Chesterfield Online Forum
General Category => Chesterfield Discussion => Topic started by: Scimitar on September 24, 2012, 07:08:10 PM
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It makes you wonder after Spring this year by-passed Summer altogether and went straight to Autumn, what Winter is going to be like.
If we keep the same levels of precipitation that we've had so far this year, and the thermometer falls....
Sales of woolly hats & jumpers should be on the up at least ::)
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That's global warming for you.... :-?
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I didn't agree with the increase in tax for gas guzzlers.
Reason for why people want them maybe.
Two Jags Prescot, according to Clarkson if I remember correctly,
the jags he had were 2 of the most fuel efficient vehicles around.
Just another newspaper story for the sheep to read.
Probably me included :P
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Sales of woolly hats & jumpers should be on the up at least ::)
well that's alright then because they will be made and sold by those super chaps in the private sector so there will be a huge boost to the economy.
Meanwhile of course those nasty good for nothings in the public sector might find it in their hearts to work a few extra hours clearing the white stuff away so those super hard working private chaps can get to work and generate their millions for the economy.
(removes tongue from cheek and dons tin hat >;)
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No doubt Scimitar will correct me but I assume bus drivers still get paid even if they can't get the buses out?
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Still at least I may get to use the 4x4 and winter tyres properly.
So what use is it for the rest of the year ?
Will mean the cabbies and bus drivers can also earn a living too
Bus drivers are probably on an hourly rate much higher than mine :(
Snow:
The only people who book taxi are the people who don't want to drive themselves.
Don't want to damage their little Ford KA etc. But don't mind me smashing up the taxi.
Then make a claim against me for whiplash etc.
It's life Jim, but not as you know it ;)
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No doubt Scimitar will correct me but I assume bus drivers still get paid even if they can't get the buses out?
If we are actually at work then yes - we get paid.
I don't currently own a car, so, if it snows, I have to walk to work like everyone else - assuming the buses are not running on my route.
If I turn up I get paid - if I don't turn up - no pay.
Some of us rely on a staff bus - if it can't get to you - again your not paid.
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@Fly I don't like taking my car out in heavy snow - but wouldn't want to use any car taxi included. Buses seem a safer option merely because of the size/weight.
It would have to be an emergency though to get me to go out in any vehicle - two legs for me down the village.
Always have a small emergency stock (enough for two weeks) in pantry and freezer ready - just in case. ;)
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Buses seem a safer option merely because of the size/weight.
Few years ago after a bit of a morning freeze and snow, I picked up 2 ladies wanting to get back to Hollymoorside.
I followed a double decker bus sliding down Clarence Rd, some times sidewards, banging the causeways from one side of the road to the other, and generally looking out of control. The drivers action of hitting the curb kept the bus at a low speed, luckily when he got to West Bars, he just turned right and drove off. Respect. Bet the passengers had brown pants though ;D
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It's very scary when you lose control of a bus - even though they've got ABS - Traction Control, etc (No sport mode unfortunately).And there is really no reason why you should lose control of a bus, unless the laws of nature take over, in which case your judgement was wrong. In other words, if you ain't sure - don't do it!
Can you imagine the damage an out of control bus could cause?
And that's just with me at the wheel - imagine nearly 40ft of bus starting to slide on its own.
They are quite reliable in snow, mainly because engine weight is over rear wheels (four tyres at rear driving), I have not been stuck yet.
Famous last words.....
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An ever popular local one from 5 years ago
Derbyshire police (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS9T_IpIzuQ#)
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Ill be on the bus and train if we get snow.
Last time we had all that snow the only vehicles moving, apart from 4x4's, were buses. Went down the hill from Arkwright to the Arkwright Arms with no problems, (well apart from a woman on the bus on her phone telling her friend everyone was screaming and the bus was skidding sideways even though it did skid slightly but only a small bit). Got to Arkwright Arms at bottom of hill up to Duckmanton, bus driver put his foot down and up we went in one go. Overtook all the cars and laughing at all the bemused stuck drivers!
Buses can be a pain in the arse (seeming lack of mirror use and indicators are my main gripe) but in snow, id definitely recommend one ;)
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Going throught water the thing you need to do is not let water go up the exhaust pipe and the engine should still keep going easier with a diesel,than petrol because a petrol engine ,needs electrics to keep the engine running, bus due to its weight plus having a skilled driver would stand a better chance than most drivers ,but after 4 wheel drives i would say a front wheel vehicle is better than rear wheel drive in snow.
