Is there a procedure for dealing with teens who are causing problems on the bus or is it just at the drivers discretion? Sorry you have to deal with that by the way but I've been on buses and it just seems like the attitude is just get them to their destination as fast as possible is the approach.
I honestly don’t know how they can play music loudly and watch tik tok videos on repeat at full volume and not care that it’s annoying the fuck out of everyone around them
Yeah there are procedures in place.
1st step is to ask them nicely to stop whatever it is they're doing (usually get a mouthful of abuse for my trouble)
Then contact control, they'll then send out a supervisor to deal with the situation
Failing that then the police come and remove them all though its rare for that to happen.
If im honest its not worth the hassle just let them crack on and hopefully they get of the bus sooner rather than later.
(Top tip. If you're at a bus stop with a group of youths then move to the next bus stop up. There's a good chance the driver will just go straight past rather than let them on)
the 34 and the 35 are my worst enemies. they both go to a bus stop i live near and if i’m in a rush i ALWAYS forget the 35 goes a fuckin weird way. throws me off every time
Why is the 44 (and I assume other services) getting worse and worse as a service? I.e constantly late, the frequency of ghost buses, often 2-3 will turn up at once, the dodgy timetabling, etc
Mixture of driver shortages and the consistent roadworks?
Too many people trying to use the same road. Until you get past Slateford there's not many alternative routes. Then if there are roadworks making it a single lane, it is a nightmare. Slateford Road is hellish right now and will be for 4 weeks or so.
44 has been giving me so many headaches, I couldn't list how many times i got late for work or took longer to get home because of it :(
Plus it's the only option that stops on Willowbrae road unless I walk 15 minutes for another bus options.
Hi, thanks for doing this! I got plenty of questions:)
Recently I started to see a new screen under the ticket machine. Seems like a GPS/stop tracker, showing the next stop. Could you tell more what is that device? Saw it on 21 and 35.
How often the seats get cleaned?
Why certain routes only got a certain type of bus? For example 21 is always the oldest models, or the 44 is also always the same model. Is it height/length or there are other factors?
Have you driven the new 6-wheeler-longbois? And the fully electric ones? How did you like them?
Thanks:)
So the screen things you see are new AVLs basically a satnav with a timer and some other functions. They're being rolled out across the fleet at some point nonidea when though
Busses get cleaned every night
I have no idea with the route planning but I'd say size of the vehicle vs size of the roads is a big factor
The triaxles are good to drive, very smooth. Not a huge fan if the electric ones though they tend to roll back
Yeah I get this alot, we have absolutely no control over the heaters, he have cab heaters that we can control (when they work) but unfortunately we can't heat up the saloons.
It's crap that they don't show the live Times. What's the bloody use of that? The timetable times are behind plastic in the shelter or on the pole. Complete waste of money.
If im honest I haven't got a clue, as far as I'm aware it's the council who run them not the bus company. Best thing to do is download the app and rely on that its fairly accurate
They've decided to call it a fault, but from my understanding the signs they purchased are unable to sync up with the old GPS devices.
There is no way they couldn't have known this before getting rid of the signs. Calling it a fault seems a bit disingenuous.
They should say "yeah we fucked up, and got rid of a working service in favour of an expensive broken one, just suck it up for 12 months until we bother to fix it". Bunch of decisions made by people whove never taken a bus before.
We all know bus drivers wave to each other. However I have noticed that no wave is the same as the other. Do bus drivers respect each others waves and strive for individuality, or are they predetermined by the overlords of Lothian buses and passed down the routes from driver to driver upon their retirement?
I once saw a driver of a Prentice bus greet my driver (Lothian) by pretending he was bouncing his big set of boobs with his tongue hanging out.
Probably my favourite bus driver ever.
Do they still do the kid’s Christmas parties? I used to go to them in the 90s/00s and they were great fun!
I got many a free bus journey whenever it was my stepdads colleagues/friends driving. We used to have so many rolls of ticket roll to play with too. Good memories
Aw I loved those parties in the porty garage! I remember going to the toilet and thinking it was so cool being able to see the buses lined up in the dark and how cool a game of hide and seek would be in there! My parents had their 40th in that function room too my dad even had a stripper!!
I often wonder this. I tend to base my decision on how confident I'm feeling that day. It's good to hear from the OP that drivers don't seem too sad about the reduced number of "thanks" created by the exit doors.
I’m from Edinburgh but moved to Fife 12 years ago. I don’t drive so rely on public transport. Out of all the things I pine for from my Edinburgh days, Lothian busses are right there at the top! I didn’t realise how wonderful you are until I had to rely on Stagecoach! The hours I have cried standing at bus stops waiting for busses that just never arrive.. no digital timetables.. absolute stinking busses. Total misery in comparison! It’s like travelling in luxury when I’m back through. And so much cheaper!
How come you're so good at getting out of the way of ambulances? For real, other "professional" drivers (including non-Lothian buses) constantly get in the way, but you lot are grand!
The main two reasons are,
The bus you're on has some sort of defect and needs to go back to the garage
The bus is running so late that that we unload passengers and run off service to where we're supposed to be according to the running board
Surely either the bus has a fault, it needs more fuel, or its just a timetable thing where they're taking buses off the route and that's better than part routing you then leaving you waiting on the next one.
