buses

Sam Vimes

i was on the navan road waiting for a bus last week, heading towards blanchardstown. i can get pretty much any bus on that road. i waited about half an hour in the end despite the fact that the 39's supposed to be every ten minutes or so.

but that wasn't the annoying thing. during my wait i saw 5 out of service buses. 4 heading out of town and one heading back in. and i ask:

why the hell can't these drivers just pick people up on the way to their destinations?

instead of sending 4 buses out of town and one back in, could they not send 3 buses out for whatever purpose they were needed and use the one that was already there?

overall, what is the purpose of an out of service bus? my theory is that bus drivers don't like their job and like to piss people off.

maybe there was a crisis at the bus terminus place

dar83

Commander Vimes wrote:

overall, what is the purpose of an out of service bus? my theory is that bus drivers don't like their job and like to piss people off.

Are they meant to magically warp from the last stop/terminus of their route back to the garage so as not to inconvenience people who dont understand what an "out of service" bus is doing driving back to it?

pred racer

dar83 wrote:

Are they meant to magically warp from the last stop/terminus of their route back to the garage so as not to inconvenience people who dont understand what an "out of service" bus is doing driving back to it?

Surely it cant be that difficult to organise it that the end of the route is at the terminus. I stopped getting busses years ago, for this and many other reasons.*



*Which Im sure no-one cares about so I wont expand:D

What a silly reason

I get buses because they're useful and I don't drive, and I don't give a damn what they do after I get off them

luckat

I waited three-quarters of an hour for an 83 the other day - they're supposed to run every 10 minutes! When I finally phoned the garage it seemed that "one" of the drivers had mixed up his times. I was half an hour late for work!

What makes me laugh (or cry) is the fact that traffic is always blamed when the buses are late.

Surely anyone planning a bus services in Dublin should know that traffic will be heavy at particular times. You don't need to be Einstein to work out when you're going to have to lay on extra buses.

And it doesn't seem to occur to the people running the "service" that not everyone goes to work at the same time. Ah sure, they say, what matter if the bus is a bit late around three (four, five, etc) - don't they realise that some people's shifts start at a different time?

The bus planners hate the Luas for taking up road space, but the commuters *love* the Luas. And they love it for two reasons: 1) the trams are clean, sweet-smelling, well-kept; 2) they're on time.

Why can't the bus company, drivers, route planners, supervisors, inspectors, etc, take the obvious inference from this?

_blank_

I think this thread should be a sticky, and after a month or so printed off and posted to the bus company.

They are a sham of a company. The 27 (Flyer :rolleyes: ) is supposed to run every 7 minutes up to seven in the evening. I waited at a stop that two other routes pass going to town - the 42 and 43 - at about six one evening. The traffic going towards town is always very light at this time of the evening on that particular route. Six out of service buses passed in a forty minute period, and not one bus picking up passengers. When a bus eventually did arrive, a 42, there were two 27s behind it, all together on the road.

Should this be in After Hours or Dublin City?

Karoma

overall, what is the purpose of an out of service bus?

*boggle*
Maybe; just maybe! there's an issue with the bus that has put it out of use by the public?

5 buses out of service? *shrug* Considering the sort of shit that the public does on buses (not to mention technical faults with an aging fleet, and bus drivers work hours,etc.) - that's a relatively small number TBH.

Ruu_Old

The bus drivers put the out of service sign and then go around laughing at people, they often slow down just enough so people see its coming around and then drive off. Damn then all to hell!

Karoma

Aye. It's a conspiracy. Dublin Bus is out to get you. Each and every last one of you.


I want the right to determine whether or not I want to sit in vomit. There's no law against that!.. oh, wait...there is...something about health and/or safety.

wah wah

Saruman

what the hell? How in Gods name is a bus driver who has finished his shift supposed to know you wanted to go to Blanchardstown? He is going to the bus terminal... maybe broadstone/phibsborough. Anyway how does he know where you want to go? You might want to go to city centre and he is not going there.. hell he may be heading to another route and will change route number!! Jaysus.. some people...

luckat

Oh, and what's the purpose of out-of-service buses? I can tell you - as can any driver.

When traffic gets heavy in town, as it does *every day at rush hour, idiots*, the controllers say "Oh! Heavens! What a surprise! There's heavy traffic! People need buses to get them home! What on earth should we do?" (long pause) "Oh! I have an idea! Why don't we take buses that are supposed to be running into town and rush them in to pick up all those passengers who are queuing to get home from town?"

It doesn't seem to occur to them that they could *plan* the service so extra buses would be kept to be rushed in for this very purpose every day, because the same rush hour happens every day.

Karoma

Saruman wrote:

what the hell? How in Gods name is a bus driver who has finished his shift supposed to know you wanted to go to Blanchardstown? He is going to the bus terminal... maybe broadstone/phibsborough. Anyway how does he know where you want to go? You might want to go to city centre and he is not going there.. hell he may be heading to another route and will change route number!! Jaysus.. some people...

