Why are bus drivers ignorant?

SickCert

After reading a thread on this i want to try and add an honest opinion.
I am a driver on the 45's, i get on with my passengers and most know me - including the 'oddballs' thats right all jobs have them. I know how to work my road and when im on a time deprived departure, i survive through experience and take my time and still finish on time.

(1) As many know we have plenty of spare drivers that are blatently abused in many a drivers mind and get really terrible shifts daily. They are told to keep their noses clean and behave and just do the job. Many are on time deprived services and want to get appointed (made perm) and want to make their time regardless. Want the bus to stop, load and get moving again with minimum fuss and i see them daily on my road. While im having a laugh with a couple of tipsy drunks from the grange going home, i get the stories about the other newer drivers. The stresses of keeping time is too much and at this time of year HARD!
But its all in the head and the company approach of this 'appointment' to permanent driver.

(2) When at a busy terminus some guys lose the plot over excess lay over at the stop for simple reasons, like gran looking for the pass or the change hunter. While maybe in the mind, hoardes storming the bus from the distance.

(3) The asshole, doesnt have to be a new spare driver, more like 20 yrs in the job and thinks unsackable, the company wont survive without him? Ring any bells?

Anyway not all drivers are a$$holes.
Im simply out to pay the mortgage and have a good life. If im on the road for 6/7/8hrs it simply has to be done and i do enjoy it. Im not perfect and have lost the head but through experience have learnt to hide and control it.
Maybe were just monkeys turning wheels but the skill goes beyond the driving part of the job.

Smile at the driver, some smile back!

Hotblack Desiato

Good points.

What's a time deprived service/driver?

A few years ago I used to use the 14/14A regularly. Most of the drivers were sound but there was one rather unpleasant old git :rolleyes: who was rarely inclined to go above 15mph. One morning I lost the head with him, the bus was rather late (hardly surprising in his case) when it arrived at my stop, and once on the move I swear several bicycles passed us out - between stops! When we finally got to Dawson St. it was chocka, to the extent the bus could literally not pull out from the stop. I was upstairs and I realised we weren't going anywhere for quite a while so I went downstairs and asked him if he wouldn't mind letting me out. Hardly unreasonable as the bus was still stuck at the kerb at the stop. He totally ignored me, I asked politely again. He just said (in the manner of a 1950's headmaster) "No. Go back to your seat." Well I did but not before I told him exactly what I thought of him in choice language, and eventually got off at the next stop. I'm not proud of that but (a) if he'd got a little nearer to 30mph when safe to do so I would have been easily in time for work (b) most drivers will open the doors for you if it's obvious the bus will be stuck for a good while. I always make a point of having a good look before stepping out, and thank the driver.

I used to dread this guy being on the bus as it markedly increased my chances of being late for work!

SickCert

What's a time deprived service/driver?

A 60 minute trip that they give you 55 mins to complete!
Most trips on the 45 and dont forget the weekend timetable goes back to 1995.
I wont speak for other routes BUT!
Your 14's are over timed and the drivers normally does a little shopping in Dundrum.

Hotblack Desiato

Well I dunno about that, this was five years ago so no fancy shopping centre out that way then but good lord this particular driver made the Greenland glacier look fast moving.

_Kaiser_

SickCert wrote:

After reading a thread on this i want to try and add an honest opinion.
I am a driver on the 45's, i get on with my passengers and most know me - including the 'oddballs' thats right all jobs have them. I know how to work my road and when im on a time deprived departure, i survive through experience and take my time and still finish on time.

(1) As many know we have plenty of spare drivers that are blatently abused in many a drivers mind and get really terrible shifts daily. They are told to keep their noses clean and behave and just do the job. Many are on time deprived services and want to get appointed (made perm) and want to make their time regardless. Want the bus to stop, load and get moving again with minimum fuss and i see them daily on my road. While im having a laugh with a couple of tipsy drunks from the grange going home, i get the stories about the other newer drivers. The stresses of keeping time is too much and at this time of year HARD!
But its all in the head and the company approach of this 'appointment' to permanent driver.

(2) When at a busy terminus some guys lose the plot over excess lay over at the stop for simple reasons, like gran looking for the pass or the change hunter. While maybe in the mind, hoardes storming the bus from the distance.

(3) The asshole, doesnt have to be a new spare driver, more like 20 yrs in the job and thinks unsackable, the company wont survive without him? Ring any bells?

Anyway not all drivers are a$$holes.
Im simply out to pay the mortgage and have a good life. If im on the road for 6/7/8hrs it simply has to be done and i do enjoy it. Im not perfect and have lost the head but through experience have learnt to hide and control it.
Maybe were just monkeys turning wheels but the skill goes beyond the driving part of the job.

Smile at the driver, some smile back!

Excellent post and all credit to you for being so straight and honest about it

Few things:

1. I thought spare drivers were a thing of the past, with the result being that if a driver calls in sick (or whatever), that service doesn't run? I've certaintly been given this excuse before anyway. Has this changed? Citywide?

2. Fair enough, and the passengers waiting behind the old dear aren't likely to be best pleased either.

3. Yep, agree with this one. Generally any problems I've noticed have been with drivers who are on a route years (how well do you know Clontarf? :rolleyes:) and know that they can get away with almost anything.

Im not perfect and have lost the head but through experience have learnt to hide and control it.

And this is exactly the point I've made in other threads on this subject. We ALL have bad days - I used to work in a Callcentre sure! - but that's no excuse for taking it out on customers....unfortunately, many of your colleagues do.

I may have talked to you myself when I was working over in Cherrywood earlier this year actually. I have to say though that I've found drivers on the Southside routes (particularly to the "better off" areas) are a lot nicer than the shower I'd normally have had to deal with from Clontarf and Phibsboro

Victor

Kaiser2000 wrote:

1. I thought spare drivers were a thing of the past, with the result being that if a driver calls in sick (or whatever), that service doesn't run? I've certaintly been given this excuse before anyway. Has this changed? Citywide?

I imagine spare drivers are essential. You know that staff miss X% of shifts (noting that bus drivers suffer more in their jobs than most), so you add about X% extra drivers. With 1,000 drivers working at peak time, ther ewill always be someone sick. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. Use the spare driver to run unscheduled overlay services.

Its actually one of the huge problems they have had in the Prison Service, where if someone was sick, someone else had to work overtime to cover until someone else was called in to cover the shift, again on overtime.

SickCert

1. I thought spare drivers were a thing of the past, with the result being that if a driver calls in sick (or whatever), that service doesn't run? I've certaintly been given this excuse before anyway. Has this changed? Citywide?

The place is full of spare drivers and there are even spare shifts just for them.
Waiting time for a perm route about 6 years now. Very frustrating i was 5yr 2mths.

2. Fair enough, and the passengers waiting behind the old dear aren't likely to be best pleased either.

And they can easily react as per your reaction, so look relaxed and they sometimes laugh or smile. Deep down its killing you!:rolleyes:

3. Yep, agree with this one. Generally any problems I've noticed have been with drivers who are on a route years (how well do you know Clontarf? ) and know that they can get away with almost anything.

For years this job has gone by who you know and who can get me off when im cornered. 'Hes my golfing buddy hes OK' things need to change.

I have to say though that I've found drivers on the Southside routes (particularly to the "better off" areas) are a lot nicer than the shower I'd normally have had to deal with from Clontarf and Phibsboro

Ive worked in all the 'Ballys' muns, ferma's, bracks and ogans.
I think its down to the person themselves, like your day or hate it - do it for 7/8hrs regardless. Why let someone burst your bubble i was told once.