(01 Dec 2022, 11:27 am)Unber43 wrote I suggested this before, and as things get worse every day especially with the X21 I wonder whether this could be an idea.

So X21 to West Auckland (from Newcastle) if its anymore than 20 mins late, it will only stop at Newcastle & Gateshead till it gets back to 5/10 mins late /goes to Durham, then if its a at Durham at 30 mins late it will be stopping only from Bishop to West Auckland Retail park

X21 to Newcastle (if anymore than 20 mins late) it would stop between West Auckland & Durham (dropping off only, if its not 15 mins late or less) then running not in service to Newcastle/till its back on time.

This would be quite hard to work out for most services. But this would only really happen if you were like every 15 mins service was 10 mins late, or a 10 mins service was 8 mins late. However if its the final service/service is every hour this wouldn't work unless it was e.g 10B to Newcastle, where it could run in Service to say Blaydon then NIS/Dropping off only to Newcastle

(01 Dec 2022, 11:27 am)Unber43 wrote I suggested this before, and as things get worse every day especially with the X21 I wonder whether this could be an idea.

So X21 to West Auckland (from Newcastle) if its anymore than 20 mins late, it will only stop at Newcastle & Gateshead till it gets back to 5/10 mins late /goes to Durham, then if its a at Durham at 30 mins late it will be stopping only from Bishop to West Auckland Retail park

X21 to Newcastle (if anymore than 20 mins late) it would stop between West Auckland & Durham (dropping off only, if its not 15 mins late or less) then running not in service to Newcastle/till its back on time.

This would be quite hard to work out for most services. But this would only really happen if you were like every 15 mins service was 10 mins late, or a 10 mins service was 8 mins late. However if its the final service/service is every hour this wouldn't work unless it was e.g 10B to Newcastle, where it could run in Service to say Blaydon then NIS/Dropping off only to Newcastle

(01 Dec 2022, 11:34 am)Rob44 wrote Im not "aw fay" with the x21 route but are you saying that if its more than 20 minutes late into eldon square the driver would tell the paying customers who are waiting that he couldnt take them to low fell or any other stops before durham?  What about if he's 15 minutes late but knows due to it beings a matchday/blackeye Friday/ a march to save the badger through town that by the time he gets to the high level he WILL BE 20 minutes late? what happens if on time out of eldon square but 20 minutes late to Gateshead... does he kick passengers off who aren't going to durham?

(01 Dec 2022, 11:46 am)streetdeckfan wrote There are 2 options really in my eyes, agree ticket acceptance with Arriva to allow passengers to use the 6 if the X21 isn't running to West Auckland, or prioritise the section between Durham and West Auckland, and move passengers to the 21.

(01 Dec 2022, 1:06 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Or split it, like arriva did with the X12 when the bridge works were on. 

Making it very limited stop is all well and good but then it doesn't take people to where they want to be like college, work or home. And after witnessing the abuse the driver of our 21 got for picking up stranded passengers, on Tuesday, I wouldn't fancy being the driver telling someone who had been waiting in the cold for over 20 minutes that they couldn't get on.

(01 Dec 2022, 1:41 pm)streetdeckfan wrote It's still technically split at Durham isn't it?

(01 Dec 2022, 1:53 pm)F114TML wrote I thought it became one route when they took like 4 stops off the end of it in July or whatever it was.

(01 Dec 2022, 2:07 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Maybe they did, I thought they kept it split which is why it still says Durham then Newcastle on the blind

(02 Dec 2022, 12:55 am)Ambassador wrote At least our own Lee Calder had the time to post that bloody elf on a shelf nonsense on GNEs social accounts this morning…that’ll warm the cold souls waiting for their bus

No offence intended Lee, i and all sane people of the world detest that bloody elf nonsense

(02 Dec 2022, 4:52 am)Dan wrote You might be pointing fingers at the wrong person, Ambassador!