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There you are Scimitar looks like you will be working overtime if we get lots of snow cos we want to travel on your bus!
Last big snow dumped - we lost our weeks holiday and our village was cut off for a week, including no bus service, couldn't blame them though as they would never have got through the village because of abandoned vehicles and and the high piles of snow.
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I adnit travel by bus is far the best and safest option in the snow.
I had to work through the really bad snow and the bus managed to get from staveley to town in one piece and dropped me and a friend at the council car park he didnt have to but he did,
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"Buses can be a pain in the arse (seeming lack of mirror use and indicators are my main gripe) but in snow, id definitely recommend one
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You should spend a day on one and watch the appalling standards of the everyday car driver, and their attitude to buses. It's so bad sometimes that I sometimes wonder how people can put their cars -however big they are - in to an apparent "lets play chicken and see who loses first" with several tons of bus.
I'm sure they used to have stickers on the back at one time saying "Please let buses pull out" - I don't know if that ever worked. They certainly don't let you pull out nowadays. Half the time we have to force our way back in to traffic - if we waited for the kindly soul to let you out, we might as well tear up the timetable we are trying to keep to.
As for "seeming lack of mirror use and indicators" - if you cant see my mirrors, I can't see you. Buses have blind spots as do many large vehicles. Sometimes we can't see whats going off behind us - fact. This gives us a bad reputation.
Indicators - lack of use thereof - nope, sorry, don't get that one - in fact most of the time they are more likely to be left on because the self cancelling mechanism has worn out! Not an M.O.T. failure I understand - just something we have to put up with.
Luckily for me, I enjoy my job - I like driving, I like the interaction & banter with my regular customers, and in the snowy situations I've encountered, we tend to do what we can to get folks as near as possible to home as far at is safe for us to do so.
I'm now going for a lie down in a darkened room to listen to some Whale cries...........with my tin helmet on :-X
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You should spend a day on one and watch the appalling standards of the everyday car driver, and their attitude to buses. It's so bad sometimes that I sometimes wonder how people can put their cars -however big they are - in to an apparent "lets play chicken and see who loses first" with several tons of bus.
I'm sure they used to have stickers on the back at one time saying "Please let buses pull out" - I don't know if that ever worked. They certainly don't let you pull out nowadays. Half the time we have to force our way back in to traffic - if we waited for the kindly soul to let you out, we might as well tear up the timetable we are trying to keep to.
As for "seeming lack of mirror use and indicators" - if you cant see my mirrors, I can't see you. Buses have blind spots as do many large vehicles. Sometimes we can't see whats going off behind us - fact. This gives us a bad reputation.
Indicators - lack of use thereof - nope, sorry, don't get that one - in fact most of the time they are more likely to be left on because the self cancelling mechanism has worn out! Not an M.O.T. failure I understand - just something we have to put up with.
Luckily for me, I enjoy my job - I like driving, I like the interaction & banter with my regular customers, and in the snowy situations I've encountered, we tend to do what we can to get folks as near as possible to home as far at is safe for us to do so.
I'm now going for a lie down in a darkened room to listen to some Whale cries...........with my tin helmet on :-X
some still have that sticker on. If only it worked the other way too. In Sheffield when there are turnings where you have to go across a bus lane, you can indicate and just sit there because no buses let you in. This is a regular occurance.
I know not all drivers are the same, there are some bad bus drivers and equally bad car drivers.
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Bus driver, Taxi driver :-X
I'm a little more 'nice' to bus drivers nowadays.
Scimitar knows the make, model, reg number etc of my taxi.
I haven't got a clue what bus he's driving ::)
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Ah - sheffield -must admit its not my favorite place. Generally - bus drivers are specially helpful to other bus drivers - you can understand that I suppose. But Firstbus drivers seem to have a mentality of their own, in which case I understand your comments a little more clearly.
I do have to venture in to Sheffield now and again,unfortunately,as part of my job (Stagecoach-Chesterfield). We do various runs - express and otherwise there, but my pet hate is Firstbus (the off white and purple often dropping to bits ones).
