(13 Jan 2020, 12:23 am)OrangeArrow49 wrote Very good reason is up to me, and I am lucky to have the choice of all three operators, although Stagecoach is the dominant operator. Admittedly, my reason is not very good to be fair, it comes from when I was a child, a long time ago now, when I was going with my dad for a day out in Tynemouth I think it was, true story: We boarded the required Arriva service at Haymarket Bus Station as I recall and it wouldn't start - fair enough, buses suffer breakdowns sometimes, but get this, after waiting a little while for a replacement bus, we boarded, only for that bus to fail to start too! As I recall, we did get there eventually, and the Arriva buses we used were old and cranky things, and ever since that day I said I would never use Arriva ever again! They have since been taken over by DB, and I have stuck to my word - first impressions are lasting impressions. Arriva lost my custom once and for all.
I kind of get it, I'm a bit the same really.
About 2 years ago I think it was, I decided to go for a walk. Unfortunately, the weather report was wrong and I got absolutely peed on. At Crimdon Dene I gave up and decided to get a bus back into Hartlepool. The first bus that turned up was Go-Ahead's X35 which decided to go straight past me at speed despite protruding my arm into the road long before it got to me! At this point, I thought bugger it! And carried on to Blackhall Colliery, had a few bottles of Brown Ale in the Hardwick before trying again. Not long after going out an Arriva 23 turned up. But I decided I wanted to get off at the marina bridge bus stop and the 23 still did the town centre loop in those days instead, so... I figured I'd wait for the X35 which apparently was only about 5 minutes behind. After tracking the X35 on Go-Ahead's app, I watched the little bus icon go past where I was, but there was no sight of the bus! After checking Twitter the bus was diverted due to a RTA near Blackhall Rocks. With a lack of any other realistic option, I had little choice but to wait and about 10 - 15 minutes later one of Arriva's buses arrived. I can't remember if it was a 24 or another 23 as I'd almost lost the will by this point, but needless to say I got on regardless. I thought it was a little bizarre that this "accident" causing Go-Ahead's buses getting through wasn't stopping Arriva's.
I will occasionally use Go-Ahead's buses if there isn't another reasonable option, but because of that day it leaves a bitter taste when I do.