PLEASE use the aisle on buses people!!!

SparkySpitfire

It's 6pm, rush hour. 3 buses have already passed your stop due to them being at capacity. 20 mins later one stops and the driver finally lets you on...and you find that you're a human sardine in a tin can full of sweaty vapors.

Alas, behind the tall businessman's shoulder, you see the aisle, complete with handrails completely devoid of passengers clinging to them. As you make your way through the crowd going buttocks to buttocks with strangers you hear the driver through the tannoy as he approaches the next stop: "PLEASE MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE BUS AND MAKE SPACE".

Mass confusion ensues as people turn their heads looking left and right like seagulls yet remain perfectly still as if they're all deaf.

You've had enough and make your way to the back of the bus and attach yourself to a handrail, as you watch the sardines shuffling to and fro, sweating, huffing, mumbling, "sorrying" and more. Not one of them moves. The end.


^ In general, that's my experience of evening bus journeys, it's awful. Sometimes I get on a bus where people do use their common sense and the ones that are staying on the bus longer will move to the back, take up empty seats and go upstairs when they see someone getting off. The vast majority of the time however, this doesn't happen. I was ranting to a colleague of mine who used to work for Dublin Bus and said it was one of his pet peeves especially when he had to drive past bus stops because if people didn't move down the aisle he couldn't fit more people on. I think it's just something to do with group mentality and general exhaustion that causes people to just stand there dumbly but I really hope someone reads this and decides to take the step into the unknown and venture down the aisle during rush hour.

Cookie_Monster

rule 1 of Dublin Bus, no matter how many people are standing downstairs there is always a seat or two upstairs (:rolleyes: idiots)

SeantheMan

It's group mentality as you say.

It's like when you're at the cinema or a busy store, and a new till appears to be opening. You've been waiting 30mins to get served and you're near the counter.
Do you risk going to the new counter....is it really open ?

I seen this all the time in the cinema when we'd open a new till during busy hours. People just looking at each other in cofusion and deciding it was safer to stay where they were than bother to move to a new line.

The worst display of group mentality...and it seems to be Irish people that do it more than most....is people queuing 1 hour or more beforehand to get onto a Ryanair flight.
They even do it for AerLingus flights, where you have assigned seating.
Then they just stand in the aisles trying to smash in their oversized luggage into the compartments.
It makes me sigh with despair and then get slightly annoyed at the stupidity...everytime I see a Ryanair queue of sheeple

Oink

Oh is this thread about eejits on the bus and all? Here's my contribution:

Imagine there's only 2 free seats on the bus:
- one next to an @$$hole sprawled across 2 seats
- one next to a lovely redhead who smells like an autumn evening by the seaside

I hereby give you my solemn word, @$$hole, that I will sit next to you every time. It will hurt me more than you, but it's for your own good.

corktina

well, yes, if the choice is a redhead I guess.... :-)

corktina

SeantheMan wrote: »

It's group mentality as you say.

It's like when you're at the cinema or a bust store, and a new till appears to be opening. You've being waiting 30mins to get served and you're near the counter.
Do you risk going to the new counter....is it really open ?

I seen this all the time in the cinema when we'd open a new till during busy hours. People just looking at each other in cofusion and deciding it was safer to stay where they were than bother to move to a new line.

The worst display of group mentality...and it seems to be Irish people that do it more than most....is people queuing 1 hour or more beforehand to get onto a Ryanair flight.
They even do it for AerLingus flights, where you have assigned seating.
Then they just stand in the aisles trying to smash in their oversized luggage into the compartments.
It makes me sigh with despair and then get slightly annoyed at the stupidity...everytime I see a Ryanair queue of sheeple

I often found that at Rosslare Ferryport...a long queue at one kiosk when a second is clearly open...saves a lot of queueing!

_Kaiser_

This one has various causes in my experience..