Oh goodness, you're one of them sane, thinking, type people. Bah! This is the naughties maaan - the bus goes where I want and when I want! Anything less in impractical!

Wishbone Ash

Commander Vimes wrote:

i saw 5 out of service buses. 4 heading out of town and one heading back in. and i ask:

why the hell can't these drivers just pick people up on the way to their destinations?

Drivers do not display the 'out of service' sign without usually being instructed to do so by a controller. Sometimes there can be major delays or disruptions to a particular route which is beyond the control of Dublin Bus. They may be caused by RTAs, unannounced road closures, emergency roadworks, protests marches etc.

These delays cause severe disruption to the service timetable and everything begins to back up. Rather than continuing like this, the controller may instruct a driver to abandon his slot on the table and cancel the remainder of his route. He will be told to display the 'out of service' sign and to begin a new slot either at the start or finish, which will hopefully maintain it's scheduled times. If this driver were to pick up passengers, it would slow down his return and exacerbate the problem and they would be back to square one again.


PS - This should be on Commuting/Transport.

RobertFoster

Just because a bus is going special out the Navan road doesn't mean it works those routes. It could be a private hire for example. Or it could work in a specific location, like the 236 which loops around Blanchardstown, or other busses which do factory runs in that area.

The bus heading into town might have had a technical problem, or had been soiled by someone getting sick etc.

ferdi

i just dont get buses anymore (except nitelink) and havnt for years, the service is just so appaling and unreliable, i cycle everywhere. Dublin bus, like most services in ireland, is a joke.

Brian Capture

Karoma wrote:

Oh goodness, you're one of them sane, thinking, type people. Bah! This is the naughties maaan - the bus goes where I want and when I want! Anything less in impractical!

That's got to be the most snide and patronising post I've ever read on boards.ie

You should change your username to 'I am despised'

Brian Capture

Brian Capture wrote:

That's got to be the most snide and patronising post I've ever read on boards.ie

You should change your username to 'I am despised'

but I kar

Karoma

Brian Capture wrote:

That's got to be the most snide and patronising post I've ever read on boards.ie

I try.
It's pretty much the first post re-worded.
It's too bad you can't search for more posts by user or you'd see it's not.

You should change your username to 'I am despised'

You so want me. Personal abuse! wah! wah!

Brian Capture

Karoma wrote:

You so want me. Personal abuse! wah! wah!

I'd rather be the receiver of personal abuse than sexual abuse.

I obeyed like an abused dog.

Karoma

Brian Capture wrote:

I'd rather be the receiver of personal abuse than sexual abuse.

There are telephone numbers for both in the back of your daily rag. Consult them.

I obeyed like an abused dog.

...beastiality,however,may be not be catered for. Sorry.


By Jove! you've gone off topic! How will this BUS CRISIS be resolved now?! You've wasted an all-powerful, all-whiney AH thread and its ability to change the world. FOOLS!

Sam Vimes

dar83 wrote:

Are they meant to magically warp from the last stop/terminus of their route back to the garage so as not to inconvenience people who dont understand what an "out of service" bus is doing driving back to it?

Karoma wrote:

*boggle*
Maybe; just maybe! there's an issue with the bus that has put it out of use by the public?

5 buses out of service? *shrug* Considering the sort of shit that the public does on buses (not to mention technical faults with an aging fleet, and bus drivers work hours,etc.) - that's a relatively small number TBH.

to both of you, they were driving OUT of town, ie away from the garage. only one was on its way into town

Saruman wrote:

what the hell? How in Gods name is a bus driver who has finished his shift supposed to know you wanted to go to Blanchardstown? He is going to the bus terminal... maybe broadstone/phibsborough. Anyway how does he know where you want to go? You might want to go to city centre and he is not going there.. hell he may be heading to another route and will change route number!! Jaysus.. some people...

the buses had passed phibsboro weren't going there. he doesn't have to know where i want to go. if he's going somewhere, why can't he just pick the bus route that goes closest to his destination and pick people up on the way? especially when people have already been waiting half an hour for a bus that's supposed to come every ten minutes

and they weren't finished their shift, they were driving away from the garage

RobertFoster wrote:

Just because a bus is going special out the Navan road doesn't mean it works those routes. It could be a private hire for example. Or it could work in a specific location, like the 236 which loops around Blanchardstown, or other busses which do factory runs in that area.

The bus heading into town might have had a technical problem, or had been soiled by someone getting sick etc.

i don't mind so much about the one heading into town. a technical problem is a decent reason. i don't see why four out of service buses need to drive by within two minutes of each other

and as i said above, if hes going somewhere, he could ease the problem by picking a route that goes near his destination and driving that way, rather than pissing people off by going out of service

luckat wrote:

Oh, and what's the purpose of out-of-service buses? I can tell you - as can any driver.