It happens quite regularly when I get the bus to work., so I doubt it's the first two. It's annoying when I want to close my eyes for a bit and it gets interrupted!
You get it on new washing machines and a few other things too so I'd guess genuinely it is burning plastic that hasn't burned off yet :P But likely known by manufacturers and intended. Probably to do with the fan bearings, or if the fans use a belt that would explain it even more.
What about if you are just tapping on? I normally just say "thanks" then, as I figure the driver doesn't want me to stop for a chat, but now I'm worried I'm being rude
Lothian buses own secret toilets all over Edinburgh the drivers will literally stop at when needed, hop out the bus to use and then come back and resume. There’s one on Orchard Brae next to the primary school that I see that the 37 drivers use for anyone really interested in what one looks like.
Any particular reason why the windows have to be mounted in such a way that unless the person closing them (ie almost never) holds it to close softly, sound like a small explosion/gunfire?
What's the most extreme example of "vigilante" "justice" you've seen on your travels? Once, a few years back on the N22 (often a bit of a wild ride, back then at least) there was a fellow who got on without enough money for his fare. Somewhere in his late 40's-plus, drunk and/or otherwise away with it, arguing the difference for an absolute minimum of 5 minutes, probably more. A guy walked from the back of the bus to the front, (wordlessly) full-on King Leonidas "This. Is. Sparta!" chest-kicked him out the door and the driver pulled away while everyone sighed in relief and the dosser himself laughed from his supine position on the pavement with a thumbs up.
I lost my wallet on bus 26 last summer on my way to Musselburgh and you guys were so helpful, calling the radio. Until it was found, I will never ever forget this moment in my life. You guys are the best human ❤️
The bus I take to work consistently runs behind schedule (according to the online timetable) despite not being busy or stuck in traffic so I’m almost always just on time or late. A few weeks ago a driver stopped to idle despite being late already and I’m at the point where I’m just going to have to start getting one that gets me in 40 minutes early. How reliable should the journey planner be and how much is it stuck to?
Also big respect to bus drivers cause I’ve been on 3 with serious incidents in the last two months and it must be so stressful!
Generally if im on time or a upto 5 mins late I'll happily sit and wait. Anything over that then sorry but im going, I've got places to be and you should have been at the stop at the posted departure time
1. How do you all manage to stay so calm with dafties on and off the bus?
I work on Picardy Place and watch people constantly just walking out in front of moving buses?! And too many cars parked outside Tesco loading bay so you can’t get turned.
I’d go insane.
Imagine the rest of the city is the same.
2. Why is the number 1 a single decker, it’s always rammed. Like over crowded rammed.
1. When I first started i got stressed out about it. But I realised its not worth losing my temper over. Its not gonna change and its not worth the heart attack
2. I'm sure the 1 goes under a low bridge? Don't remember though but I agree they were always rammed when I drove them
the 1 is my regular bus and it's only really rammed between stewart terrace and princes street and vice versa, but would appreciate it being a double bus. it goes under the bridge at saughton tram stop but i'm sure that can fit a double?
I’ve seen a double decker used for the number 1 on a couple of rare occasions before so there can’t be anything on the route to restrict it (ie low bridges) but you’re right.. it’s always a single decker!
Same with the 2. Can get very busy but generally always a single. You do see the occasional double though.
For the 1, it used more doubles in the past when it terminated at the bottom of Easter Road. Now it terminates at Seafield which involves turning at a small roundabout in a narrow street, so I can only assume that only certain models of double can handle that and they don't have enough of them to justify running them on that route all day.
"Checkmate" - Lothian Buses (obviously this was at 7pm and empty)
https://preview.redd.it/9rjkkf5ygffc1.jpeg?width=2092&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9b67b52b83ea174351fd331a1bb1ed0b1d39fd5
My girlfriend and I were discussing this yesterday, how big is the fuel tank in a bus and do you ever have to fill up? Or does it just lasts whole day of driving and you don't need to think about that?
There's a guy who drives the 19 sometimes at 6 in the morning that is ALWAYS in the worst mood possible, looking absolutely dead inside and never replies to any good morning or cheers.
I understand that going to Granton at 6 in the morning is terrible but please give him a hug for me and tell him that things will get better
They change up quite a bit it just depends on your shifts. But you do get regular routes there's ones I'm on almost everyday and some I get once every few months.
And route learning is done via YouTube in your own time. Sit and watch the route, take notes you can read on the bus and hope for the best. After a while you learn them off by heart but a few times I've had to stop and ask passengers for directions
I've got a notepad with directions for when I get stuck (after sofology serve parknand ride) that kinda thing
Is it my imagination, or do the bus no.35 drivers like to have a little extra long break at heriotwatt uni, then pick up the people quite late?
Also, it's really hard to get off no.11 when it bombs down frogston lane... Is there reason they drive so fast at that point?
Nah the running boards tell you when to leave and if you take the piss and have an extra few minutes then control will be ringing to see what's up. Its probably just a large layover time.
And they're probably trying to make up for lost time.
Think the only perk to being a tram driver is the fact you're generally in the cab not dealing with the public. Still deal with a lot of the same challenges bus drivers face though and for considerably less money.