- Antisocial muppetry upstairs that people don't want to have to deal with on their way home

- The pack em in mentality rather than having reliable and frequent services

- The fact that a lot of drivers seem to treat their route as a rally stage so people are left scrambling to hold on (assuming there's a bar to hold on to - the big empty space for wheelchairs that 99% of the time have standing passengers instead springs to mind)

- The fact that for the previous decade, DB policy was to buy increasingly large/long double deckers with only one bloody door! Even where dual doors are fitted they still don't use them most of the time

Given all that, I wouldn't be standing at the back of the line either!

TheBandicoot

SeantheMan wrote: »

The worst display of group mentality...and it seems to be Irish people that do it more than most....is people queuing 1 hour or more beforehand to get onto a Ryanair flight.

I am taking a Ryanair flight for the first time next month- what should I be doing to avoid your ire?

foggy_lad

I have seen people get on an almost empty bus and "clamp" themselves onto the hand rails at the luggage space, they don't even move back to the wheelchair space!

It needs to go back to a time when drivers and inspectors would shout at people to move back along the bus and to go upstairs, or "get off the bus"!

Saw an inspector some years ago order all those standing off a 66 on Middle Abbey St one Saturday afternoon because there were empty seats both upstairs and at the back of the bus

I have not heard the once regular "SEATS ON TOP" shouted down a bus in many years since Middle Abbey St was terminus for all buses to Lucan Palmerstown Celbridge Maynooth and Kilcock buses and the 70 and 69!


It would appear that the main culprit responsible for people standing on buses is the Luas and people not being forced to take a seat! People stand on the Luas and see the buses as the same, they want to be beside the door to be able to get off easily before the crowds start to board.


The only solution is solid instructions from staff(SEATS ON TOP! Move to the back of the bus!) and if passengers refuse to move then just park up the bus until they get off the bus and have all other buses pass by that stop until the numpties clear the aisle.

paddy145

foggy_lad wrote: »

It would appear that the main culprit responsible for people standing on buses is the Luas and people not being forced to take a seat! People stand on the Luas and see the buses as the same, they want to be beside the door to be able to get off easily before the crowds start to board.

I've never been on a packed luas with empty seats.

markpb

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

- The fact that a lot of drivers seem to treat their route as a rally stage so people are left scrambling to hold on (assuming there's a bar to hold on to - the big empty space for wheelchairs that 99% of the time have standing passengers instead springs to mind)

- The fact that for the previous decade, DB policy was to buy increasingly large/long double deckers with only one bloody door! Even where dual doors are fitted they still don't use them most of the time

You've hit the nail on the head there.

Standing on a bus at the back where there's nothing to hang on to is dangerous and unpleasant which is why people prefer the front.

Standing at the back of the bus when drivers won't use the middle doors means you have to get up early to fight your way to the front of the bus and hope the driver notices you and doesn't pull off before you get there. Not everyone is confident enough to roar at the driver to let them know they're clambering across passengers to get to the front.

Being on a bus that doesn't have Next Stop signs when you're unfamiliar with the route means people are more likely to linger near the front so they can spot landmarks and know where to get off.

Of course, it's easier to laugh at people and call them stupid than try to improve the service offered.

LXFlyer

markpb wrote: »

You've hit the nail on the head there.

Standing on a bus at the back where there's nothing to hang on to is dangerous and unpleasant which is why people prefer the front.

Standing at the back of the bus when drivers won't use the middle doors means you have to get up early to fight your way to the front of the bus and hope the driver notices you and doesn't pull off before you get there. Not everyone is confident enough to roar at the driver to let them know they're clambering across passengers to get to the front.

Being on a bus that doesn't have Next Stop signs when you're unfamiliar with the route means people are more likely to linger near the front so they can spot landmarks and know where to get off.

Of course, it's easier to laugh at people and call them stupid than try to improve the service offered.

Virtually every bus has a next stop announcement these days, and all of the newer vehicles have next stop signs as well, so I think that rationale is wearing a bit thin.

I have to say that from my daily observations, there are a significant number of people who do block the aisle between the stairs and the front door, and appear to be (for whatever reason) just completely unaware of their surroundings and the fact that they are causing people to be left behind by blocking the aisle. They just stand between the stairs and the door regardless of how many people get off.

