Now ye're talking - to a bus driver

d8491prj5boyvg · 16-07-2019 9:08am

What's the deal with "Stand clear, luggage doors operate"??! Why not "stand clear, the luggage doors are operating"?

irish_goat · 16-07-2019 9:09am

How do you think you would cope if you were driving down Dame Street and suddenly told you couldn't go below 50 or the bus would explode?

Stephen15 · 16-07-2019 9:21am

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA wrote: »

I would imagine that an Operator would not allow their vehicles to leave the depot in the event of an organized refusal to accept fares.

That's an interesting point but you'd wonder which would cost the company more lost revenue from a fares free day or NTA fines

IAMAMORON · 16-07-2019 10:04am

Do you still all go for pints in the Bachelors Inn and watch the soccer on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, when your supposed to be out serving passengers?

I dare you too honestly answer that.

punisher5112 · 16-07-2019 10:10am

Are my questions going to be answered or is it because I didn't put my hand out???

Envelope436 · 16-07-2019 10:17am

How do you determine when the bus is too full to take more passengers? Is it your own judgement or is there a system in place?

Bandana boy · 16-07-2019 10:24am

Do you have a funny answer for passengers when they say thanks

A driver I used to see a lot always replied to a thank you with no worries bud I was going this way anyway.

has a female passenger ever asked you if she had a ronnie ?

Dyr · 16-07-2019 10:32am

Was just listening to a couple of work colleagues sharing their tales of woe involving bad tempered, incompetent bus drivers (Bus Eireann drivers tbf). They both expressed their intense dislike for public transport

Do bus drivers ever feel like they might have a played a role Irish peoples dislike for buses?

wawaman · 16-07-2019 11:42am

How do you manage the toilet breaks when you are en route?

MrVestek · 16-07-2019 11:51am

If Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus were to have a fight to the death.. who do you think would win?

Also... do you think the runners up would have to fight the Luas drivers?

Cork Trucker · 16-07-2019 11:53am

Why do a company like Bus Eireann who are 'screaming out for drivers' reject a large number of applicants despite the low level of interest in the job in the modern day, also why must someone who was previously rejected wait a minimum of 12 months to reapply.

I'm a former coach driver myself for a private operator, is this something you will consider once you retire from your current position.

rameire · 16-07-2019 1:29pm

Seen as you are a bus driver, I would assume you have many of the bus license categories,
have you due to this fact completed the License bingo and completed all other categories on your driving License?

Cork Trucker · 16-07-2019 1:54pm

rameire wrote: »

Seen as you are a bus driver, I would assume you have many of the bus license categories,
have you due to this fact completed the License bingo and completed all other categories on your driving License?

First time i have ever heard this :pac:

bluefinger · 16-07-2019 1:58pm

Will 3 answers arrive all together?

Yer Da sells Avon · 16-07-2019 2:01pm

Has a quarter of a century doing this job had a negative impact on your physical health?

(uncomfortable seats, irregular shift patterns, etc)

madein · 16-07-2019 2:58pm

Have you ever parked the bus in the depot with somone on board asleep.

NeinNeinNein · 16-07-2019 3:38pm

Do you ever forget where you are going and end up half way to where you shouldn't be?

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA · 16-07-2019 6:11pm

mikemac2 wrote: »

Do you have to do mandatory health checks?

Can a bad medical report force you off the road? I’m thinking cardio issues as an obvious example

All Group 2 Driving Licence holders are subject to a full medical every 5 years (Group 2 Licences are only valid for 5 years)

Some larger Operators also have their own Medial Officers who are entitled,in the interest of safety,to insist on higher standards than the published RSA guidelines.

The RSA publish a very comprehensive guide for Medical Practitioners which is available on their website,containing the full range of conditions which may effect a Driving Licence holders fitness to hold or exercise their licence vocationally.

https://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Licensed%20Drivers/Medical_Issues/Medical%20Fitness%20Guidelines.pdf

Modern medical practice now allows a great many people to resume Driving even after certain Cardiac events,so while it is true that a serious medical will "force" you off the road,it does not follow that all Cardiac issues will be so classified.

IAMAMORON · 16-07-2019 6:16pm

Here come here.

The answers to these questions are later than the buses we are all hanging around waiting for...

It is disgraceful in fairness. I asked my question this morning and I am still waiting. I am complaining to management.

Jeepers you wouldn't want to be in a rush.

16-07-2019 6:17pm

Do you have a bus driver nemesis? One that you won't wave too, instead you give him the narrowed eye?

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA · 16-07-2019 6:31pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

Thanks for doing this AMA. This is a sector I'm very interested in and one which I may pursue a career in future years whether as a bus/train driver or working in public transport in general.

Do you reccomend the job for a younger person as I find it seems that a lot of bus drivers are older guys particualry the DB however i have noticed that Go-Ahead seem to have a number of younger drivers working for them?