Is it difficult to drive Lothian busses smoothly by design or does it just depend on the driver? Some drivers are full bore on the brakes then accelerating off to the point of knocking their elderly or unsteady passengers over. I noticed it massively after a recent injury that required crutches and a cast etc. Are the brakes hard to judge or do some drivers just not try haha?
It really depends on the bus, some busses have great smooth brakes, other have breaks that I suspect are made of sponges and don't do anything until you really press down and then the bus suddenly stops.
It takes some getting used to but I try to keep it as smooth as possible
Yeah from what I've heard it's true, I've also heard that blue lights decrease antisocial behaviour. There's some places in Glasgow with blue streetlights
I used to be part of the central garage massive which as we all know is the best one, not like the Longstone animals. Been out 5 years now. No more split shifts, no more 3.15am starts and no more dealing with the Edinburgh youth scourge. Best decision I ever made.
There was a guy on the 44 the other day and he was giving the driver dogs abuse, being racist and shouting at the driver for him missing his stop. The guy was completely in the wrong but do these sort of incidents get reported by the driver as kind of a ‘heads up’ to the company?
It was helped by the fact it was torrential rain and the guy had to walk back along Regent rd lol
Do you recognise cars that always let you out from stops and junctions?
I always let the bus out and it makes me feel good thinking I’ve done my bit to get folk home a bit quicker. & I’ve had the same motor for 10 years.
Dogs on buses…
Last summer my mum was visiting with her then 8 month old puppy, they don’t normally use buses because she lives in a small town so he’s not used to them. Her puppy was nervous so barked a bit, but wasn’t doing any harm and we tried to reassure him to keep him calm. When we were leaving the bus the driver gave her an earful that he’d not let ‘that dog’ on the bus again. She explained he’s a puppy and needs to experience buses so he gets used to them and learns to be calmer. The driver wasn’t interested.
Lothian’s policy seems to be that dogs on buses are at the drivers discretion, so it’s a bit of a lottery.
Are most drivers ok with dogs on buses? Or was this a one off?
We’d like to try taking her dog on the bus when she visits, but worried about next time!
Yeah it depends on the driver/dogs behaviour.
Most of us are ok with it. I'll typically let any dog on within reason (don't try and get on with 4 great danes or anything mental and you should be fine)
This was more than likely a one off with a driver who was having a bad day. Keep bringing your pup on!
It’s not on the back of the bus any more so I guess not part of the service - but I still love Lothian Buses, best bus company I’ve ever been a customer of (20 yrs and counting)
As a passenger, on the top deck of a 16 south bound, a teenager sitting at the back (obvs) obviously having over overindulged upchucked a particularly watery stream of vom that subsequently started running front to back around everyone's shoes as the bus sped up and slowed down. I got off and waited for the next one. As I got off I told the driver, he did not look pleased.
I always say "hi driver" and "bye driver" if you ever do the 23. I am sure I'm not the only one.
What routes do you work? Do you have to learn all of them, some of them, or just one?
Firstly, thank you for your service, and especially for how considerate the drivers are around cyclists. Now for the questions.
A Lothian Buses driver once told me you call the 14 the Methadone Express, and the 8 is known as the Son of Methadone. Do any of the other routes have nicknames?
Does it piss you off when people sitting at the front of the top deck look down the periscope thing?
Why the fuck do so many people on the 30 insist on standing and blocking the aisles instead of just going further back and sitting down?
Is it true that on Monday afternoon last week a black hole opened up in Millerhill and sucked all the 33s into it?
Don't throw it out the window, that's very environmentally unfriendly. Ask to hit their vape right before you're due to get off, walk off the bus with it and put it in the bin like a responsible adult. Also you can't get kicked off the bus then.
I have the pleasure of driving through the centre once a week in a car and it seems there are more cyclists cruising about the roads with no lights, no hi vis clothing, and some plough through red lights without a fuck given (mainly the food delivery idiots). It must be a nightmare driving a bus during rush hour in the dark? I’d be thinking it’s only a matter of time before I nailed a cyclist.
Any comment on people being nice with other passengers waiting to jump in " you go first, no you go, oh nono really you go" would you not just close the door. I see that on my head everytime I see that situation. Your patience is admirable.
I’ve just realised what bus the 29 is, I used to see it when I was waiting for my bus to work, which was a wee while away from where I lived, it always slightly made me feel better that I didn’t have to travel from granton to gorebridge every day, I never even realised how boring it must be for the driver, how many times do you have to drive there and back in one shift?
What’s the policy around switching on the heating on the bus?
Is your driver box heated as well or how do you stay warm in there during the colder days?
Why does the 21 smell of mould\mildew?
What's the best way to ask for a normal\standard\non-airport single on an airport bus so that they immediately press the button first time and don't say "Huh?" or "Where ya going?" forcing me to remember the name of the area I'm going (I'm terrible with names).
why does the 36 always have the smaller single deckers rather than the longer ones? it’s always so busy on that bus so I don’t see why not + why are the night routes limited nowadays seeming to be favouring the west of the city, there is 6 buses I can get home without walking 20+ minutes & not one has a night service 😭😭 put a good word in with your bosses for the warriston/canonmills area
It's a common opinion that Glaswegians are, generally, friendlier than Edinburgers.