When traffic gets heavy in town, as it does *every day at rush hour, idiots*, the controllers say "Oh! Heavens! What a surprise! There's heavy traffic! People need buses to get them home! What on earth should we do?" (long pause) "Oh! I have an idea! Why don't we take buses that are supposed to be running into town and rush them in to pick up all those passengers who are queuing to get home from town?"

It doesn't seem to occur to them that they could *plan* the service so extra buses would be kept to be rushed in for this very purpose every day, because the same rush hour happens every day.

yes, they should put on extra buses during rush hour and i can sort of see a reason for out of service buses during rush hour getting to delayed routes but this was a sunday afternoon. hardly rush hour

_Kaiser_

I can beat this...

I once waited over 45 minutes for an inbound 39 on a weekday evening about 7:30. While I waited, 14 went by in the opposite direction. I rang the depot only to get the excuse of "traffic" and "shift changes" - yea right! As I said to the guy it can be 3pm on a Sunday afternoon and they still can't run to schedule.

Luckily I now have a car so the only bus I get is the occasional Nitelink. If you're living in Blanch and are near it though, I'd recommend the Maynooth line trains as a much faster/more reliable (albeit not as frequent) alternative. It's amazing how many people haven't copped onto that yet though.

Tha Gopher

Theres so much red tape these days I wouldnt be suprised if certain buses are only insured to carry passengers at certain times of the day.

What gets me boiling about Dublin bus is

1- Bus stops that have no timetable
2- The way most bus shelters dont have seating. Someone told me they stopped attaching them as it encouraged the homeless to sleep on them. I can see that point in town but ffs how many people sleep rough in the suburbs? Anyone from the suburbs sleeping rough heads for town.
3- And my uber-hatered, bus shelters that have regularly updated advertising posters, but yet have no fcuking timetable. There are bus shelters that have the poster changed once a month but the company cant be arsed putting in a timetable? Madness

Oh yes, and the printing of placenames on bus routes in Irish. The bad thing about Dublin is that the Gaelige for many parts sounds absoloutely nothing like the English commonly used name. Insane.

RobertFoster

Dublin Bus don't own the adshels.

astrofool

The 46a has finally started putting some route maps inside the bus (like most other countries), would be nice if other routes could start picking this up, esp. for those new to using the bus, and for working out how many stages are being used.

Apparantly there was a plan to have the buses fitted with GPS so people could get text alerts on when the next bus would be (and not those stupid sms the schedule to you ones), but the unions didn't like the buses being tracked this way. If you ever get the aircoach at the airport, they have a display inside the shelter, showing the position of every bus, tis cool Stupidest bus ever has to be the 746, whats the point in doing an airport bus with no luggage room.

abetarrush

I agree

Dublin Bus' punctuality is up its ar5e!

Collie D

abetarrush wrote:

Dublin Bus' punctuality QUOTE]

This should be in the oxymoron thread

luckat

Until there is competition in the bus services, there is absolutely no reason for Dublin Bus to behave like grown-ups and be punctual, clean and efficient.

Bring in a couple of competing companies and reality would soon bite - to the passengers' advantage.

Sam Vimes

Tha Gopher wrote:

1- Bus stops that have no timetable
2- The way most bus shelters dont have seating. Someone told me they stopped attaching them as it encouraged the homeless to sleep on them. I can see that point in town but ffs how many people sleep rough in the suburbs? Anyone from the suburbs sleeping rough heads for town.
3- And my uber-hatered, bus shelters that have regularly updated advertising posters, but yet have no fcuking timetable. There are bus shelters that have the poster changed once a month but the company cant be arsed putting in a timetable? Madness

to be fair, the ads are done by a private company but as you say there's not reason they can't give the company a few euro or a discount on the ad price and get them to do the timetables too.

that thing about the seats is a load of crap. those orange seats that some shelters have can barely fit a fully grown arse. there's no way someone could sleep on them



slightly off topic: i'm sure everyone's seen those blue posters put up by dublin bus saying helpful tips like "stand back when the bus pulls in" and "don't distract the driver" etc. i saw one on a bus that said "if there are no seats downstairs, look upstairs", which makes sense except it was a single decker bus

Wishbone Ash

Commander Vimes wrote:

i saw one on a bus that said "if there are no seats downstairs, look upstairs", which makes sense except it was a single decker bus

LOL

Sam Vimes

astrofool wrote:

The 46a has finally started putting some route maps inside the bus (like most other countries), would be nice if other routes could start picking this up, esp. for those new to using the bus, and for working out how many stages are being used.

the 46A seems to be the favourite route. why do they get those massive buses and no one else does?

astrofool wrote:

Stupidest bus ever has to be the 746, whats the point in doing an airport bus with no luggage room.

well, if it was efficient it wouldn't be run by the irish government

Wishbone Ash

Commander Vimes wrote:

the 46A seems to be the favourite route.

AFAIK it's the most popular route by a long margin (and most profitable?)

melekalikimaka

i get the 46a...couldnt say a bad thing bout the service, excellent, just move to that route and stop complaining