P13

[lard]

jctg Wrote:

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> Is it not true that nobody really knows the route

> of the P13?

They change it every day. It's at the whim of the driver.

It is the revels of the bus world, you never know if you are going to get a good one or bad.

[giggirl]

It's saved me a long walk home with shopping many times - but it's beyond random.

[reenie40]

I think early morning (pre main rush hour)they seem to stick roughly to the times published on the bus stops, but past 8.30 anything can happen...

They also start at roughly the right time from New Cross, but it all goes horribly wrong once they get to about Asylum Road.

[cass]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this, so sorry for butting into the convo but I take my daugher to gym every sat and the bus always comes on time! (well there's been a couple of times where it's a couple if minutes late!!) but bar that, I think it's a reliable service!

No probs when I comes to picking her up either!

[AllforNun]

Only when i am cracked up to the nines - otherwise i want to wage war against it and it's meandering postman pat like route of the boatman of the styx.

[KalamityKel]

Surely the whole purpose of the bus is to bring everyone together on a common topic (much like this one)? One can have wonderful conversations with locals and visitors waiting for the bus, on the journey, and even when alighting. Long live the blessed route! :))

[Shu.Kurimu.Sensei]

Didn't there used to be another bus going pretty much the same route, then onto Canary Wharf a few years ago? I kind of like the way the P13 takes you on a around the houses trip to Peckham...

[EDOldie]

Was it originally the S13 the S being for Sainsbury's as it took you to two of them. I think Sainsbury's might have had sometime to do with setting the route up in the first place to help punters get to the supermartkets. But what does the P stand for? there are other P routes 4 & 12 for example but what does it all mean???

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

p for peckham

[*Bob*]

I think the '13' refers to the number of extra minutes you're prepared to wait (having arrived five minutes before it was due and waited those out) before you walk off - only to see it suddenly overtake you from behind.

[reenie40]

The P13 used to go to Canada Water and perhaps a bit beyond but then they switched that end of the route with the P12 for some reason - suits me fine though. And I have met many a fellow frequent traveller and formed a nod and grimace relationship with them at the bus stop - it's certainly a bus that brings people together.

[EDOldie]

Can't be Peckham the P4 doesn't go anywhere near Peckham (does it?> I wondered if it stood for something clever to designate the size of bus or something like that. There must some London Transport anoraks out there.

[Shu.Kurimu.Sensei]

Related linkage (including some heavy anorakage ^^ ) :

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/businessandpartners/buses/boroughreports/routes/performance-route-P13.pdf

http://my.telegraph.co.uk/diseverything/blog/2008/06/29/the_games_afoot

http://www.londonbusroutes.net/photos/P13.htm

And this threads now on the first page Google throws up for P13 bus :))

[EDOldie]

So it seems the P is for Peckham because all these routes run from Peckham bus garage. Thanks SKS, I couldn't sleep with the worry.

[crispy]

I am with Bob, it sums up my experience , infact i risked a "heavy " shop last night, loads of bags, and missed it by a second..so had to walk with loads of heavy shopping, cause not prepared to wait up for 1/2 hour ..it was the risk i took, but it was a few minutes early!

[Jah Lush]

It used to go to Surrey Quays. And it is a bit of bastard to wait for sometimes. I use it as randomly as its timetable seems to be as it gets me from one end of Underhill Road to the other or all the way down to Lordship Lane as the case may be.

[*Bob*]

It's a shame they did away with the Surrey Quays leg.. that used to be the highlight.

The timing and speed with which the P13 'pilot' was able to navigate the 'kinks' in the Rotherhithe tunnel was a point of honour, I believe.

[Ted Max]

Am I going mad, or did the route used to have no actual bus stops, you just hailed it from random points, and rang the bell likewise when you wanted to get off?

[Jah Lush]

I seem to remember you could do that on certain stretches of road. Backstreets mainly. Best thing about the P13 though is that it stops directly outside the CPT.

[SimonM]

Underhill Road originally had no proper bus stops for the P13 - you just hailed it and stopped it. I think quite a few residents preferred that system! :))

[KoolBananas]

So did the bus driver ;-)

[HonaloochieB]

Yes the 'hail and ride' was the Petite13 at it's best. Democracy in action.

People never abused it though, there would be unspoken 'designated' spots where people would gather, but if someone wwas running late they could flag it down a few yards later and only the hardest-hearted curmudgeon would tut.

Those were the days as Mary Hopkins so aptly put it.

[Nero]

Stop press! There's a new P13 on the block, an altogether sleeker, bolder and, well, sassier version of the old shoe-box on wheels. I saw it today, slinking past the ED Deli like it ruled the road and had done so for years. Anyone else seen it?

[crispy]

No but how exciting...!..i will look out for it tonight...i hope it has a more regular service...:)

[Cassius]

I have never used the P13 and starting to feel really left out. I don't actually need to use it but might go on a 'joy' ride just for the fun of it!