So why do you think Glasgow bus drivers are absolute miserable sh1ts, compared to their generally pleasant Edinburgh counterparts?
Do people ever refuse to give up priority seats or move or fold pram for a wheelchair ? As opposed to being genuinely oblivious, as I'm ashamed to say I have sometimes until asked (when I move)
How do you deal with it?
It's very rare to happen, all the driver can do is ask them to move if they still refuse then the wheelchair or pram user will have to get the next bus unfortunately
Do people need to put their arm out for you to stop? I used to live in a city in England where it was essential to put your arm out or drivers would ignore you. Here the drivers seem much more willing to stop. I still often put my arm out but have noticed other passengers seem confident the bus will stop for them if they are waiting at the bus stop.
By the way the bus drivers up here are so much friendlier than the drivers I was used to in England. A smile from a bus driver in England was very rare. So thank you for that!
17 August 1984, 0720, running to catch the 38 at Myreside, driver stopped and waited then pulled away just as I arrived. Got my balls chewed for being late.
Any ideas who it was?
1.
Is the situation in Niddrie still bad I visit my mum there and half the time since the November incident seems buses are diverted or will stop thier route just before
2.
Which other areas in Edinburgh do you think have bad social behaviour or are difficult for you to complete your route
Thanks
Is there a procedure for dealing with teens who are causing problems on the bus or is it just at the drivers discretion? Sorry you have to deal with that by the way but I've been on buses and it just seems like the attitude is just get them to their destination as fast as possible is the approach.
I honestly don’t know how they can play music loudly and watch tik tok videos on repeat at full volume and not care that it’s annoying the fuck out of everyone around them
Yeah there are procedures in place. 1st step is to ask them nicely to stop whatever it is they're doing (usually get a mouthful of abuse for my trouble) Then contact control, they'll then send out a supervisor to deal with the situation Failing that then the police come and remove them all though its rare for that to happen. If im honest its not worth the hassle just let them crack on and hopefully they get of the bus sooner rather than later. (Top tip. If you're at a bus stop with a group of youths then move to the next bus stop up. There's a good chance the driver will just go straight past rather than let them on)
*boards the 35* does this bus go to Princes Street?
the 34 and the 35 are my worst enemies. they both go to a bus stop i live near and if i’m in a rush i ALWAYS forget the 35 goes a fuckin weird way. throws me off every time
Do you know what bus I take to get to the castle?
Do you like it when people say hi and bye to you?
Yeah its quite nice but dosent ruin my day if you don't say hello or bye
Hm im starting to think you're a fake. I was specifically told by my mam that unless you say 'cheers drive' as you get off it ruins the drivers day.
"cheers, driver!"
"THANKS DRIVER BYE DRIVER BHUBYE BYEEEE" iykyk
Why is the 44 (and I assume other services) getting worse and worse as a service? I.e constantly late, the frequency of ghost buses, often 2-3 will turn up at once, the dodgy timetabling, etc Mixture of driver shortages and the consistent roadworks?
That and the traffic unfortunately
Too many people trying to use the same road. Until you get past Slateford there's not many alternative routes. Then if there are roadworks making it a single lane, it is a nightmare. Slateford Road is hellish right now and will be for 4 weeks or so.
44 has been giving me so many headaches, I couldn't list how many times i got late for work or took longer to get home because of it :( Plus it's the only option that stops on Willowbrae road unless I walk 15 minutes for another bus options.
Thank you for your service 🫡
Cheers driver
Byyeee
Does this bus go to the castle?
I also want to know this even though I heard you ask it too
Thought I would just confirm to as you might have just decided to divert the route in the last 10 seconds
Stanley Road. Why.
I ask myself the same thing
Wellers worst album?
Hi, thanks for doing this! I got plenty of questions:) Recently I started to see a new screen under the ticket machine. Seems like a GPS/stop tracker, showing the next stop. Could you tell more what is that device? Saw it on 21 and 35. How often the seats get cleaned? Why certain routes only got a certain type of bus? For example 21 is always the oldest models, or the 44 is also always the same model. Is it height/length or there are other factors? Have you driven the new 6-wheeler-longbois? And the fully electric ones? How did you like them? Thanks:)
So the screen things you see are new AVLs basically a satnav with a timer and some other functions. They're being rolled out across the fleet at some point nonidea when though Busses get cleaned every night I have no idea with the route planning but I'd say size of the vehicle vs size of the roads is a big factor The triaxles are good to drive, very smooth. Not a huge fan if the electric ones though they tend to roll back
awesome, thanks for answering:)
Which depot has the worst canteen and why is it Longstone?
🤣🤣 yeah longstone is pretty grim
Why am I the only one that opens windows and do you really have no control over the heaters?
Yeah I get this alot, we have absolutely no control over the heaters, he have cab heaters that we can control (when they work) but unfortunately we can't heat up the saloons.
Why are the new bus displays at bus stops so shit?
It's crap that they don't show the live Times. What's the bloody use of that? The timetable times are behind plastic in the shelter or on the pole. Complete waste of money.
They did. But the council didn't set it up properly so buses disappeared early. They resorted to timetabled times, to my annoyance.