Also, there are handrails all along the bus - I don't buy the reason that there is nothing to hold onto.

Unfortunately, we are living in an age where people just don't seem to think of their fellow travellers as much any more - one glance at the scrum of people fighting to board buses, trams and trains whilst other people are still getting off is evidence enough of that to me.

corktina

Lack of access is the core problem...three doors as in the new Boris RM and proper ticket enforcement required

devnull

corktina wrote: »

Lack of access is the core problem...three doors as in the new Boris RM and proper ticket enforcement required

Pointless until we have a time where two doors are used.

Mrs OBumble

markpb wrote: »

Standing on a bus at the back where there's nothing to hang on to ...

I've never yet seen a bus that didn't have hand-rails on the seats, front and rear.

markpb wrote: »

Not everyone is confident enough to roar at the driver to let them know they're clambering across passengers to get to the front.

If a person is not confident enough to communicate their needs in this way, then it's questionable that they should be allowed out of the house alone.

markpb wrote: »

Being on a bus that doesn't have Next Stop signs when you're unfamiliar with the route means people are more likely to linger near the front so they can spot landmarks and know where to get off.

There are windows in the middle and rear of most buses, as well as the front.





I often would rather stand downstairs than go upstairs. But that's mainly to do with my knees and the design of the stairs. I don't understand why, but I find the stairs here a lot more difficult than in some overseas double-decker buses.

SparkySpitfire

markpb wrote: »

Standing at the back of the bus when drivers won't use the middle doors means you have to get up early to fight your way to the front of the bus and hope the driver notices you and doesn't pull off before you get there.

To add to Mrs O Bumble's great response to this reply: people sit at the back of the bus and despite having to leave their seat a few seconds earlier, they always manage to get off, standing would be no different, easier if anything!

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I often would rather stand downstairs than go upstairs. But that's mainly to do with my knees and the design of the stairs. I don't understand why, but I find the stairs here a lot more difficult than in some overseas double-decker buses.

80% of the time I go upstairs on the bus I end up bashing my knees against one of the top steps as the bus swings into motion, they're certainly not the best things to be climbing up and I understand how some people wouldn't think it's worth it.

end of the road

foggy_lad wrote: »

I have seen people get on an almost empty bus and "clamp" themselves onto the hand rails at the luggage space, they don't even move back to the wheelchair space!

It needs to go back to a time when drivers and inspectors would shout at people to move back along the bus and to go upstairs, or "get off the bus"!

Saw an inspector some years ago order all those standing off a 66 on Middle Abbey St one Saturday afternoon because there were empty seats both upstairs and at the back of the bus

I have not heard the once regular "SEATS ON TOP" shouted down a bus in many years since Middle Abbey St was terminus for all buses to Lucan Palmerstown Celbridge Maynooth and Kilcock buses and the 70 and 69!


It would appear that the main culprit responsible for people standing on buses is the Luas and people not being forced to take a seat! People stand on the Luas and see the buses as the same, they want to be beside the door to be able to get off easily before the crowds start to board.


The only solution is solid instructions from staff(SEATS ON TOP! Move to the back of the bus!) and if passengers refuse to move then just park up the bus until they get off the bus and have all other buses pass by that stop until the numpties clear the aisle.

agree, or maybe a big lad with a big black thorn stick and beat them down to the back of the bus (one can dream)

foggy_lad

end of the road wrote: »

agree, or maybe a big lad with a big black thorn stick and beat them down to the back of the bus (one can dream)

I have boarded a few times and "forced" one or two of the cling-ons/clampettes to move back and some even went upstairs when I say there are loads of seats upstairs.

Drivers need to be telling people as they board that there are "seats on top", It's not a big thing but maybe it is just too much to remember on top of everything else they have to do.

_Kaiser_

foggy_lad wrote: »

I have boarded a few times and "forced" one or two of the cling-ons/clampettes to move back and some even went upstairs when I say there are loads of seats upstairs.