How difficult is to drive a bus compared to car, would it be very daunting at first for example?

Which shift do you prefer late or early?

What's the best and worst part of your job?

I would have no hesitation in recommending Bus Driving as a career path for any interested young person.

However,that does not mean that you (or anybody else) should not do your due-diligence on the pro's and con's of what the Job entails and whether you are physically and phsychologically suited to the Job.

There is a huge and ongoing shortage of Drivers across the sector,due to amongst other issues,a far too high age limit for accquiring the relevant Driving Licence (21/24).

There is absolutely no valid reason in the 21st Century,that a young,interested and enthusiastic 18 year old,should not be entitled to sit a Class 2 Driving Licence.

With our 2nd and 3rd Level education options having largely abandoned Trades and "Manual" Professions,this means most 21/24 Year olds will have had little opportunity to have a look at Driving as a career option.

https://www.thejournal.ie/truck-drivers-shortage-ireland-3-3854511-Feb2018/

The Driver age figures within the Bus & Coach sector are also well above what they need to be in order to allow the smooth progress it requires...

Average age of a European Busdriver is an astounding 52 Years old :eek:.

https://www.iru.org/resources/newsroom/fifth-driver-positions-unfilled-european-road-transport-sector

The industry also suffers from an ageing labour force. In Europe the majority of freight transport sector companies are employing drivers whose average age is 44 years old, while in the passenger transport sector the average age of their employed drivers is 52 years old.

The job is what it is...if you enjoy what you do,then it becomes as easy as pie.

Tow · 16-07-2019 6:35pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Do you have a bus driver nemesis? One that you won't wave too, instead you give him the narrowed eye?

A Nemesis passenger would be worse.

There was an elderly English Lady (professor in TCD?) who lived around Leeson Street/Wellington Road and was regularly on the No 10, back in the day. Woe betide any driver who did not stop directly in front of where she was waving her walking stick up and down. She knew how to complain...

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA · 16-07-2019 6:45pm

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

Has a quarter of a century doing this job had a negative impact on your physical health?

(uncomfortable seats, irregular shift patterns, etc)

Maybe it has,but any medicals I sit,come back positive,with Heart and BP all normal.

If you spend 25 years at any occupation (Politics excepted

) it is bound to have some shaping effect on your body & soul.

Everybody has to develop coping regimes to their individual lifestyles,some do it easily,whilst some spend a good deal of time fighting battles and striving to impose their requirements upon their Jobs (Not specific to Busdriving).

That rarely works out well,for either the Employee,Employer or Customer !

My strong advice to anybody who feels really put-upon by the demands of the Job,is to GET-OUT FAST before the constant grind really does cause you hurt.

There is now a vast accessibility to different and challenging occupations,and hobbies,which was never available to past generations,which forced so many people to slave away at jobs which destroyed them,mentally & physically...so there is no reason for anybody to allow Busdriving to be their downfall.

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA · 16-07-2019 7:09pm

Sexual Chocolate wrote: »

Do you find newer buses more reliable these days or were the older ones just as good ?

What's the highest mileage you've seen on one ? The old AVs and AXs in Dublin Bus must easily have more then a million kms.....

Do you feel Dublin in general could do with more single deckers ?

Were the bendy buses years ago in Dublin a complete f*** up as some people have claimed in your opinion ?

And finally do you think that public transport should be cash-less ? As in Leap cards only.

Once the Rose-Tints come off,most drivers would have to concede that newer designs of vehicle have a FAR higher degree of comfort and access than past designs.

Hard Leaf cart-springs with low powered engines,spewing out vast clouds of blue/black smoke,with oil and coolant constantly leaking and exhaust fumes wafting up into the body of the bus as rivers of rainwater and condensation soaked into your sleeves......ah but,was'nt the oul Atlantean a great yoke altogether.

There may well be a case for some single-deck vehicles,but the flexibility and capacity of the Double Deck remains it's strong point,and will do for many years yet.

There is definitely scope for Articulated Bus operation in Dublin,but only if the infrastructure is installed before the vehicles arrive.

Dublins last brush with bendies,was one of the most glaring examples of our long standing desire for hardship in anything we attempt.

Attempting to operate a fleet of 18.75 Mtr long articulated vehicles,in and out of Bus Bays designed to accomodate 9.8 Mtr rigid vehicles would have stumped Aristotle or Newton,and the choice of Volvo vehicles which did'nt exactly set the Nordic Forests alight,ensured that rigidity would be maintained in Éire.

As for cashless,it's inevitable,and will occur very rapidly indeed...I'd go with 2021 as being the last hurrah for the thrupenny bit....:)

punisher5112 · 16-07-2019 7:16pm

Just wondering am I a ghost???