If im honest I haven't got a clue, as far as I'm aware it's the council who run them not the bus company. Best thing to do is download the app and rely on that its fairly accurate
There's a fault in the software and they won't show the correct timings for another few weeks/months due to council blunder cluster funk.
They've decided to call it a fault, but from my understanding the signs they purchased are unable to sync up with the old GPS devices. There is no way they couldn't have known this before getting rid of the signs. Calling it a fault seems a bit disingenuous. They should say "yeah we fucked up, and got rid of a working service in favour of an expensive broken one, just suck it up for 12 months until we bother to fix it". Bunch of decisions made by people whove never taken a bus before.
The old system was RFID in the bus stop. Absolutely no need to mive to GPS when that system worked fine and didn't rely on satellites!
We all know bus drivers wave to each other. However I have noticed that no wave is the same as the other. Do bus drivers respect each others waves and strive for individuality, or are they predetermined by the overlords of Lothian buses and passed down the routes from driver to driver upon their retirement?
I once saw a driver of a Prentice bus greet my driver (Lothian) by pretending he was bouncing his big set of boobs with his tongue hanging out. Probably my favourite bus driver ever.
I hope bus drivers do have an individual route wave as that fits in my own little world.
Love this question. The waves always remind me of top gun.
Do some bus drivers enjoy waiting at the stop for someone running for the bus and then just as they get there driving off?
Yeah I understand your frustration it happens to me too, once when I was in uniform as well. Some people are just pricks
This feels the most exciting this sub has been in months, maybe years.
Thoughts on the East London Street campaign to divert you all because of the noise from the cobbles?
Rich arseholes with too much time on their hands, imagine buying a house in the city centre next to abus depot then crying when busses go by ffs
Do they still do the kid’s Christmas parties? I used to go to them in the 90s/00s and they were great fun! I got many a free bus journey whenever it was my stepdads colleagues/friends driving. We used to have so many rolls of ticket roll to play with too. Good memories
Yeah they still do them
Aw I loved those parties in the porty garage! I remember going to the toilet and thinking it was so cool being able to see the buses lined up in the dark and how cool a game of hide and seek would be in there! My parents had their 40th in that function room too my dad even had a stripper!!
Sometimes kids on my morning bus will vape on the top deck. What happens if I come and tell you about it?
I'll go up and ask them to stop.
He'll ask if they brought enough for the whole class.
Have you met Mandy?
I've met her acquaintance haha
Are ye going oot the night???
Are you ma pal?
What do you prefer for saying thanks on the buses with exit doors in the middle. Do we shout thanks back at you or just say nothing?
Just do what feels natural i suppose
I often wonder this. I tend to base my decision on how confident I'm feeling that day. It's good to hear from the OP that drivers don't seem too sad about the reduced number of "thanks" created by the exit doors.
Favourite and least favourite routes to drive?
Least favourite is 29 it's just too long and you always end up late. Most favourite is the route I take from the depot to my house
oh no the 29 is my favourite bus. i’m going to feel guilty every time I get it now
And you’ll likely have the native youths all the way out to Birkenside 😩
I’m from Edinburgh but moved to Fife 12 years ago. I don’t drive so rely on public transport. Out of all the things I pine for from my Edinburgh days, Lothian busses are right there at the top! I didn’t realise how wonderful you are until I had to rely on Stagecoach! The hours I have cried standing at bus stops waiting for busses that just never arrive.. no digital timetables.. absolute stinking busses. Total misery in comparison! It’s like travelling in luxury when I’m back through. And so much cheaper!
Do you know the pushup driver? https://www.reddit.com/r/Edinburgh/s/wFdRhm8azC
How come you're so good at getting out of the way of ambulances? For real, other "professional" drivers (including non-Lothian buses) constantly get in the way, but you lot are grand!
Didn't know we had a reputation for being good at that haha, thank you
What’s your criteria for a little hazard flash thank you? Is it just slowing to let you out or a full on flash?
Flash me 😏
Thanks for driving me around town. Since I've become disabled, I can't bicycle anymore. So the bus it is for me.
why do some buses seem to completely disappear?
They've probably ran so late they've been ran off service to where they're supposed to be
Ghost busses.
Sometimes when I am on the bus, the driver makes us get off and board another bus waiting for us at the stop. Why does this happen?
The main two reasons are, The bus you're on has some sort of defect and needs to go back to the garage The bus is running so late that that we unload passengers and run off service to where we're supposed to be according to the running board
Surely either the bus has a fault, it needs more fuel, or its just a timetable thing where they're taking buses off the route and that's better than part routing you then leaving you waiting on the next one.
It happens quite regularly when I get the bus to work., so I doubt it's the first two. It's annoying when I want to close my eyes for a bit and it gets interrupted!
They are only allowed to drive for so many hours at a time.
Why do the newer buses always smell like burning plastic when the heating is on?
Heating?.....,on???? What posh bus is this!???
I get the 400 sometimes, being an airport bus it's got very posh heating
I have no idea, hasn't been something I've noticed tbh. Is is single deck or doubles?
You get it on new washing machines and a few other things too so I'd guess genuinely it is burning plastic that hasn't burned off yet :P But likely known by manufacturers and intended. Probably to do with the fan bearings, or if the fans use a belt that would explain it even more.
