Why are bus drivers so mean?

RuggieBear

nlgbbbblth wrote:

sorry - I didn't make it clear - but a couple of people pressed the bell prior to moving to the front of the bus.

The driver chose to ignore it because he was obviously angry at what had happened on Waterloo Road - hence his 'see how you like it then' outburst.

i think V was just being mischievous

I've never experienced anything like that, i have to admit, but I think you'd be very much justified in complaining.

nlgbbbblth

RuggieBear wrote:

I've never experienced anything like that, i have to admit, but I think you'd be very much justified in complaining.

Yes, you would have a good case in complaining

but what about the person who rang the bell and then didn't get off?
They must share some of the blame.

RuggieBear

nlgbbbblth wrote:

Yes, you would have a good case in complaining

but what about the person who rang the bell and then didn't get off?
They must share some of the blame.

While that person is a complete dickhead .....the driver has absolutely no excuse as far as i'm concerned for not stopping

eth0_

Snickers Man wrote:

A lot of the "ignorance" of which you speak is down to Dublin Bus. People in Dublin should be as aware of the ticket options as they are of the location of their local pub. I've never heard of Travel 90. (Thanks for the tip BTW) I normally use the two-journey prepaid options because I don;t take the bus every day. These should be discounted, in my view to encourage prepayment. And made available at more locations.

Is it my fault that I don't know of all the options? Or is it DB's fault for not promoting their services properly?

WTF? Open your eyes...there are poster adverts for DB tickets on EVERY bus, and on a great deal of bus stops.

As for it being difficult to get the tickets, come off it! When you're in town you're probably never more than a two minute walk from a DB ticket agent, and AFAIK all Spar's and Centra's are DB ticket agents and most people live or work near one of those.

If they put ticket machines at bus stops they WOULD get vandalised. Yes, the LUAS can do it, but they have a minute amount of stops compared to DB, and *all* are monitored 24/7 by CCTV. A few weeks ago I witnessed a guy park his car outside the Spar at the Jervis st Luas stop and immediately a voice comes over the PA saying if the car isn't moved in the next minute the guards will be called. I can't see DB doing that, it would cost an absolute fortune.

antoinolachtnai

Well, just put the cash fare on the bus up to 2 euros for all routes and distances, and that'd encourage people to buy tickets in advance and sort out a lot of the change problem all in one go.

GreeBo

Yeah, I think one standard fare is the way to go.
Or maybe a €1 and a €2 fare, so you dont get totally screwed.
There needs to be more of an incentive to buy the prepaid tickets.
and why oh why cant we have a bus where you get on at the front and off at the back?
Why could this not be achieved??

RuggieBear

GreeBo wrote:

Why could this not be achieved??

think that's the unions again....

blorg

There are very good reasons that people aren't meant to be let off other than at bus stops. My gf was once hit quite badly by a cyclist when getting off not at a stop (in London). Not sure if there was a cycle lane on the inside of this bus but that was certainly a possibility. Now this could have left the bus company (and the driver) liable had she been the suing type.

As for the 'no change' issue - If Dublin Bus seriously wanted people to use pre-paid tickets, they would seriously discount them - in most other European cities a 10 journey ticket (the only type suitable for _occasional_ bus travellers) can be had at up to a 50% discount from the cash/single ticket price, and monthly tickets tend to be better value. It's this discounting that stops people paying in cash...

_Kaiser_

RuggieBear wrote:

think that's the unions again....

Yep.. DB launched a big publicity campaign in 1996 that from now on you'd board via the front doors and exit from the rear doors but it was haphazardly implemented in the different garages, with drivers/the unions refusing to operate the new policy and so subsequently abandoned.

Personally I think it was a mistake not to enforce it.. even more so that they've bought over 400 single door AV buses cause loading times on those is hugely increased at peak hours - plus they LOOK better in a dual door configuration based on the Airlinks/AV130

blorg

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Yep.. DB launched a big publicity campaign in 1996 that from now on you'd board via the front doors and exit from the rear doors but it was haphazardly implemented in the different garages, with drivers/the unions refusing to operate the new policy and so subsequently abandoned.