I asked questions on the 1st page and got no answer!!!

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA · 16-07-2019 7:22pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

That's an interesting point but you'd wonder which would cost the company more lost revenue from a fares free day or NTA fines

Some people may be confusing the two Free Fare Saturdays,which the Dept of Transport forced Dublin Bus to provide,following a mix-up over Fare Increases many years ago.

I've Never wondered once about it,but perhaps others lie awake over it.

It may well interest some,but it's largely moot and a scenario not likely to occur anytime soon...not worth spending too much time pondering on,whilst the Planet continues to spin ever onwards.

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA · 16-07-2019 7:25pm

Tow wrote: »

A Nemesis passenger would be worse.

There was an elderly English Lady (professor in TCD?) who lived around Leeson Street/Wellington Road and was regularly on the No 10, back in the day. Woe betide any driver who did not stop directly in front of where she was waving her walking stick up and down. She knew how to complain...

Encountered her many times......" DO I HAVE TO PAY YOU PEOPLE EXTRA TO PULL INTO THE KERB ?"

I fear she now occupies a spot on the kerb outside St Peters Depot....:(

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA · 16-07-2019 7:44pm

Now,where was I.......................

punisher5112 wrote: »

Anyone ever attacked you?

No.

Have you put anyone off? [/QUOTE] Off the bus,or off the Job ? Yes to the first.....Hmmmmm to the second .

Have you been in many crashes?

Accident Free....up to today.

Have you ever been sacked?

I recall being laid-off temporarily,during a dispute many years back.

Has anyone ever died on your bus?

Not to my knowledge.

Have you ever knocked someone down?

Not that I recall.

How do you find the public treat you?

Neutrally,the way I like it,I'm not looking for anything else.

Did you only plan working for the summer and leave after?

No that was not the case.

How do you cope doing without toilet facilities for 5 to 7 hours without....?

Again,personally I dont encounter any problems,I take care not to drink Tea/Coffee (diruretics) too close to my starting time,and I make sure to empty my bladder before returning after my break..that routine has worked for me so far. That's not to detract from the reality that the lack of such facilities as part of the Public Transport system Is a MAJOR issue and a true disgrace in the 21st Century.

Roll on Brexit.....

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/sadiq-khan-to-spend-6m-on-toilets-for-london-bus-drivers-a3765906.html

However,whats necessary for some,is an impediment for others.....

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-46471578

Perhaps somebody on here has the definitive answer...I don't

Apologies for the non-operation of some earlier services....this was due to Operational Issues...:D

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA · 16-07-2019 7:48pm

IAMAMORON wrote: »

Do you still all go for pints in the Bachelors Inn and watch the soccer on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, when your supposed to be out serving passengers?

I dare you too honestly answer that.

Only ever in the Bachelor (no 's') Inn once in my life,and not in uniform.

What is "Soccer"

My passengers would be already well served...in the Bachelor itself,I suspect ?

I'm a Bus Driver, AMA · 16-07-2019 8:59pm

unkel wrote: »

There will no longer be any need for professional drivers like bus drivers, lorry drivers, taxi drivers or delivery drivers within the next 10-15 years or so. Autonomous vehicles will be much cheaper and much safer and will take over.

I guess you will be retired by then, but is this a hot topic amongst your younger colleagues? All of them will lose their jobs soon enough.

Tepid,or perhaps lukewarm I'd suggest.

Retired I shall indeed be,but my pensioners pizza will still arrive in a Nissan Micra...and I'll be still encountering the stare of a human bean behind whatever type of steering gear is on the bus.

I'm very confident that fully autonomous Bus operation remains at least 30 years away in the first world....whilst here in the valley of the silicon shamrock,I'd predict 40 years before it merits a trial....:)

My ol pal Jarrett Walker has a thoughtful piece here....

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/10/bus-best-public-transit-cities/574399/

However,as you suggest,life is constantly evolving and nothing stays the same for long....but I'm still going with 40 - 50 years before my kind becomes extinct....:D

https://www.citylab.com/life/2016/12/meet-the-high-tech-buses-of-tomorrow/509417/

"Streets are very complicated environments to drive in; you got jaywalkers and bike riders who sometimes dart out in front of the bus,” he says. “I think solving the technology problems for an urban bus to be safe is going to be very tough.” Even assuming that buses are equipped with proper safety features, there’s the potential problem of pedestrians adjusting their behavior for the worse.

That’s the basis for one recent research paper that uses game theory to suggest that when pedestrian learn that autonomous vehicles always stop for people, they’ll jaywalk with impunity. Robo-buses, therefore, are “not high on my list on what would make public transportation more viable,” Salvucci says. So what is?

This is the Salvucci being quoted....

https://transitlab.mit.edu/frederick-salvucci

Now ye're talking - to a bus driver

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