Drivers need to be telling people as they board that there are "seats on top", It's not a big thing but maybe it is just too much to remember on top of everything else they have to do.

But it won't happen as long as passengers are forced to enter/exit through a single door. I would not lurch my way along the top deck, try not to fall down the stairs, and then wrestle my way to the front in the maybe 30 seconds or so between stops. If I was older, had some shopping or kids with me, or wasn't as mobile as I am it'd be even more unlikely.

It's bad enough on an AV/X, I can only imagine how much fun it must be one one of the tri-axle VT's

LXFlyer

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

But it won't happen as long as passengers are forced to enter/exit through a single door. I would not lurch my way along the top deck, try not to fall down the stairs, and then wrestle my way to the front in the maybe 30 seconds or so between stops. If I was older, had some shopping or kids with me, or wasn't as mobile as I am it'd be even more unlikely.

It's bad enough on an AV/X, I can only imagine how much fun it must be one one of the tri-axle VT's

You cannot expect anyone to take a post like this seriously?


How do any of us who do sit upstairs manage to cope?

_Kaiser_

lxflyer wrote: »

You cannot expect anyone to take a post like this seriously?


How do any of us who do sit upstairs manage to cope?

No idea.. stuff like this is one of the many reasons I have a car.

When/if DB gets simple things right like using all doors available, and running an efficent and reliable service (among other things) then maybe I'll reconsider

Paulyk36

SparkySpitfire wrote: »

It's 6pm, rush hour. 3 buses have already passed your stop due to them being at capacity. 20 mins later one stops and the driver finally lets you on...and you find that you're a human sardine in a tin can full of sweaty vapors.

Alas, behind the tall businessman's shoulder, you see the aisle, complete with handrails completely devoid of passengers clinging to them. As you make your way through the crowd going buttocks to buttocks with strangers you hear the driver through the tannoy as he approaches the next stop: "PLEASE MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE BUS AND MAKE SPACE".

Mass confusion ensues as people turn their heads looking left and right like seagulls yet remain perfectly still as if they're all deaf.

You've had enough and make your way to the back of the bus and attach yourself to a handrail, as you watch the sardines shuffling to and fro, sweating, huffing, mumbling, "sorrying" and more. Not one of them moves. The end.


^ In general, that's my experience of evening bus journeys, it's awful. Sometimes I get on a bus where people do use their common sense and the ones that are staying on the bus longer will move to the back, take up empty seats and go upstairs when they see someone getting off. The vast majority of the time however, this doesn't happen. I was ranting to a colleague of mine who used to work for Dublin Bus and said it was one of his pet peeves especially when he had to drive past bus stops because if people didn't move down the aisle he couldn't fit more people on. I think it's just something to do with group mentality and general exhaustion that causes people to just stand there dumbly but I really hope someone reads this and decides to take the step into the unknown and venture down the aisle during rush hour.

I agree 110% of what you said well said .

LynnGrace

end of the road wrote: »

agree, or maybe a big lad with a big black thorn stick and beat them down to the back of the bus (one can dream)

Just picturing this!

foggy_lad

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

But it won't happen as long as passengers are forced to enter/exit through a single door. I would not lurch my way along the top deck, try not to fall down the stairs, and then wrestle my way to the front in the maybe 30 seconds or so between stops. If I was older, had some shopping or kids with me, or wasn't as mobile as I am it'd be even more unlikely.

It's bad enough on an AV/X, I can only imagine how much fun it must be one one of the tri-axle VT's

How did we ever survive so long with those awful bombardier yokes? most of them were one door operating once the conductors went.

end of the road

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

When/if DB gets simple things right like running an efficent and reliable service (among other things) then maybe I'll reconsider

whats an "efficient and reliable service" in your opinion. some things can't be prevented such as traffic and so on. some routes could do with increases in frequency but until all sides realize it needs to be payed for and stump up its not going to happen unfortunately.

dfx-

Not complaining about doors again!

