It's a balmy, lazy Saturday afternoon in Eastleigh and I'm on control. I decide that the best use of my time is not to tackle the huge pile in the in-tray, but to patrol the bus station for a bit, making sure none of our customers are unduly troubled by the warm sunshine, that kind of thing.
The time is 1528. I'm stood talking to a couple of the guys on stand C. An indignant chap storms up and demands to know what has happened to the 1520 service E to Winchester. He thumps the ground with his stick, proclaiming how ridiculous it is that the bus should be so late.
There are two problems. Firstly, service E is run by Bluestar, so we have no way of knowing if there is a problem. Secondly, we all recall seeing the bus arrive and leave spot on time, so we don't actually think there is a problem in the first place.
I ask rhetorically if there is anyone else waiting - the E is a busy bus and there would be a long queue - but we can all see there is no-one at the stand.
The man declares that it must have left early, but we are sure it didn't. He says he's been there a good few minutes and there has definitely been no bus.
I ask if he realises that it is actually 28 minutes past. He looks at his watch, agrees that it's 28 past, and says "but I've been waiting AT LEAST five minutes".....
Saturday 4 April 2009
Friday 3 April 2009
A Frustrating Evening
These days we have settled into a routine.
Ant comes in early in the morning, opens up, makes sure the buses are ready to go and all the drivers turn up ready to drive them, then once they have all gone out heads to the office for paperwork fun. Usually he then does some driving after the morning peak has passed and goes home mid-afternoon.
I roll in around 9ish, spend my day not getting done all the things I need to get done, then head over to the yard around 1730. I meet the buses as they come in, attempt to get them parked in the right order to go out the following morning, ensuring they are defect-free as far as possible, have ticket machine, running card, o-licence and defect cards all in position to minimise any morning hassle. On a good night my day finishes around 1930, on a bad night it can run on much much longer.
Of course that is rarely the true end of my working day - invariably there is more paperwork to be done when I get home - but I'll save the self-pity for another time.
Tonight's run-in could not have gone more smoothly if it had been coated in butter. Yesterday was a totally different story!
I was in the bank when the problems started, just before 1630. Which is a pity since I love going to the bank. The staff are super-helpful and there is something highly satisfying about watching huge piles of notes and coins pouring into one's bank account. However, the smug self-satisfaction was blown away by a phone call from Kev, explaining that he was on Marie's bus, that they had just left Asda on the 1616 C1 back to Eastleigh, and were stuck in traffic caused by an accident in Templars Way (between Asda and Valley Park). According to Kev, a car had even managed to end up on its side. This didn't make sense as Taz would have been nowhere near the area at the time, but I'm sure he was right.
Essentially the phone call was to warn of likely delays later, greatly appreciated but not what I wanted to hear as I was in the mood for a nice relaxed, sun-drenched, chilled out end to the afternoon.
Marie's journey back to Eastleigh was padded with loads of recovery time in the schedule so I figured she'd make it back ok for her next trip - the C1 at 1715 back to Asda. The question mark would be against Karl on the 1615 from Eastleigh - due to arrive at Asda at 1653, out again at 1656, back to Eastleigh at 1740 for the 1745 departure. He was due to pass the accident scene in both directions.
I decided to 'monitor the situation' (aka carry on as if nothing has happened and hope for the best - most commonly used bus control technique in my experience), but my careful monitoring was interrupted by a message from Karl some time after he should have left Asda, to say he was still stuck in traffic heading towards Asda.
This immediately put the 1745 C1 from Eastleigh at risk and while I was more than happy to jump in to do this trip myself, there were two obvious problems:
1) I didn't have a bus to do it with
2) If I'm out driving any time after 1800, there is no-one to supervise the run-in, so the buses end up being abandoned all over the yard and surrounding area and it takes ages to sort out, plus there's no-one to resolve any problems or make sure the drivers sweep their buses properly etc etc
Nevertheless, the customers come first and I resolved to spend the next half hour working out how to create a bus with which to do the trip. I asked Karl to let me know when he was at Hiltingbury on the way back - after the accident site - so that I could gauge roughly his arrival time in Eastleigh.
Except that my plan lasted three minutes before Taz rang to remind me that I was supposed to be covering his last two trips - the 1720 and 1750 Fair Oak Flyers - so that he could attend his son's parents evening at school. I had completely forgotten!
The time was now 1710 so there was nothing to do but to head for stand F and await Taz's arrival. His arrival was prompt, the handover seamless and at 1720 I was heading for Fair Oak in 843.
