed the journey listening to David Soul through my headphones, I watched them and smiled as they photographed the fields and sights through the front window. I did opt to only go as far as the MetroCentre, but I was enjoying myself too much to resist going all the way to Newcastle. Might even scrap my Explorer planned for next week to do another Olympian hunt.
#10B - Newcastle, Eldon Square to MetroCentre Interchange - (12:46 --- 13:11) - GNE 6084 - Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini 2
I was thrilled when I walked out of the Haymarket to see this on Percy Street. It looked resplendant in it's new coat, and I caught it on the 10B. Upstairs was quiet throughout, and I noticed it's front screen displaying next stop info had 'FAB FIFTY SIX' on with the branding, etc. Took a photo or two for evidence, haha. Nonetheless, the journey was very nice, and I was enjoying it that much I forgot where I was getting off and got a shock when I snapped out of it and hopped off at the MetroCentre. Blame Matthew Wilder and 'Break my Stride'...
#31 - MetroCentre Interchange to Newcastle, Eldon Square - (13:29 --- 13:45) - GNE 5140 - Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown
It was taking ages for a bus to Newcastle to show up, and about twenty five people were waiting when 5235 showed up on the 45. It was already packed so I went for 5149 on the 31. Unfortunatley I wasn't discreet enough and about ten people followed me. We left absolutely packed - the journey made more uncomfortable by about ten Year 7 boys sitting at the back with their caps on backwards making a huge noise. Did my head in. Pleased to get off, little bastards...
#21 - Newcastle, Eldon Square to My House - (13:45 --- 14:35) - GNE 6056 - Volvo B5HL/Wright Gemini 2
Ah, an Olympian and a newly repainted bus in one day - time to end it with a lovely long, quiet ride on the 21. We leave Newcastle with only 3 upstairs and about 10 downstairs. We get to Gateshead - 3 people get on. They make the journey unbearable. Uncivilised scruffs. I actually got an inkling, one was an enthusiast - and the other two were his carers...
I got the impression he may have had autism, and I know I've always stood by my rule of autistic people being treated the same - but now I feel different. I know that is wrong, but this...'man-child'...has changed my mind!!
They get on, and runs upstairs, a great big fat twenty odd year old, and starts looking for plug sockets on 6056. He shouts downstairs: 'MAFFEW - THEY DONT HAVE ANY PLUG SOCKETS'...the guy I can only assume is called 'Matthew', gets irritated as they go towards the back, accompanied by a young woman who looked like a scruff. Matthew gets irritated when he finds there are none upstairs, and threatens to get off. He punches the head rests in frustration, and the driver stops short of leaving thinking they were getting off. The woman convinces him to stay, and Matthew notes the fleet number as 'sixty fifty six' - this alone made me think they were enthusiasts. They start shouting about how there are no plug sockets and how they are advertised, and I can hear them through my bloody headphones. I try to relax, but that fat gorilla keeps complaining about how there are no plug sockets.
At Low Fell, the person occupying the front seats get off, and the ape runs down, spilling coke and crisps everywhere...to get them. Matthew and the woman follow him while he sits like a retarded dog...I honestly feel like chucking my lifeless body down the stairs while an Arriva X2 passes. He yells (to his friends who are less than a metre to the side of them) - 'MAFFEW - THERES A SOLAR ON THE X2, LOOK, LOOK!!!'. Matthew: 'Nah mate it's a Pulsar'. Chimp: 'Hew woz a Pulsar Maffew?'. They spend about 5 minutes explaining to him what a Pulsar is....groan...
They get to the Police Station at Chester and the autistic guy starts going on about how he doesn't like the 21 going past here because he's scared of it. Baby. ThetPulsar overtakes us, and he shouts 'MAFFEW - THERES THAT SOLAR AGAIN'...OH MY FUCKING GOD - HE HAS JUST EXPLAINED THAT IT IS A PPPPPULLLLLLSAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!
I can't take it any more as we leave Chester - thankfully my stop is only 3-4 minutes towards Durham. Phew! But nonetheless, he sees the Pulsar again...'MAFFEW - LOOK THERES THE SOLAR AGAIN WHATS THE NUMBER'. Matthew: 1452. Ape: 'MAFFEW YOUR WRONG THATS A VOLVO RENOWN'. Matthew: 'Nah mate, it's a Pulsar'. Ape: 'IT USED TO BE ON THE LIME I THINK YOUR LYING'...I just lost it and bailed...
Made the journey thoroughly disgusting - if I ever see them again I'll shove that bottle of coke down his goddamn asophagus!!!
A bad end to and otherwise brilliant day...5/10.
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