Now this is something that really annoys me, the unions getting involved in things like this that shouldn't concern them. I'm reminded of the demands for extra pay to compensate drivers for having to deal with the Euro...

the_syco

I pay €17 for a 5-day rambler pack. My fare would otherwise be €18.50, if I had correct change all the time. But I wouldn't so it'd be about €25 or so. Also, as I have the rambler ticket, I am able to go on more buses to make my journey easier: the 66 and the 76b, rather than just the 66 and a walk.

Dave

Yeah, I've started getting those 7day student rambler tickets. €15.50 for unlimited buses in 7 days. You can't go wrong if you commute regularly. I have to spend a minimum of €15 a week with correct change, just to get to work. I don't know why more people don't use them. I'm not sure who was saying that it's difficult to find prepaid tickets but if you're in the city at all I would imagine it's harder to find somewhere that doesn't stock DB tickets than does.

GreeBo

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Yep.. DB launched a big publicity campaign in 1996 that from now on you'd board via the front doors and exit from the rear doors but it was haphazardly implemented in the different garages, with drivers/the unions refusing to operate the new policy and so subsequently abandoned.

Personally I think it was a mistake not to enforce it.. even more so that they've bought over 400 single door AV buses cause loading times on those is hugely increased at peak hours - plus they LOOK better in a dual door configuration based on the Airlinks/AV130

Its moronic to have to exit through the entrance. Causes untold hassle and means that people often miss their stop due to the fact that people are supposed to stand down stairs.
A door halfway down the aisle and right at the foot of the stairs was pure genius, then they removed it :rolleyes:
The surefire way to get the driver to open the back door is to stand in the doorwell, they always open it onto you then, wánkers.

_Kaiser_

GreeBo wrote:

Its moronic to have to exit through the entrance. Causes untold hassle and means that people often miss their stop due to the fact that people are supposed to stand down stairs.
A door halfway down the aisle and right at the foot of the stairs was pure genius, then they removed it :rolleyes:
The surefire way to get the driver to open the back door is to stand in the doorwell, they always open it onto you then, wánkers.

Thats easy stopped tho if you put your foot at the bottom left/right corner or just hold it shut.. then stare back at them as they stare at you in the mirror

(No I don't do this if theres room to get past, but where they've packed 'em in like sardines, or someone has a buggy or something in the doorwell, noone's getting out that way anyway)

Incidentially, the placement of the rear doors on the AV's is a bit far back I think.. unlike the RH/RA/RV's, it's not level with the stairwell so - typically - most people would probably just head for the front door rather than further down the bus.

Victor

GreeBo wrote:

and why oh why cant we have a bus where you get on at the front and off at the back?

Gurriers (a) not wanting to pay and/or (b) having other nefarious things in mind.

Kaiser2000 wrote:

plus they LOOK better in a dual door configuration based on the Airlinks/AV130

Is AV130 unique (for those who haven't seen it, its a new style front only door model, with rear doors)? Prototype or conversion?

blorg wrote:

Now this is something that really annoys me, the unions getting involved in things like this that shouldn't concern them. I'm reminded of the demands for extra pay to compensate drivers for having to deal with the Euro...

They considered it a safety issue at a time when drivers were constantly under attack. Staff handling cash did have a hard time at the euro changeover.

antoinolachtnai wrote:

Well, just put the cash fare on the bus up to 2 euros for all routes and distances

That would need ministerial approval and he already rejected putting the two lowest fares at €1 (currently €0.90 and €1.30)

blorg wrote:

There are very good reasons that people aren't meant to be let off other than at bus stops. My gf was once hit quite badly by a cyclist when getting off not at a stop (in London).