At around 1730 I received a message that Karl was at Hiltingbury, just over 20 minutes late. This meant that he had no chance of making the 1745 C1, but might not be too far off the 1750 Flyer. I therefore decided that I would do the 1745 C1 - a tight turn given that I was not due back into Eastleigh until 1745 myself but certainly better than making them wait for Karl - and ask Karl to do the best job he could of making the 1750 Flyer.
In the event I got into Eastleigh with a minute or two to spare, got out on time on the 1745 and passed Karl inbound at the Leigh Rd/Passfield Ave lights, which would put him maybe 2-3 minutes late on the Flyer - not a bad outcome really.
And that would have been the end of the story except for the fact that Karl left me a message when I got to Hiltingbury, to let me know he was in the petrol station on the way back to the yard and had just discovered that his rear offside tyre had completely come off the rim!
A quick call to our trusty tyre suppliers, Hampshire Tyres, and they were on their way to the scene. I completed my C1 trip and headed back to the yard, with some trepidation knowing that apart from 552 feeling ill with its bad tyre, most of the rest of the fleet would by now have arrived back with no guidance on where to park.
I called in at the petrol station, decided that 552 could be carefully driven back to the yard and got Karl to follow me up the road in 843. As we arrived at the yard, we were greeted by a scene of some chaos with buses parked in all kinds of random spots around the yard - albeit that the drivers had very helpfully organised themselves so that everything was in and not blocking the road - but the buses that needed to be at the front were parked at the back and vice versa.
To make matters worse 511 had been off since mid-afternoon with a brake defect and Brenhaul had not yet had a chance to look at it, so that would not be ready to park for a while yet.
I left the tyre fitter working on 552 outside the yard and spent the next 30 minutes with Karl's help orchestrating a grand ballet of buses, like giant pieces on a chess board to get the ones that needed to be at the back at the back.
By now it was 1945 and Karl went home, leaving me to wait for 511 and 552 to be ready. They finally were ready to park at around 2030, so I took both round to the yard, parked them up, locked the gates at 2045 and was finally on my way home!
Ant comes in early in the morning, opens up, makes sure the buses are ready to go and all the drivers turn up ready to drive them, then once they have all gone out heads to the office for paperwork fun. Usually he then does some driving after the morning peak has passed and goes home mid-afternoon.
I roll in around 9ish, spend my day not getting done all the things I need to get done, then head over to the yard around 1730. I meet the buses as they come in, attempt to get them parked in the right order to go out the following morning, ensuring they are defect-free as far as possible, have ticket machine, running card, o-licence and defect cards all in position to minimise any morning hassle. On a good night my day finishes around 1930, on a bad night it can run on much much longer.
Of course that is rarely the true end of my working day - invariably there is more paperwork to be done when I get home - but I'll save the self-pity for another time.
Tonight's run-in could not have gone more smoothly if it had been coated in butter. Yesterday was a totally different story!
I was in the bank when the problems started, just before 1630. Which is a pity since I love going to the bank. The staff are super-helpful and there is something highly satisfying about watching huge piles of notes and coins pouring into one's bank account. However, the smug self-satisfaction was blown away by a phone call from Kev, explaining that he was on Marie's bus, that they had just left Asda on the 1616 C1 back to Eastleigh, and were stuck in traffic caused by an accident in Templars Way (between Asda and Valley Park). According to Kev, a car had even managed to end up on its side. This didn't make sense as Taz would have been nowhere near the area at the time, but I'm sure he was right.
Essentially the phone call was to warn of likely delays later, greatly appreciated but not what I wanted to hear as I was in the mood for a nice relaxed, sun-drenched, chilled out end to the afternoon.
Marie's journey back to Eastleigh was padded with loads of recovery time in the schedule so I figured she'd make it back ok for her next trip - the C1 at 1715 back to Asda. The question mark would be against Karl on the 1615 from Eastleigh - due to arrive at Asda at 1653, out again at 1656, back to Eastleigh at 1740 for the 1745 departure. He was due to pass the accident scene in both directions.
I decided to 'monitor the situation' (aka carry on as if nothing has happened and hope for the best - most commonly used bus control technique in my experience), but my careful monitoring was interrupted by a message from Karl some time after he should have left Asda, to say he was still stuck in traffic heading towards Asda.
This immediately put the 1745 C1 from Eastleigh at risk and while I was more than happy to jump in to do this trip myself, there were two obvious problems:
1) I didn't have a bus to do it with
2) If I'm out driving any time after 1800, there is no-one to supervise the run-in, so the buses end up being abandoned all over the yard and surrounding area and it takes ages to sort out, plus there's no-one to resolve any problems or make sure the drivers sweep their buses properly etc etc
Nevertheless, the customers come first and I resolved to spend the next half hour working out how to create a bus with which to do the trip. I asked Karl to let me know when he was at Hiltingbury on the way back - after the accident site - so that I could gauge roughly his arrival time in Eastleigh.
