We wanted to avoid Durham City centre, today, which meany heading North, for us, and we decided on the metrocentre. With X21's being as good as non-existent for us, on a Saturday, ffs, and the aforementioned issues with the 21, we ended up heading out to Consett and taking the very scenic route.
Needed to visit Newcastle before we came home, though, and we actually caught a rare X21 but, thanks to the previous one stopping short (and the aforementioned lottery with the 21s) it was packed and got even more packed at Chester, where the load usually lightens a bit.
Nobody who only catches the bus only occasionally is going to have got off that bus thinking "I should really leave the car at home more often".
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages