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The Government tells us we should leave our cars at home and use public transport more. My car has been in the garage for the last 8 days, awaiting to be seen by a very busy mechanic who has not had time to look at it yet over Easter. Consequently I am having to use public transport to get to work.
Instead of my usual 20 minute commute to work, leaving at 8.00 to get there for 8.30, I now have to leave my house at 7.20 to catch the 7.30 bus. This bus then takes me on a 10 minute journey in the opposite direction so that I can catch another one that goes to my destination. Well I get off this first bus and walk another 200 yards in the wrong direction, wait at a busy crossing for the lights to change, cross the street and walk another 200 yards to the bus stop. I then have to wait 20 minutes for the second bus which is at least going in the right direction. This bus takes another 20 minutes to get to my destination, stopping every few minutes along the way.
On the way home I have to wait 30 minutes for the connection which would increase my travelling time to an hour, so instead I have been taking my walking boots to work and walking that final lap home. It takes about 45 minutes walking at a steady pace, but it is a lot better than standing around wondering when the bus will turn up.
In a couple of days I will be staying at a friends house and so will have to catch another bus on a different route. I jumped on one bus today and checked with the driver if it was the right one, and he replied "huh?". I repeated my question. He shrugged. "dunno". I had to ask the PASSENGERS if the bus was going in my direction!!
Thank you God that it is not raining and please let my car be fixed soon because the bus service here in the UK is terrible!
By: Emmy
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This pisspot continued drinking and I moved as soon as I could. He seemed to think he was entitled to two seats as he stretched out denying other standing passengers a seat. He travelled from the Fylde on the Service 68 and got off in Preston Bus Station making more remarks at me.
I was hunting through my bag frantically once I got on the bus until someone rushed up behind me and asked if I had dropped my oyster card. How kind of them!
The whole idea of no more cash fares on buses is that it will speed up the buses. But its a daft idea. I spent far longer looking in vain for my card than i would have done just paying a cash fare.
And yes what about tourists who would quite naturally assume that if they had money on them they could pay for a fare without any problem at all. many tourists don't have English as a first language. So how on earth are they going to understand what the driver is saying when he refuses to take their money and gets them off the bus.
It will not save time. All this will do is create more hold-ups, confusion and annoyance to passengers of all kinds.
I am no Luddite and use an Oyster myself - I just think that people should still be able to use cash on a bus when they have lost their card or had it stolen, or just forgot it ( people are human and make mistakes).
Central London is full of tourists and I feel sure many don't realise they can't just hop on a bus and pay the driver. It just does not seem reasonable to me to not be able to pay in cash.
They say it costs them money to take money....
What about if someone leaves their oyster in their other jacket pocket, loses it or has it pickpocketed? I can’t see that all tourists will know in advance about this and surely London depends a lot on tourism for its income. I think you should always be able to pay for goods or services in cash.
I don’t know if other areas will follow suit.
I say this is ironic because most the bus service has no sympathy what so ever to the average working person. Evident by their cancelling services at a whim, turning up late, or even driving straight past the bus stop.
Bnd
Happened a few times this week