You now have my full and undivided support on that one!
Not so long back, a lot of their staff were seen in Chesterfield, making notes, checking what Stagecoach were doing,even loitering near the depot at all hours of the day, even very early morning.It wasn't just for a couple of days either - more like 3-4 weeks. Not secretly, all with their high viz jackets on. Planning a major competition war we all thought against Stagecoach services in Chesterfield.
it seems however that Stagecoach in Chesterfield & Sheffield are being more innovative and they are losing customers as a result. Sabre rattling in other words.
And First group want to take over the West coast mainline from Virgin Group (49% owned by Stagecoach).
I think its a last desperate attempt by a poor company that can't deliver on the roads, so has diverted its attention to rail, and will fail there too. IMHO
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Bus drivers - taxi drivers - on some journey's with both I have felt as if I was on the Wild Mouse ride at Blackpool :-?
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Bus driver, Taxi driver :-X
I'm a little more 'nice' to bus drivers nowadays.
Scimitar knows the make, model, reg number etc of my taxi.
I haven't got a clue what bus he's driving ::)
I'm a little more nicer to taxi drivers nowadays.
Fly knows when I come past - I blast my hooter at him & wave.
I know what car he drives. He doesn't know what bus I'm driving. He does not know the stunt I saw him pull at the bottom of Hady Hill today as he was waiting to turn right towards spital, waiting for the traffic lights to change, and I was all ready to flash my headlights at him to let him go.I was opposite him at said lights going in to town.
Instead he did a Lewis Hamilton (with screeching front tyres) and went anyway!!
I had to chuckle ;D ;D
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Always ;) He who hesitates, waits.
Did you see the queue behind you ?
No harm done. You'd not even moved, so I never put your passengers at risk.
Yes the tyre squeal wasn't called for, just my size 11 on the gas ;)
Small world :P
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Always ;) He who hesitates, waits.
Did you see the queue behind you ?
No harm done. You'd not even moved, so I never put your passengers at risk.
Yes the tyre squeal wasn't called for, just my size 11 on the gas ;)
Small world :P
I'd have done exactly the same (in a car of course)
Couldn't do it in a bus - having said that we've got two Optare mid size buses that have got engines in them from much larger buses, and boy do they shift - If Carlsberg made buses territory etc.
Not that you can drive buses enthusticaly nowadays because of these being installed.
http://greenroad.com/ (http://greenroad.com/)
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were not too convinced about this technology as drivers to say the least. Today I'm 46th in the table out of 198 drivers.Does not sound to bad I suppose. Its GPS and all that stuff and shows you where you were on Google Maps.
The other week I started at Deerlands Rd, wingerworth. It came up as something like 354 via spaggata, provence of vicenza, Italy.
How trustworthy is that? :-?
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I'm sure they used to have stickers on the back at one time saying "Please let buses pull out" - I don't know if that ever worked. They certainly don't let you pull out nowadays. Half the time we have to force our way back in to traffic - if we waited for the kindly soul to let you out, we might as well tear up the timetable we are trying to keep to.to put up with.
I was taught to drive by my Father, who was a bus driver for EMMS - therefore you need to wait for me as I always let buses pull out! ;)
As for "seeming lack of mirror use and indicators" - if you cant see my mirrors, I can't see you. Buses have blind spots as do many large vehicles. Sometimes we can't see whats going off behind us - fact. This gives us a bad reputation.
Whilst my dad was a bus driver EMMS had a fleet of Bristol RE single deckers and they had a floor level window in the back door, which enabled drivers to see what was immediately behind them. He could never understand why that idea was never universally adopted.
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Whilst taking my driving lessons my instructor told me to give way to the buses as they had a time to keep to. I still do to this day - so mr Scmitar, if you are in our village and an old lady in a Ford estate holds back to let you through it will probably be me. ;)
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Whilst taking my driving lessons my instructor told me to give way to the buses as they had a time to keep to. I still do to this day - so mr Scmitar, if you are in our village and an old lady in a Ford estate holds back to let you through it will probably be me. ;)
Were you taught to drive by Kennings by any chance? I ask that 'cos at one time they enjoyed quite a few ex-bus drivers as instructors.
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@ Alsatian no it was BSM instructor was from mansfield area i think