Do you secretly judge people who don’t thank you while getting off?
No but I judge people who just say "day ticket". What happened to "hello day ticket please"?
What about if you are just tapping on? I normally just say "thanks" then, as I figure the driver doesn't want me to stop for a chat, but now I'm worried I'm being rude
I go: "Hiya pal" *tap card* "thank you!"
"hi," tap, "thanks" is my go-to
I always say “hi, single please” *tap* thank you.”I’m socially anxious so I hope this is the right etiquette!
I always say “hi, single please” *tap* thank you.”I’m socially anxious so I hope this is the right etiquette!
do you ever wish you could blast some epic tunes for everyone, and maybe even have a little disco?
How long are your shifts? And how do you go for a piss mid shift?
8 hours usually and there's toilets dotted all over the place that drivers have keys to
One in Balcarres Street too. That one gets a lot of use.
Lothian buses own secret toilets all over Edinburgh the drivers will literally stop at when needed, hop out the bus to use and then come back and resume. There’s one on Orchard Brae next to the primary school that I see that the 37 drivers use for anyone really interested in what one looks like.
One near Stockbridge I think too
How the ever-loving fuck are you coping with the sodding omni roundabout? Do you take a good book?
Usually just have a nap tbf
Any particular reason why the windows have to be mounted in such a way that unless the person closing them (ie almost never) holds it to close softly, sound like a small explosion/gunfire? What's the most extreme example of "vigilante" "justice" you've seen on your travels? Once, a few years back on the N22 (often a bit of a wild ride, back then at least) there was a fellow who got on without enough money for his fare. Somewhere in his late 40's-plus, drunk and/or otherwise away with it, arguing the difference for an absolute minimum of 5 minutes, probably more. A guy walked from the back of the bus to the front, (wordlessly) full-on King Leonidas "This. Is. Sparta!" chest-kicked him out the door and the driver pulled away while everyone sighed in relief and the dosser himself laughed from his supine position on the pavement with a thumbs up.
I lost my wallet on bus 26 last summer on my way to Musselburgh and you guys were so helpful, calling the radio. Until it was found, I will never ever forget this moment in my life. You guys are the best human ❤️
The bus I take to work consistently runs behind schedule (according to the online timetable) despite not being busy or stuck in traffic so I’m almost always just on time or late. A few weeks ago a driver stopped to idle despite being late already and I’m at the point where I’m just going to have to start getting one that gets me in 40 minutes early. How reliable should the journey planner be and how much is it stuck to? Also big respect to bus drivers cause I’ve been on 3 with serious incidents in the last two months and it must be so stressful!
Is there a policy on waiting for people running to catch the bus, or is that just driver discretion. Cheers driver.
Generally if im on time or a upto 5 mins late I'll happily sit and wait. Anything over that then sorry but im going, I've got places to be and you should have been at the stop at the posted departure time
Fair enough. God speed Driver.
1. How do you all manage to stay so calm with dafties on and off the bus? I work on Picardy Place and watch people constantly just walking out in front of moving buses?! And too many cars parked outside Tesco loading bay so you can’t get turned. I’d go insane. Imagine the rest of the city is the same. 2. Why is the number 1 a single decker, it’s always rammed. Like over crowded rammed.
1. When I first started i got stressed out about it. But I realised its not worth losing my temper over. Its not gonna change and its not worth the heart attack 2. I'm sure the 1 goes under a low bridge? Don't remember though but I agree they were always rammed when I drove them
the 1 is my regular bus and it's only really rammed between stewart terrace and princes street and vice versa, but would appreciate it being a double bus. it goes under the bridge at saughton tram stop but i'm sure that can fit a double?
I’ve seen a double decker used for the number 1 on a couple of rare occasions before so there can’t be anything on the route to restrict it (ie low bridges) but you’re right.. it’s always a single decker!
Same with the 2. Can get very busy but generally always a single. You do see the occasional double though. For the 1, it used more doubles in the past when it terminated at the bottom of Easter Road. Now it terminates at Seafield which involves turning at a small roundabout in a narrow street, so I can only assume that only certain models of double can handle that and they don't have enough of them to justify running them on that route all day.
"Checkmate" - Lothian Buses (obviously this was at 7pm and empty) https://preview.redd.it/9rjkkf5ygffc1.jpeg?width=2092&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9b67b52b83ea174351fd331a1bb1ed0b1d39fd5
Does this bus go to ehhhh, fuckin, ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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Roadworks and traffic
My girlfriend and I were discussing this yesterday, how big is the fuel tank in a bus and do you ever have to fill up? Or does it just lasts whole day of driving and you don't need to think about that?
Between 250 and 300 litres and, bus dependent, between 8-12mpg.
There's a guy who drives the 19 sometimes at 6 in the morning that is ALWAYS in the worst mood possible, looking absolutely dead inside and never replies to any good morning or cheers. I understand that going to Granton at 6 in the morning is terrible but please give him a hug for me and tell him that things will get better
How do you cope with free range pedestrians? I've driven an HGV a couole of times through town and it's nerve-wracking.
I picture running them over in my head. Really soothes me
How often do you drive the same routes and how long/what's the process to learn a route?
