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Dublin Bus Drivers

  • 08-04-2003 3:27pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 6,628 ✭✭✭


    Having only lived in dublin since september i havent much experience with dublin bus, but i must say that their drivers really do come from every range of the sanity spectrum. Some are really nice and then the next one you meet will be an absolute fruit cake! I`m just wondering what are other people's opinions of the drivers and of the actual bus service itsself imho it seems to be getting better inrequards punctuality etc in the last few month. so come on share your views.





    p.s i dont work for dublin bus lol


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 6,240 ✭✭✭hussey


    Yeah it does seem to depend on driver

    alot of time you see a driver not stopping at a bus stop for no reason what-so-ever, and then you see drivers pulling up to people who are running for the bus-stop.(though they are officially not allowed to do this)

    I think they have got better with their time-keeping. I now the bus I get in teh morning 56a at 7.45 nearly always leaves on time - and this can be annoying as if your 1minute late, it has left already!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,532 ✭✭✭MDR


    I hate to generalise but I will in this case, these are loose descriptions.

    New Drivers = Young Men, Women or Non-Irish , lovely people, well mannered, generally good attitude and drivers.

    Old Drivers = Old Men, been in a union 20 years, don't give a fcuk about this job 'cos they can't be sacked, attitude generally sucks, timekeeping generally sucks, just itching for another strike so they can teach the commutters of the city who is boss.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,389 ✭✭✭✭Saruman


    Hmmm.. sounds like people in General... some are nice, some fruitcakes... and some rotten b@stards.

    My dad is a driver.. has been for 15 years or more i think. He is very nice though not like some drivers who get on the com and tell jokes like some Jamaican driver i was told about.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15,552 ✭✭✭✭GuanYin


    The most annoying Dublin Bus employee is that inspector guy who directs the 46A bus on westmorland street in the mornings.

    Not many people envoke violent feelings in me, but sometimes I imagine myself pushing him under one of those buses.......


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,628 ✭✭✭Asok


    Yeah thats a good point about the older drivers although some are very nice aswell but in most of my experiences any driver that was a grumpy prick was a bit older than usual


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,532 ✭✭✭MDR


    Hmmm.. sounds like people in General... some are nice, some fruitcakes... and some rotten b@stards.

    Thats a fair point, but if walked into a shop and got bad service I wouldn't go back. However if I have the same expierence with a bus driver, I don't really have the option not to use the service in future.

    I recognise that there is attitude of change in the upper management of the bus service, and I do also except the rules I have outlined don't apply to all the old school. But after years of using Dublin, I can almost recognise the bus driver who is going to be ignornant, bad timekeeping etc in advance and they are predominantily members of the old school.

    It isn't unique to Dublin bus, you get it in alot of civil service positions. Garda, Irish Rail, Tax Office etc ... we will have to do something about all of these groups, but I don't see these other groups as regularily as I see Dublin Bus Drivers, hence my stronger resentment.

    I am unsuprised that they are circulating rumours about Jamican Drivers ... they probabily feel threatened by them ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 35,523 ✭✭✭✭Gordon


    It really annoys me when you get boy racers where they speed round every corner making you get neck strain from keeping level. Also if waiting for like 45 minutes or more (for the 18 :rolleyes: ) you turn for a split second and the bus has speeded past you without you able to hail it down. Heck sometimes they don't even stop yea.

    I also hate the fact that they change drivers, I'm sure there's a good reason. But you can be waiting for ages for a bus and get on then half way down the road the bus stops to wait for a driver. You wait for ages while busses go by that you could be on and up saunters a driver to get on (promptly taking 15 minutes to get himself sorted ffs). You complain and what do they tell you?

    "Ah well I was on time so don't blame me, it was actually you [the bus you're on] that is early!" Great deflecting logic that eh.

    :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,532 ✭✭✭MDR


    But you can be waiting for ages for a bus and get on then half way down the road the bus stops to wait for a driver. You wait for ages while busses go by that you could be on and up saunters a driver to get on (promptly taking 15 minutes to get himself sorted ffs).

    That drives me nuts, it is so damn unprofessional, like the 100 people on the bus have nothing better to do than wait on you ass.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,389 ✭✭✭✭Saruman


    I am unsuprised that they are circulating rumours about Jamican Drivers ... they probabily feel threatened by them ?

    No not a rumour... a friend mentioned it on whatever route she took (she is from Canada). Anyway she thought he was funny.. apparently he sang (reggae?) and everything!!


    As for the "old School" well its like this.. its almost impossible to fire them due to unions and stuff so they feel they can do what they like.. as a result get passed up for promotion due to their muppetry and so they feel they should add to it by taking it out on customers.. bad system!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,532 ✭✭✭MDR


    How on earth do you break the unions at Dublin Bus ?
    is it possible ?
    is it something you would want to do ?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 78,218 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Originally posted by MDR
    I am unsuprised that they are circulating rumours about Jamican Drivers ... they probabily feel threatened by them ?
    What rumours?


