Doodles

Good. Didn't like all that free advertising.

How about dangerous banking wear for surfers? What would that be?

Blimmey. You lot are making me feel old. I did make the mistake of moving out to a seaside town (Whitstable). Hated it. Missed home. Came back.

A bit off topic, but, why are black cabs so damn expensive in London? Esp. compared to yellow cabs in New York where they almost count as door to door public transport?

Yup. It is worse here than anywhere else I?ve lived. So much so that I get anything of value delivered to work instead. Have complained to postie who protested that he is only a temp and to post office, which received no reply.

It is interesting to see how much the two threads about the number 40 have generated. Getting about London is clearly one of the issues that really impacts on how happy or grumpy we feel as Londoners. I work a couple of days of most weeks in Manchester. People there seem relatively cheerful about their trams / busses/ trains. Maybe because they have the rain to distract them. Maybe because it is all a lot smaller and there are fewer people trying to get anywhere. When I catch the 40 I usually get on at the starting point at the top of Barry Rd. That means I get a chance to chat to the driver if he (usually seems to be ?he?) is catching some fresh air / having a fag. This morning the driver was explaining the pressure they are under to keep to timecards. Apparently, being early or late both result in a bollocking. London traffic isn?t acceptable as an excuse. That said, as someone wisely said elsewhere on this forum. Some people are just cocks. Some aren?t. And that also applies to some of the stupid, macho, dangerous driving I?ve seen lately.

Sorry, been out on a long march. Who?s round? * thinks - looks like they all are- must be the uniforms.*

All of this feels like an argument for conductors. Sadly, people don?t seem to be willing to act like grown-ups without someone watching over them. And I hate having people watching over me.

Yup. And in this case everything after it is B*llox.

Yup. Used to work with someone who, whenever someone moaned about something always replied with; ? and what you did about it was??? Very true.

If the good people of Hampstead, or even Dulwich village, were complaining about people peeing in the street, smoking weed etc there would soon be a visible police presence.

And, to make it worse, a bunch of kids spent the entire journey from the Plough to London Bridge preaching the gospel, telling me I was going to hell unless, blah, blah, blah. I guess they were genuine and believed they are doing the right thing. But it raised my stress levels. On a better day I would have drawn breath and explained that you never change anyone?s mind if they feel bullied and hectored. But it wasn?t a better day.

Yes, hate the noise of moronic, cr*p music from phones. Hate the stench of half eaten junk food; hate the greasy marks on my clothes from the grubby seats. Beginning to hate buses, and I used to love them. Shame.

LostThePlot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Doodles Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > No. People had a habit of launching themselves > on > > and off the Rout master. > > It's called looking after yourself and not blaming > others for your own stupidity. > > > Of course, there is a cost... > The money has already been wasted.... > > About 4 years before the Routemasters were > withdrawn a large number of them were fitted with > more up to date engines (Cummins -IIRC) the idea > being to give them a continued life in service > until about 2015 when it would have to be > withdrawn to meet Disability act cut off date for > Public vehicles (2017) (Again - IIRC) At this > time, and when electioneering Red Ken said "Only > some ghastly dehumanised moron would want to get > rid of the Routemaster." He got to power and > killed them all. In the world of busses there are > suspicions that there may have been some > backhanded shennanegins about getting the Bendy > Buses into the capital. > > On the disability side of things. Yes, they were > not accessible, hence they were to be withdrawn to > meet a deadline decreed,....Are Bendy Busses > wheelchair friendly? Ask someone trying to get on > one in Oxford street at 5pm... > > And also the Routemaster was less polluting than > the busses that replaced it. Furthermore, in terms > of more effective transport the Bendy busses do > not match the carrying capacity of a Routemaster, > when you consider the space they take up on the > road. Interesting post. I didn't know about the engine update etc. Or the projected shelf life. We've been coned, haven?t we?

Good arrows. You must be on the central committee! Pass us one of CWLD?s beers?

I understand. But don?t agree. The materialist analysis applies to pre-capitalist society. Had a very smooth ride on the 40 this morning. Walked up and thanked the driver. He seemed embarrassed but pleased.

True. But if you accept a materialist interpretation of the world, power, be it patriarchal, imperialist or whatever, stems itself from a relationship to the means of production. OK. Maybe not that simple. But its late and I?ve got a number 40 bus to catch in the morning. Or maybe I?ll cycle. Night all.

Someone else's job eh? *helps self to drink and staggers off into the night*

Are the drinks any cheaper in there? Is there a smoking ban?

Sounds like time for a new faction then.

Oh. No one here. Just me?

"Rout master"? Sorry.

No. People had a habit of launching themselves on and off the Rout master. Tfl will quote endless stats about how dangerous they were if you ever engage them on it. The choice of bus is irrelevant. One person driving and one person looking after passengers is a lot safer than one person struggling to do both. Of course, there is a cost...

S*d the Routemaster, bring back the conductor.

No.... peanut butter with jam! (Is that off topic? - Does it matter in the lounge?)