Indeed, imagine this from the cyclists point of view, suddenly having someone step off a bus in front of him.

John R

Victor wrote:

Is AV130 unique (for those who haven't seen it, its a new style front only door model, with rear doors)? Prototype or conversion?

No, No and No.

Dublin Bus have only a handful of those buses (Alexander ALX400 on Volvo chassis ) with two passenger doors, the Airlink buses and that one which is mostly used in regular service but is also the stand-by bus for the Airlink service should one of the regulars be out of service.

They along with all other bus types in the fleet are standard buses from large independent manufacturers. They can be built with a range of different fittings and layouts, DB for whatever reason went with a single-door layout for the main fleet but dual door buses are common with other fleets.

Later this year Dublin Bus will be getting 20 of a new type of bus, a longer three axle double decker similar to this

_Kaiser_

For those who haven't seen it - AV130

Told ya it looks better in Dual-Door configuration

shltter

blorg wrote:

Now this is something that really annoys me, the unions getting involved in things like this that shouldn't concern them. I'm reminded of the demands for extra pay to compensate drivers for having to deal with the Euro...

well actually it does concern the unions as the reason it was dropped was because of a labour court ruling
Passenger safety is a concern of the employees and what is a concern of the employees is a concern of the unions

Using the centre doors is preferable as it speeds things up however it is only an option if there is a proper Bus stop that the bus can stop at properly and that the passenger can step off on to the footpath
So many Bus stops are/were unsafe and could not be used of the ones that could be used so many had illegally parked vehicles and objects (like skips etc) that drivers found it to confusing for passengers who did not know which way to go centre doors at a couple of stops then maybe not a suitable stop for centre doors for the next few etc
and what it did was the exact opposite of what it was meant to achieve it slowed things down

the Labour Court ruled that as the company and the Gardai could not provide
suitable facilities for using the centre doors and that the inconsistant use of them was confusing that it was up to the driver to decide if it is safe and suitable to use them

Victor

John R wrote:

No, No and No.

/hides

Guy:Incognito

Larianne wrote:

for pretty Irish girls. I've seen that quiet a lot!!

I think were all guilty of doing things for people we find attractive, its human nature. Personally I dont discriminate, if i find someone attractive i'll help them wherever their from.

shltter wrote:

the 5 minutes late thing may not be the drivers fault i presume you have heard of traffic in fact the fact that the bus was on time today when the reduced traffic at that time now due to secondary schools being on holidays now suggests traffic is the cause of the regular delay

Dont ask me how but busses in Germany seem to be always on time, even in cities, maybe DB should go on a scouting mission.

Guy:Incognito

RuggieBear wrote:

Still imo he was at the bus stop on time and should have been allowed on....probably sounding like a broken record now.

The bus was probably late as it was ( they usually are) so he wasnt at the stop on time.

Snickers Man wrote:

Well maybe I only use less travelled routes but I am rarely on a crowded bus. They could take so much more. Why don't they try to? Why don't they make it easier for passengers to take the bus and to pay for it? Not rocket science. It's called business development. Or just plain selling.

How many people do u think are in dublin? off the top of my head i'd say a little over 1 million, so to have a quarter of the population on dublin using the service every day is good id say, theres lots of business that would kill for those numbers.

Guy:Incognito

Solitaryman666 wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Im sorry to laugh but all i cant think of is the disabled kid with the crutches on south park.

Zaph0d

Victor wrote:

GreeBo wrote:

and why oh why cant we have a bus where you get on at the front and off at the back?

Gurriers (a) not wanting to pay and/or (b) having other nefarious things in mind.

This argument is weak. Most cities have rough customers and still operate two door buses. for example Hackney in London.