We’re forever being told on here about how piss poor operators are at engaging, especially on their social media channels, but it seems GNE are doing a bit more to combat that perception lately, now service delivery has (vastly) improved…


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(02 Dec 2022, 12:55 am)Ambassador wrote At least our own Lee Calder had the time to post that bloody elf on a shelf nonsense on GNEs social accounts this morning…that’ll warm the cold souls waiting for their bus

No offence intended Lee, i and all sane people of the world detest that bloody elf nonsense

(02 Dec 2022, 4:52 am)Dan wrote You might be pointing fingers at the wrong person, Ambassador!

We’re forever being told on here about how piss poor operators are at engaging, especially on their social media channels, but it seems GNE are doing a bit more to combat that perception lately, now service delivery has (vastly) improved…


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"We're here till 5 to answer any questions"..... Replies turned off...

(02 Dec 2022, 12:55 am)Ambassador wrote At least our own Lee Calder had the time to post that bloody elf on a shelf nonsense on GNEs social accounts this morning…that’ll warm the cold souls waiting for their bus

No offence intended Lee, i and all sane people of the world detest that bloody elf nonsense

Screenshot_20221202-150826_Chrome.jpg (Size 60.08 KB | Downloads 9)

(02 Dec 2022, 3:10 pm)DeltaMan wrote I couldn't have said it better myself

(02 Dec 2022, 4:28 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Since reliability on the X21 is, for lack of a better word, fucked, I'm now stranded in Newcastle for a few hours.

If I'm going to have to pay for an Arriva bus to get home, I might as well wait until it quietens up!

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(02 Dec 2022, 4:28 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Since reliability on the X21 is, for lack of a better word, fucked, I'm now stranded in Newcastle for a few hours.

If I'm going to have to pay for an Arriva bus to get home, I might as well wait until it quietens up!

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(02 Dec 2022, 4:54 pm)Rob44 wrote Get yourself in the 3 bulls for a pint of Carling!

(02 Dec 2022, 5:40 pm)Andreos1 wrote Passed one earlier with steam pouring out of the back wing mirror issues.

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Carling?!

(02 Dec 2022, 6:26 pm)who would streetdeckfan wrote Made it as far as Gateshead [emoji1787]

Now getting moved to a different bus!

Or not, the bus we were supposed to get put on was taken by another driver

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(02 Dec 2022, 7:24 pm)Rob44 wrote who do you want to play you in the movie when its made??

(02 Dec 2022, 12:57 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1598251352282386432?t=M2aaSt9tLRZQpYX6zwG3WA&s=19

Some funny replies and retweets.

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As one wit responded though...


There's a difference between whacking a novelty elf in a photo with some strategically placed merch and engaging.

(02 Dec 2022, 7:36 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Good question.
I'd probably go with James Spader, if he plays me in the style of Raymond Reddington.

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(03 Dec 2022, 5:16 am)Dan wrote These posts look to be serving their purpose to me - with mainly positive reactions, into their hundreds on Facebook (which, by bus company standards, is a decent level of engagement on social media).

Might be seen as pointless, and folk on this forum obviously don’t see the positives behind it and believe the company ought to be prioritising other things, but it’s helping move GNE as a brand in the right direction against the prior backdrop of negativity. Making GNE seem like more of a personable business is something they need to be focusing on, as it will also aid recruitment in GNE being seen as an employer of choice… All these little things help.


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(03 Dec 2022, 4:08 pm)Andreos1 wrote Choked on my bovril this morning reading that.
I hope they've not paid a consultant to come up with that idea! 

Some may argue it has more about him than some managers and decision makers. But a toy elf isn't going to aid recruitment.

Opening up replies, offering sincerity when disgruntled punters contact them, increasing cust svc opening hours etc will improve engagement and perceptions. 

As for recruitment: changing management styles, improving rotas, working out timetables, reducing the amount of driver monitoring will all help.
None of them involve an elf.