"I'm In Charge" Bus Driver.

[j.c.d.]

The mention on another post concerning coinage being rolled up by the Bus Conductor before he got to the Depot reminded me of the days when usually the Conductors word was enough if some one had a bit too much too drink or youths ( like me) were getting a bit too boisterous. usually just a word was enough. failing that the Conductor would say "I'll bring the Driver round" and that would be sufficient . Failing that a signal would stop the Bus, the Driver would get out, meanwhile the bus has gone completely quiet, The Driver would go to the "Trouble Area" and usually just a word along the lines of "Anymore and your off the Bus" would be enough.
There seemed to be respect gor the two men just doing their job and it seldom went further than that.

I do recall coming down from Morley on the last bus on my Pals Stag Night, we all had plenty to drink, I got off at Elland Rd. and the rest of the lads went on to town. The Groom To Be got a bit stroppy with the Conductor which ended at the Corn Exchange where my pal offered the Conductor off of the bus. He had other ideas and apparently wound the ticket dispenser around his fist and smote (good word) my pal over the head.
The following day after the wedding at St. Patricks R.C. Church the photographer was heard saying "Could the Groom Please keep his head UP" as he had a sticking plaster cross on top of his head......... One of the Plus's of that era was that you tended to accept that sometimes you got what you deserved.

Also "The Inspector" was a name that was spoken quite reverently, as in " Her Husbands an Inspector on the Buses" in a tone now used for a Brain Surgeon or the like.
In those days every body travelled on a bus and woe betide anyone who lost or even rolled up, as I did, their ticket. this person dressed in a long green coat and matching hat (?) tended to strut up and down the vehicle as if he owned it.


Ps. Sorry if I have recounted the wedding story before.

[j.c.d.]

Anther thing concerning buses is that at my age as a lad we were used to boarding Trams which in most cases meant walking out to the middle of the road to get on it. though there was not a great deal of motorised traffic around then you still took your life in your hands standing in the crocodile line from the pavement, horse and carts were also a hazard as they had trouble stopping. The much more modern bus came to the pavement..
Another thing gone is the call of a Street name before every stop reminding passengers who were not sure where to get off (alight)

"Shaftesbury...Lupton Avenue... Vinery's... Free Hold St.... Hope Inn... Woodpecker.... Marsh Lane...etc.



Guess I sound like someone out of Dickens .

[tyke bhoy]

Another thing gone is the call of a Street name before every stop reminding passengers who were not sure where to get off (alight)

"Shaftesbury...Lupton Avenue... Vinery's... Free Hold St.... Hope Inn... Woodpecker.... Marsh Lane...etc.

I think part funded by an access charity there was an aborted attempt at stop names being announced from a recording on the Arriva 110 service about 10 years ago. My memory grows hazy here but it may have been accompanied by the stop also appearing on an animated LED display at the front of the top deck. The audio was predominantly aimed at the visually impaired and at the time there was at least one regular passenger on the route who had a guide dog.

The audio was however grating and became particularly annoying when it went out of sync with the stops which of course made it totally useless for those at which it was aimed. I experienced the out of syn on several occasions including one where I travelled from Leeds Bus Station to Outwood but the stop announced as we approached Black Bull Street was beyond my Outwood stop. I think it was announcing Durkar/Sandal stops when I got off. Also on at least one occasion every stop named was in the reverse direction of my journey.

The announcements have now resumed on the new Sapphire buses on the 110 route (complete with plug sockets and wifi). This time my memory is good enough to relate that there is also a visual display behind the front nearside seat adjacent to the door and behind the front offside seat on the top deck. Accuracy this time is more or less guaranteed as it is presumably "driven" by the same GPS that is used for bus location on MyNextBus and other tracking sites/apps.

[j.c.d.]

In my day i don't think there was anything Automated, maybe the conductors ticket machine. even changing the destination sign up front was done by the driver manually.

Calling out the stop names on a journey reminds me of the old gag.

Two Paddy's new to England were on the Bus in the 1950s. as the Bus went along the Conductor called out " John Street .."David Street," a bit later "Jack Lane" ...... MIck nudged Paddy and said " Don't you think its about time we got off ?" and Paddy said " No i think we sit here 'till they call your name"

[francof]

I, tragically have to use the bus a lot. Most drivers I find at the best are ignorant , at the worst simply obnoxious. Historically this has always been the case. Thus, the original posters dewy eyed memories of "salt of the earth" bus conductors/ drivers sadly cuts no ice with me. Today on the 110 the driver looked like a moth and bloody drove like one.

[buffaloskinner]

I tragically have to use the bus a lot. Most drivers I find at the best are ignorant , at the worst simply obnoxious. Historically this has always sadly been the case. Thus the original posters dewy eyed memories of "salt of the earth" conductors and .drivers cuts no ice with me. Today on the 110 the driver looked like a moth and bloody drove like one.

As a bus driver for 24 years I found that the moral of drivers and other staff went downhill after deregulation in 1986. It then became all for profit, no different it seems the British Rail, although there is now talk again that it may well be Nationalised.

Look at East Coast, made loads of profit and they still put it back into the private sector.

[j.c.d.]

Do know that years ago in the morning rush hour that buses could be full within a few stops .e g I used to get on a bus at the Broadway Pub, Dewsbury Rd. and the Terminus was only a few stops higher but the bus could go sailing by full. some times as we all scrambled to get on the platform the Conductor would count heads and then put his arm out "That's enough" he would sometimes make an exception if at the front was a pretty girl.

[sparky415]

I remember the schoolbus driver for Tinshill Middle school about 1985.He was awsome. Would drive wildly from oneside to side, rocking about..to much jeering......top bloke..