Not All Bus Drivers are Sh!ts

"Neal Milne" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Me and my mate were cycling along the main Mold-Ruthin road in N Wales Sunday morning on the way
to the start of the off-road section of our ride when a bus overtook us missing me by a couple of
feet and my mate behind

by

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what he reckoned was inches. Anyway we were still in two pieces so we continued the ride. We'd
finished the first off-road section and were

biking

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up to the next off-road when a bus heading towards us slowed down and the driver waved at us to
stop. Turns out he was the driver that overtook us

and

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he offered us profuse apologies for passing so close. Said we were going quicker than he realised.
Said he did a bit of cycling himself and always tried to give bikes room. Thought I'd post this to
try and even things up

a

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bit as most postings here seem to be about bus drivers with homicidal tendencies.

If he'd hit one of you, would he have been so quick to come back? Actually, it's nice that he
realised we're vunerable. It's a good story. It was North Wales though? Bollox it'll ever happen
in S London.

I had someone follow me for at least half a mile, and not pass, despite room. I always give a
thankyou to anyone who goies beyond the call of duty. Maybe it's my motorcycle background?

I also feel that the reason threads are having a go at cars etc, is because we do become more of a
hidden target this time of year. It'll be the same next year, and then the next year etc etc ...

"Neal Milne" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Thought I'd post this to try and even things up a bit as most postings here seem to be about bus
drivers with homicidal tendencies.

In that vein I'll give honourable mention to Pennine Motors, who run the local buses (orange).
They've always been good to me.

cheers, clive

We did cynically think that maybe he thought we had his number and would be calling his boss with a
complaint. I think I'll give him the benefit as he did appear genuinely sorry.

"Neal Milne" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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tried to give bikes room. Thought I'd post this to try and even things up

a

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bit as most postings here seem to be about bus drivers with homicidal tendencies.

A while back, I encountered a Reading bus driver approaching a particularly dodgy junction in my
home area.

He saw me approaching, and actually *waited* until I had passed and was safely away before turning
into the junction.

I posted a report here - and *did* try to telephone the bus company to pass on a compliment - but no
one there could be bothered to pick up the 'phone within an acceptable time, and I had been warned
that e-mails to Reading buses were routinely ignored; so unfortunately I couldn't even bring this
chaps *good* driving to the attention of his management....

Alex

"Neal Milne" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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We did cynically think that maybe he thought we had his number and would

be

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calling his boss with a complaint. I think I'll give him the benefit as he did appear
genuinely sorry.

I obey to this rule a lot. Make them think about what they nearly did. I managed to resist from
slanging matches after being hugely cut up over the last two days. Motorists don't often anticipate
bicycles as a reasonably fast form of transport. 18mph on a mountain bike isn't such a huge task,
and is 2/3rds of the speed of a motor car. In central London, it's about three *times* the speed. 🙂

"Mr R@t (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room 2]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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I posted a report here - and *did* try to telephone the bus company to

pass

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on a compliment - but no one there could be bothered to pick up the 'phone within an acceptable
time, and I had been warned that e-mails to Reading buses were routinely ignored; so unfortunately
I couldn't even bring this chaps *good* driving to the attention of his management....

A thankyou wave at the time would be more appropriate IMO .. let him know then you're really
thankful for the consideration. I really can't think that some temp in the complaints department
really could be bothered to pass on a kind thankyou on from one cyclist out of the hundreds &
hundreds the driver passes a day ... Sounds like the driver is a cyclist though ...

In message <[email hidden]>, "Mr R@t
(2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room 2]" <[email hidden]> writes

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I posted a report here - and *did* try to telephone the bus company to pass on a compliment - but
no one there could be bothered to pick up the 'phone within an acceptable time, and I had been
warned that e-mails to Reading buses were routinely ignored; so unfortunately I couldn't even bring
this chaps *good* driving to the attention of his management....

I'll tell them when I see them.

One very wet morning I was riding flat out along Xchurch Road towards the Whitley Pump roundabout,
saw a bus coming up from the town, mistakenly thought it was turning left so I could go on. When I
realised my mistake I was too close, braked hard, skidded, corrected the skid, skidded again... The
bus driver actually stopped on the roundabout, leaving a clear lane for me to slide past him
sideways (or fall off in front of him, whatever.) When I did manage to stop (about a millimetre from
the line) he gestured that if I was in that much of a hurry he'd be happy to wait where he was until
I was safely past him!

--
Sue ]🙁🙂

In message <[email hidden]>, elyob <[email hidden]> writes

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I really can't think that some temp in the complaints department really could be bothered to pass
on a kind thankyou on from one cyclist out of the hundreds & hundreds the driver passes a day ...
Sounds like the driver is a cyclist though ...

Reading Buses isn't big enough to have a complaints department. If the phone isn't answered it's
probably because the person who should've answered it's either out driving a bus (when calling avoid
lunchtimes and rush hours) or on the radio telling a new driver how to find Tilehurst. You never
could get the staff!
--
Sue ]🙁🙂

Sue said:

One very wet morning I was riding flat out along Xchurch Road towards the Whitley Pump roundabout,
saw a bus coming up from the town, mistakenly thought it was turning left so I could go on.

I had a very near miss a few years back when I was turning onto a main road in York - the traffic
was busy, and I couldn't see the bus's indicators. I *knew* that every purple-and-orange bus coming
down that road turned left at the junction; knew it for a fact. Except this one, which was running
empty to the depot. I just managed to stop in time, but it was very close!

--
Stevie D \\\\\ ///// Bringing dating agencies to the \\\\\\\__X__///////
common hedgehog since 2001 - "HedgeHugs" ___\\\\\\\'/
\'///////_____________________________________________

"Sue" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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lunchtimes and rush hours) or on the radio telling a new driver how to find Tilehurst.

before I started cycling I used to get the bus regularly in Reading. On a few occasions I have had
to act as navigator for new drivers! In their defence however, the road layout of Reading is fairly
convoluted - IMO it is a "stealth new town" shoe-horned on a collection of villages.

Alex

In message <[email hidden]>, "Mr R@t
(2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room 2]" <[email hidden]> writes

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before I started cycling I used to get the bus regularly in Reading. On a few occasions I have had
to act as navigator for new drivers! In their defence however, the road layout of Reading is fairly
convoluted - IMO it is a "stealth new town" shoe-horned on a collection of villages.

New towns start with nothing (or Bracknell) get a huge amount of money from Central Government,
and are built all at once. Old towns spread gradually and are supposed to cost nothing to run.
Except fouling up the town centre traffic: ring-fenced money is always available from Central
Government for that.

--
Sue ]|(🙂