Not having a second door on the bus is one of the most consistent complaints I've heard from Dublin bus passengers. It increases the dwell time and worsens the service. Rightly or wrongly, I've often heard it pointed out as an example of the bus company making an obvious bollocks out of something, putting the whims of its drivers ahead of the quality of service provided to its customers.

shltter wrote:

Using the centre doors is preferable as it speeds things up however it is only an option if there is a proper Bus stop that the bus can stop at properly and that the passenger can step off on to the footpath
So many Bus stops are/were unsafe and could not be used of the ones that could be used so many had illegally parked vehicles and objects (like skips etc) that drivers found it to confusing for passengers who did not know which way to go centre doors at a couple of stops then maybe not a suitable stop for centre doors for the next few etc
and what it did was the exact opposite of what it was meant to achieve it slowed things down

the Labour Court ruled that as the company and the Gardai could not provide
suitable facilities for using the centre doors and that the inconsistant use of them was confusing that it was up to the driver to decide if it is safe and suitable to use them

That's interesting information which of course DB would never think to explain to its customers. Every company encounters operational problems some of which require co-operation with other groups to resolve- in this case the local authorities and the police. That doesn't mean you just give up like a crap employee whose mantra is 'Well I called him but they never got back to me'. The weird thing is buying buses that have no centre doors so that even if the problem with bus stops is resolved, they can never use a centre door.

The Dublin Bus FAQ contains none of the questions I hear most often: (many of them answered on this board)
Why don't you give change?
Why are the rear doors not used?
Why are there no real-time information displays at bus stops?
Why are there no ticket machines?
Why are there twice as many stops on a bus route as used on a Luas line of the same length?
Why does every bus route in Dublin seem to involve a parade past Dublin bus headquarters on O'Connell Street?
Why are buses terminated in the city centre?
Why are there so few cross city routes?
Why are some bus lanes narrower than a bus?
Why can't an honour ticket system be used on buses when it works on the Luas and would speed up the service?

Guy:Incognito

Snickers Man wrote:

Is it my fault that I don't know of all the options? Or is it DB's fault for not promoting their services properly? .

Nobody can cry ignorance in this day and age, pretty much every business has a web site and DB is no different. If you really wanted to check your options you would have glanced at the web site. Did you know coca cola sell their products in cans now?

Guy:Incognito

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Yep.. DB launched a big publicity campaign in 1996 that from now on you'd board via the front doors and exit from the rear doors but it was haphazardly implemented in the different garages, with drivers/the unions refusing to operate the new policy and so subsequently abandoned.

Personally I think it was a mistake not to enforce it.. even more so that they've bought over 400 single door AV buses cause loading times on those is hugely increased at peak hours - plus they LOOK better in a dual door configuration based on the Airlinks/AV130

anytime i see the rear doors being used, someone or a few try to sneak on via them.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

the_syco

Even with the rear doors:

• They can't open them, due to buggies/shopping in the way.
• They can't open them, as there's no footpath (only a small bit of cement next to bus stop).
• They can't open them, as a car is parked there(passengers blocked).

Oh, and lets see... @ Liffey Valley, Palmerstown, Leixlip Village, and Lucan Village, where people need to get off, they won't open the rear doors, as people will get on the bus any way they can. Preferably free.

daymobrew

Stekelly wrote:

Dont ask me how but busses in Germany seem to be always on time, even in cities, maybe DB should go on a scouting mission.

My cousin drives a bus in New York city. He has to be at certain points at certain times. Most of the time this forces him to drive really slowly!!
Maybe DB timetables are ambitious while NYC and German ones as pessimistic.

GreeBo

Stekelly wrote:

so to have a quarter of the population on dublin using the service every day is good id say, theres lots of business that would kill for those numbers.

Business that actually have competitors for example? :rolleyes:

Victor

daymobrew wrote:

My cousin drives a bus in New York city. He has to be at certain points at certain times. Most of the time this forces him to drive really slowly!! Maybe DB timetables are ambitious while NYC and German ones as pessimistic.

I've not seen the Germans using busses in congested urban centres, more for suburban, semi-rural and gap-filling between tram lines.