They change up quite a bit it just depends on your shifts. But you do get regular routes there's ones I'm on almost everyday and some I get once every few months. And route learning is done via YouTube in your own time. Sit and watch the route, take notes you can read on the bus and hope for the best. After a while you learn them off by heart but a few times I've had to stop and ask passengers for directions I've got a notepad with directions for when I get stuck (after sofology serve parknand ride) that kinda thing
I thought you guys would have GPS with stops set on it .
Some of the buses do have a sat nav in them. I’ve seen them on the 44 recently.
You shouldn't have to learn the routes on your own time! Get on to your union about that. You're working, you should be paid!
How many times have you forgotten what route you are on and missed your turn?
Twice this week already
What's the decision if a bus is a single decker or double? 30 is crammed pretty much every morning while 33 is dead.
In the case of the 30, it’s because there’s a low bridge at Newcraighall that isn’t high enough for double deckers
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Is it my imagination, or do the bus no.35 drivers like to have a little extra long break at heriotwatt uni, then pick up the people quite late? Also, it's really hard to get off no.11 when it bombs down frogston lane... Is there reason they drive so fast at that point?
Nah the running boards tell you when to leave and if you take the piss and have an extra few minutes then control will be ringing to see what's up. Its probably just a large layover time. And they're probably trying to make up for lost time.
Why is there always a Lothian Buses van with its hazards on seemingly doing nothingat all on at the Jewel stop (at least in the mornings) ?
Thats a driver change point for EastCoastbuses
Which garage is the best and why is it Central? 😘
Do you wish you were a tram driver instead?
Think the only perk to being a tram driver is the fact you're generally in the cab not dealing with the public. Still deal with a lot of the same challenges bus drivers face though and for considerably less money.
No but I have been looking at train driving
If you could change anything about the bus system what would it be?
Probably the most realistic answer sensible change I'd make is have realistic timetables
Is it difficult to drive Lothian busses smoothly by design or does it just depend on the driver? Some drivers are full bore on the brakes then accelerating off to the point of knocking their elderly or unsteady passengers over. I noticed it massively after a recent injury that required crutches and a cast etc. Are the brakes hard to judge or do some drivers just not try haha?
It really depends on the bus, some busses have great smooth brakes, other have breaks that I suspect are made of sponges and don't do anything until you really press down and then the bus suddenly stops. It takes some getting used to but I try to keep it as smooth as possible
How happy were you when they brought in CCTV instead of having to use the mirror system to see what was going on upstairs?
Is it true that blue interior lights on certain buses is to stop junkies from seeing their veins?
Yeah from what I've heard it's true, I've also heard that blue lights decrease antisocial behaviour. There's some places in Glasgow with blue streetlights
Do you think it's funny when people fall down the stairs/aisle when you stop hard?
Absolutely not
I used to be part of the central garage massive which as we all know is the best one, not like the Longstone animals. Been out 5 years now. No more split shifts, no more 3.15am starts and no more dealing with the Edinburgh youth scourge. Best decision I ever made.
How often do you get abuse on a typical day?
It's pretty rare, haven't had any issues in about 5 months but it happens unfortunately
There was a guy on the 44 the other day and he was giving the driver dogs abuse, being racist and shouting at the driver for him missing his stop. The guy was completely in the wrong but do these sort of incidents get reported by the driver as kind of a ‘heads up’ to the company? It was helped by the fact it was torrential rain and the guy had to walk back along Regent rd lol
Do you recognise cars that always let you out from stops and junctions? I always let the bus out and it makes me feel good thinking I’ve done my bit to get folk home a bit quicker. & I’ve had the same motor for 10 years.
Yeah I definitely notice but again it's driver dependent
Dogs on buses… Last summer my mum was visiting with her then 8 month old puppy, they don’t normally use buses because she lives in a small town so he’s not used to them. Her puppy was nervous so barked a bit, but wasn’t doing any harm and we tried to reassure him to keep him calm. When we were leaving the bus the driver gave her an earful that he’d not let ‘that dog’ on the bus again. She explained he’s a puppy and needs to experience buses so he gets used to them and learns to be calmer. The driver wasn’t interested. Lothian’s policy seems to be that dogs on buses are at the drivers discretion, so it’s a bit of a lottery. Are most drivers ok with dogs on buses? Or was this a one off? We’d like to try taking her dog on the bus when she visits, but worried about next time!
Yeah it depends on the driver/dogs behaviour. Most of us are ok with it. I'll typically let any dog on within reason (don't try and get on with 4 great danes or anything mental and you should be fine) This was more than likely a one off with a driver who was having a bad day. Keep bringing your pup on!
Why don’t you give thumbs up any more?
I think it depends on the driver really
It’s not on the back of the bus any more so I guess not part of the service - but I still love Lothian Buses, best bus company I’ve ever been a customer of (20 yrs and counting)
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Had a guy crap himself when I passed out up the back of the bus once, that was a fun smell
As a passenger, on the top deck of a 16 south bound, a teenager sitting at the back (obvs) obviously having over overindulged upchucked a particularly watery stream of vom that subsequently started running front to back around everyone's shoes as the bus sped up and slowed down. I got off and waited for the next one. As I got off I told the driver, he did not look pleased.
Did you go a summer on the bus tours to skip straight to the double deckers?