If I'm on the N11 corridor or N3 corridor and I have the option of a GT or VT you would have to be a mad raving lunatic to pick the one with the extra doors.

The tri-axle VTs can fit about 30 people more on per bus.

Unusual logic to see people giving out about overcrowded buses meanwhile promoting the lowest capacity two doors in the fleet in the same thread.

SeantheMan

TheBandicoot wrote: »

I am taking a Ryanair flight for the first time next month- what should I be doing to avoid your ire?

You sit down ,relax, and go on last onto the plane.

Not only will you have a seat that you paid for, you will save your legs the pain of standing in line for over an hour,...even better is the chances are high that you will in fact be given an emergency exit seat , which has a lot more leg room.


Unless these are pre-booked seats, then the cabin crew will try keep them free till the very end because they are emergency seats and it's better to have them clear.
However, they are required to have at least 1 person in one of the 3 seats.

So it's often the case they will usher you as one of the last on to sit in these seats and speed up preparations before take-off.

:cool:

MOH

I think part of the problem is that one or two people stand, the next people on assume there's no seats upstairs and stand, and downstairs fills up while there's loads of empty seats upstairs. At this stage I'll always look upstairs regardless how many are standing.

foggy_lad wrote: »

I have not heard the once regular "SEATS ON TOP" shouted down a bus in many years since Middle Abbey St was terminus for all buses to Lucan Palmerstown Celbridge Maynooth and Kilcock buses and the 70 and 69!

I'm bemused that while DB can program on board announcements for everything from "Don't smoke" to "You're going to be waiting 10 minutes for your next driver to turn up" they don't have a "There area free seats upstairs" announcement the driver can trigger.

lxflyer wrote: »

Virtually every bus has a next stop announcement these days, and all of the newer vehicles have next stop signs as well, so I think that rationale is wearing a bit thin.

They may have the technology, it's frequently inaccurate - I've been on buses where the announced stop is the one we've just left. There's other inconsistencies - the contra flow stops on Eden Quay are now being announced as Marlborough St, despite the stop officially being Eden Quay. Or they're just turned off - I had to go to a funeral in an unfamiliar part of town yesterday. I'd checked the stop details for my destination before I left, but there were no announcements and the onboard displays gave to stop details, I ended up having to rely on Google Maps on my phone. I'd say it's at best 50/50 in the morning going to work whether the stops are announced or not.

Dick Turnip

SeantheMan wrote: »

You sit down ,relax, and go on last onto the plane.

Not only will you have a seat that you paid for, you will save your legs the pain of standing in line for over an hour,...even better is the chances are high that you will in fact be given an emergency exit seat , which has a lot more leg room.


Unless these are pre-booked seats, then the cabin crew will try keep them free till the very end because they are emergency seats and it's better to have them clear.
However, they are required to have at least 1 person in one of the 3 seats.

So it's often the case they will usher you as one of the last on to sit in these seats and speed up preparations before take-off.

:cool:

It's even more ridiculous as Ryanair now assign you a seat when checking in. Was flying back from Spain with Ryanair a few months back and couldn't believe when I saw people queue 20 minutes before any Ryanair staff appeared and began boarding. Idiots!!

LXFlyer

MOH wrote: »

They may have the technology, it's frequently inaccurate - I've been on buses where the announced stop is the one we've just left. There's other inconsistencies - the contra flow stops on Eden Quay are now being announced as Marlborough St, despite the stop officially being Eden Quay. Or they're just turned off - I had to go to a funeral in an unfamiliar part of town yesterday. I'd checked the stop details for my destination before I left, but there were no announcements and the onboard displays gave to stop details, I ended up having to rely on Google Maps on my phone. I'd say it's at best 50/50 in the morning going to work whether the stops are announced or not.

Actually that stop name is not incorrect.


All stops have a two line name, but only one of the lines is used due to the time constraints of having to announce in English and Irish.


That stop name is Eden Quay, Marlborough Street.

Iwannahurl

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

only one bloody door! Even where dual doors are fitted they still don't use them most of the time

Doesn't happen in other European cities, à mon avis.