  • Registered Users Posts: 35,523 ✭✭✭✭Gordon


    A mate of mine had the most amazing story involving a really nast and racist driver once. I won't go into the details but the driver was clearly in the wrong. My mate stood up for the person being targeted by the driver and demanded satisfaction by taking the guys number etc. They driver was bricking it while my mate stayed on the bus until they got to the terminus and to an inspector. The thing is they got to an inspector on the road - my mate got out, the inspector fobbed him off for a second - the bus drove off and my mate had no grounds for complaint as he "had left the bus after the incident took place". I am still in awe of this.

    Dublin bus sure does need a good cleansing, mind you I have seen some fine guys and women driving the buses. Would love to get on a bus with that happy Jamaican guy, someone send a nice letter to Dublin bus about him!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,532 ✭✭✭MDR




  • Registered Users Posts: 78,218 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Originally posted by Gordon
    A The thing is they got to an inspector on the road - my mate got out, the inspector fobbed him off for a second - the bus drove off and my mate had no grounds for complaint as he "had left the bus after the incident took place". I am still in awe of this.
    The policy is noted on buses near the driver as something to the effect of you havign to notify the driver of a complaint - your friend had, he was merely taking it up the chain of command with the inspector. I think there is still a valid complaint there.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,322 ✭✭✭Repli


    Just use a bus ticket.. avoid the drivers completely :P


  • Registered Users Posts: 35,523 ✭✭✭✭Gordon


    Yeah Vic, he knew he could have taken it further but didn't have the time to help out this person. Sorry, I just had to grumble.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭oneweb


    Mostly use a ticket, but when I've needed to pay cash into that yokey I've more often than not had an acceptible interaction. There are in fairness some fantastic drivers, as mentioned, who wait on runners-up.

    But then again, there's always a bad apple. This driver is the grumpiest bsatard evar (well, except for the guy in AST canteen). Went past the stop 'cos he claimed 'you didn't push the bell', gave out sh!te to me for putting €2 in and waiting for a change ticket 'you're supposed to have exact change'. Only I'm too nice I woulda told 'im where to put it.

    Then there was this driver who had the whole bus (about 8 ppl) in stiches. He was just the funniest, commenting about two ladies and their kids upstairs (I was at the front door) over the speakers. They were loving it, as was the driver and the rest of us.

    Not all the older ones are nasty tho as was said. Some of those are really sound too.

    Don't forget the amount of wan|<ers tossers and other troublemakers they have to put up with on the buses tho.

    It is what it's.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,315 ✭✭✭ballooba


    Originally posted by Saruman
    My dad is a driver.. has been for 15 years or more i think. He is very nice though not like some drivers who get on the com and tell jokes like some Jamaican driver i was told about.

    A la the bacardi ad?

    I get the 11 quite a lot and the driver caught me short changing him one day (I'm a bad person!!). Now he's evil as fúck whenever i get on his bus.


  • Moderators Posts: 3,815 ✭✭✭LFCFan


    I was crossing the road on Dame Street one evening, where the Sony Centre is. Well, the lights finally went green for pedestrians to cross and just as I stood on the road to cross a bus sped past me after breaking the red light. I looked up just in time to see the driver laughing at me. The fcuker nearly killed me because of his dangerous driving and he had the cheek to laugh at me. Only for I was in shock from nearly being killed I would have ran after the bastrd and broke his fcuking neck. How the hell do these people get intrusted with peoples lives?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,455 ✭✭✭dmeehan


    i was on a 90 before and the bus driver was singing on the PA all the way down the quays

    when we got to o'connell bridge he announced cheerfully that this was the stop for the city center

    its a pity that he is the exception rather than the rule


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 484 ✭✭ManWithThePlan


    I cringe in my seat when the drivers drive through Wexford town.
    I can't believe there hasn't been an accident yet.
    They swing the bus full speed out into the middle of the road and miss the cars by inches!
    You wouldn't have a chance if you ploughed into one of those buses tbh.

    I've also noticed alot of the drivers texting on their mobile when driving, driving with their elbows, one guy even took a book out on his steering wheel and started reading it while driving!

    Don't know if these shenannigans happen nationwide but it sure makes the bus journey interesting..!


  • Registered Users Posts: 27 aoifejane


    Originally posted by ManWithThePlan
    I cringe in my seat when the drivers drive through Wexford town.
    Is this the viking bus service?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 484 ✭✭ManWithThePlan


    No, bus eireann..


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 616 ✭✭✭Crock Rock


    Dublin bus drivers do a wonderful job with awful shift patterns with piss-poor pay.


    They are one of the civil servants who I have sympathy for and genuinely deserve a minimum of 50% pay increase. A Dublin Bus driver should earn a minimum of €35,000 per anum starting off.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,481 ✭✭✭Allinall


    Crock Rock wrote: »
    Dublin bus drivers do a wonderful job with awful shift patterns with piss-poor pay.


    They are one of the civil servants who I have sympathy for and genuinely deserve a minimum of 50% pay increase. A Dublin Bus driver should earn a minimum of €35,000 per anum starting off.

    They do.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,937 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    Crock Rock wrote: »
    Dublin bus drivers do a wonderful job with awful shift patterns with piss-poor pay.


    They are one of the civil servants who I have sympathy for and genuinely deserve a minimum of 50% pay increase. A Dublin Bus driver should earn a minimum of €35,000 per anum starting off.
    Did it take you 16 years to come up with that! :pac:


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,071 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    Locked


This discussion has been closed.
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