Except that my plan lasted three minutes before Taz rang to remind me that I was supposed to be covering his last two trips - the 1720 and 1750 Fair Oak Flyers - so that he could attend his son's parents evening at school. I had completely forgotten!
The time was now 1710 so there was nothing to do but to head for stand F and await Taz's arrival. His arrival was prompt, the handover seamless and at 1720 I was heading for Fair Oak in 843.
At around 1730 I received a message that Karl was at Hiltingbury, just over 20 minutes late. This meant that he had no chance of making the 1745 C1, but might not be too far off the 1750 Flyer. I therefore decided that I would do the 1745 C1 - a tight turn given that I was not due back into Eastleigh until 1745 myself but certainly better than making them wait for Karl - and ask Karl to do the best job he could of making the 1750 Flyer.
In the event I got into Eastleigh with a minute or two to spare, got out on time on the 1745 and passed Karl inbound at the Leigh Rd/Passfield Ave lights, which would put him maybe 2-3 minutes late on the Flyer - not a bad outcome really.
And that would have been the end of the story except for the fact that Karl left me a message when I got to Hiltingbury, to let me know he was in the petrol station on the way back to the yard and had just discovered that his rear offside tyre had completely come off the rim!
A quick call to our trusty tyre suppliers, Hampshire Tyres, and they were on their way to the scene. I completed my C1 trip and headed back to the yard, with some trepidation knowing that apart from 552 feeling ill with its bad tyre, most of the rest of the fleet would by now have arrived back with no guidance on where to park.
I called in at the petrol station, decided that 552 could be carefully driven back to the yard and got Karl to follow me up the road in 843. As we arrived at the yard, we were greeted by a scene of some chaos with buses parked in all kinds of random spots around the yard - albeit that the drivers had very helpfully organised themselves so that everything was in and not blocking the road - but the buses that needed to be at the front were parked at the back and vice versa.
To make matters worse 511 had been off since mid-afternoon with a brake defect and Brenhaul had not yet had a chance to look at it, so that would not be ready to park for a while yet.
I left the tyre fitter working on 552 outside the yard and spent the next 30 minutes with Karl's help orchestrating a grand ballet of buses, like giant pieces on a chess board to get the ones that needed to be at the back at the back.
By now it was 1945 and Karl went home, leaving me to wait for 511 and 552 to be ready. They finally were ready to park at around 2030, so I took both round to the yard, parked them up, locked the gates at 2045 and was finally on my way home!
Wednesday 1 April 2009
Here's another good blog
Rob Arkell, part-owner of Cotswold Green, a small independent operator in Gloucestershire, has a very enjoyable blog running here.
Rob used to work with me at Stagecoach West many years ago and is a thoroughly nice bloke. He has quietly built quite a sizeable operation in a deeply rural area.
Rob used to work with me at Stagecoach West many years ago and is a thoroughly nice bloke. He has quietly built quite a sizeable operation in a deeply rural area.
For whom the bell tolls...
Having been harangued numerous times over the past 48 hours about the lack of activity on this blog, I have been shamed into writing something.
On the 500 every Saturday, the 1545 short journey from Eastleigh to Chestnut Avenue always carries four very nice old ladies who travel to various points along the route.
Nothing unusual there, except that in true "ah bless" fashion, one of the party - clearly deemed 'the organiser' - has to sit on the seat where there is a bell push at chest level on a horizontal hand pole.
I have no idea whether the other old ladies are unable to use the bell for themselves or have simply been instructed not to, but the job of 'the organiser' is to guard the bell, and ring it whenever the bus is approaching one of the stops at which any member of the party wishes to alight.
Maybe we should teach her to ring the bell twice when the bus is ready to move off again. She could even collect the fares! Oh no, there aren't any........
On the 500 every Saturday, the 1545 short journey from Eastleigh to Chestnut Avenue always carries four very nice old ladies who travel to various points along the route.
Nothing unusual there, except that in true "ah bless" fashion, one of the party - clearly deemed 'the organiser' - has to sit on the seat where there is a bell push at chest level on a horizontal hand pole.
I have no idea whether the other old ladies are unable to use the bell for themselves or have simply been instructed not to, but the job of 'the organiser' is to guard the bell, and ring it whenever the bus is approaching one of the stops at which any member of the party wishes to alight.
Maybe we should teach her to ring the bell twice when the bus is ready to move off again. She could even collect the fares! Oh no, there aren't any........
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