Quite possibly an Irish solution to an Irish problem, like not providing bins in public areas lest people actually use them.

macroman

MOH wrote: »

I'm bemused that while DB can program on board announcements for everything from "Don't smoke" to "You're going to be waiting 10 minutes for your next driver to turn up" they don't have a "There area free seats upstairs" announcement the driver can trigger.

There is, and I use it all the time - however it often falls on deaf ears as the announcements are so frequent on the buses that people just tune out and stop noticing them. Even shouting down the bus or telling people as they get on there's seats upstairs is ignored. Some of us do try, but when it's constantly ignored it gets tiresome to keep harping on.

I'm in favour of the big thorny stick

gugleguy

I don't use them myself but what are people's experiences using Nitelink. With the sozzled bretheren. Would you try anything diffferent. Or would that be brave.

NuMarvel

My solution is to paint a bright yellow box on that part of the floor with the words: TRAP DOOR. MAY OPEN AT ANY TIME. And in smaller font: In other words, please keep this area clear.

They could even use a picture of Network Noel, because he'll make anyone want to move on, even in the best of circumstances.

JayRoc

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

But it won't happen as long as passengers are forced to enter/exit through a single door. I would not lurch my way along the top deck, try not to fall down the stairs, and then wrestle my way to the front in the maybe 30 seconds or so between stops. If I was older, had some shopping or kids with me, or wasn't as mobile as I am it'd be even more unlikely.

It's bad enough on an AV/X, I can only imagine how much fun it must be one one of the tri-axle VT's

Perfectly reasonable post to be honest.
I'm in my 30's and in the whole of my health and I find it difficult to maneuver down the stupidly tight stairs of the newish Dublin Buses without whacking my knee or losing my balance. How the **** old people or those with kids do it is beyond me

Monife

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I've never yet seen a bus that didn't have hand-rails on the seats, front and rear.

For someone who doesn't have great balance or mobility, the hand-rails on the seats are useless.

foggy_lad wrote: »

I have boarded a few times and "forced" one or two of the cling-ons/clampettes to move back and some even went upstairs when I say there are loads of seats upstairs.

Drivers need to be telling people as they board that there are "seats on top", It's not a big thing but maybe it is just too much to remember on top of everything else they have to do.

Some people are unable to use the stairs in the timely fashion that is required on buses. I have arthritis and while I could get up the stairs while the bus is stopped, if it started moving, due to my lack of balance (which is associated with the arthritis), there is a big chance I could fall. Also, I have to take steps one at a time going down and it is quite painful, so a sudden movement from the bus could seriously injure me. The annoying thing is, I am in my 20's so people look at me like "Get the f*ck upstairs and out of my way" and I can't.

hmmm

We have a very good bus driver who simply says "There are seats free upstairs folks" to no-one in particular at busy stops. That's it, no lecturing or shouting and it does the job.

spurious

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I often would rather stand downstairs than go upstairs. But that's mainly to do with my knees and the design of the stairs. I don't understand why, but I find the stairs here a lot more difficult than in some overseas double-decker buses.

This. I quite like sitting upstairs, but I find the stairs (unless the bus is stopped) quite difficult, more so coming down than going up. I have a small issue with one knee anyway, but the stairs on newer buses seem to give me more trouble.

SparkySpitfire

Everyone is citing excuses as to why they won't go up the stairs, that's all well and good but what about all the people who can but won't?

Vic_08

spurious wrote: »

This. I quite like sitting upstairs, but I find the stairs (unless the bus is stopped) quite difficult, more so coming down than going up. I have a small issue with one knee anyway, but the stairs on newer buses seem to give me more trouble.

It is strange people complaining about the stairs on newer buses as these stairs which are completely straight are specified as they were designed to be easier to use then the old style with angled steps which were designed to minimise the amount of space taken up by the stairs.

chocksaway

3 buses wouldn't stop for me last week because there were too many people standing in the aisle but with loads of seats upstairs. An hour and a half i had to wait to finally get on one.. the rage was unreal.