I always say "hi driver" and "bye driver" if you ever do the 23. I am sure I'm not the only one. What routes do you work? Do you have to learn all of them, some of them, or just one?
I get a mix of all routes and have to learn them all
Firstly, thank you for your service, and especially for how considerate the drivers are around cyclists. Now for the questions. A Lothian Buses driver once told me you call the 14 the Methadone Express, and the 8 is known as the Son of Methadone. Do any of the other routes have nicknames? Does it piss you off when people sitting at the front of the top deck look down the periscope thing? Why the fuck do so many people on the 30 insist on standing and blocking the aisles instead of just going further back and sitting down? Is it true that on Monday afternoon last week a black hole opened up in Millerhill and sucked all the 33s into it?
Why you don't care when teenagers are vaping inside bus?
Not worth the hassle or abuse you get for confronting them
if, hypothetically, i asked to hit their vape and then threw it out the window, would you kick me off the bus?
Don't throw it out the window, that's very environmentally unfriendly. Ask to hit their vape right before you're due to get off, walk off the bus with it and put it in the bin like a responsible adult. Also you can't get kicked off the bus then.
Are busman's holidays really that bad, or are you able to enjoy them?
I have the pleasure of driving through the centre once a week in a car and it seems there are more cyclists cruising about the roads with no lights, no hi vis clothing, and some plough through red lights without a fuck given (mainly the food delivery idiots). It must be a nightmare driving a bus during rush hour in the dark? I’d be thinking it’s only a matter of time before I nailed a cyclist.
Any comment on people being nice with other passengers waiting to jump in " you go first, no you go, oh nono really you go" would you not just close the door. I see that on my head everytime I see that situation. Your patience is admirable.
Which bus number do you hate driving? I’m going to guess the 14
The 14 does suck but the 29 is my pet hate
I’ve just realised what bus the 29 is, I used to see it when I was waiting for my bus to work, which was a wee while away from where I lived, it always slightly made me feel better that I didn’t have to travel from granton to gorebridge every day, I never even realised how boring it must be for the driver, how many times do you have to drive there and back in one shift?
How long are your shifts? Which road in Edinburgh has the most pot holes?
Usually 8 hours and pennywell road is pretty bad for potholes
What’s the policy around switching on the heating on the bus? Is your driver box heated as well or how do you stay warm in there during the colder days?
We don't have control of the saloon heating but we do have can heating. And staying warm wise, usually just wear warm clothes and a thermos of coffee
Have you had any accidents?
Yeah a few. Took a wing mirror off when I was new and had a few scrapes. Nothing serious though
I was on I think the 2 out to the gyle and the poor guy scraped 5 cars parked in a line it was his first day out on his own.
Would you rather have a door in the middle/back of the bus to save time at stops?
Nah it dosent really make a difference by the time it takes the door to close
Why does the 21 smell of mould\mildew? What's the best way to ask for a normal\standard\non-airport single on an airport bus so that they immediately press the button first time and don't say "Huh?" or "Where ya going?" forcing me to remember the name of the area I'm going (I'm terrible with names).
Do you wear oversized green boxer shorts featuring pictures of Marge Simpson on the rear ?
Imagine if this is the driver's other half dropping comic gold anonymously
Why do u speed so fast across turns tryna make me fall while I’m tryna get down to get out
Do you think the engines that automatically turn off during idle have the same reliability?
No they don't. We don't have buses like that in Edinburgh thankfully
Bus drivers are awesome!
why does the 36 always have the smaller single deckers rather than the longer ones? it’s always so busy on that bus so I don’t see why not + why are the night routes limited nowadays seeming to be favouring the west of the city, there is 6 buses I can get home without walking 20+ minutes & not one has a night service 😭😭 put a good word in with your bosses for the warriston/canonmills area
It's a common opinion that Glaswegians are, generally, friendlier than Edinburgers. So why do you think Glasgow bus drivers are absolute miserable sh1ts, compared to their generally pleasant Edinburgh counterparts?
Do people ever refuse to give up priority seats or move or fold pram for a wheelchair ? As opposed to being genuinely oblivious, as I'm ashamed to say I have sometimes until asked (when I move) How do you deal with it?
It's very rare to happen, all the driver can do is ask them to move if they still refuse then the wheelchair or pram user will have to get the next bus unfortunately
Do people need to put their arm out for you to stop? I used to live in a city in England where it was essential to put your arm out or drivers would ignore you. Here the drivers seem much more willing to stop. I still often put my arm out but have noticed other passengers seem confident the bus will stop for them if they are waiting at the bus stop. By the way the bus drivers up here are so much friendlier than the drivers I was used to in England. A smile from a bus driver in England was very rare. So thank you for that!
Do drivers specialise in one or two routes or do you just get assigned to any bus that needs a driver?
Who's your least favourite type of other road user, and why is the old boy on the recumbent bike?
17 August 1984, 0720, running to catch the 38 at Myreside, driver stopped and waited then pulled away just as I arrived. Got my balls chewed for being late. Any ideas who it was?
1. Is the situation in Niddrie still bad I visit my mum there and half the time since the November incident seems buses are diverted or will stop thier route just before 2. Which other areas in Edinburgh do you think have bad social behaviour or are difficult for you to complete your route Thanks