The bus stop at Caffe Nero

[Muttley]

Outside Caffe Nero is a bus stop, with a display to indicate when the next bus is due. About two years ago, this display briefly spluttered into life, but then was switched off after a few weeks of testing. Why? I know these things aren't exactly reliable, but a bit of information to suggest there may be a bus on the way fairly soon is better than nothing. The bus stop opposite Kings has a working display, so why not Lordship Lane?

This particularly irked me today, because I had to catch a train at 1.54pm from Denmark Hill. I left myself plenty of time, because I had an important meeting to get to. This is what happened next:

Walk down Lordship Lane in rain for ten minutes(no sign of any buses) and stop at Caffe Nero at 1.25 to wait there, as rain is getting worse. No bus. Wait for ten minutes. 1.35, still no bus. Long queue building. "Next bus is going to be full at this rate, better start walking". Make it to East Dulwich station, constantly looking over shoulder. Still no bus. Can't afford to miss that train. Resignedly begin trudge up Dog Kennel (in steady rain) at which point, just as I pass Sainsburys, midway between two bus stops that are a long way apart, two 185s, a 40 and a 176 all go past. Bloody typical. Catch train with four minutes to spare.

If I know there's not going to be a bus for ages then I'll walk. But it's the not knowing I hate. Can somebody in Southwark get that display working?

Grr. End of rant.

[Ko]

Agreed. There's no point money being spent on these things by TfL and then being put to use!

[mockney piers]

ha ha muttley. You've perfectly described almost every walk back from LL I've ever done!!

[louisiana]

There's one of those things at the southbound Mount Adon Park LL bus stop too. Two things have struck me

- it never seems to show 185s (which actually come along)

- buses 'disappear off the radar'. In other words, they are on the display, marked as 'due', then never show up. Ghost buses.

There are other towns where these systems work well...

[SeanMacGabhann]

Now I did read quite a long article about this somewhere in the last couple of months (did a quick google but couldn't find it)

Basically it's all very Heath Robinson at the moment but new equipment and networks being put in place over the next 2 years to provide a much more accurate service etc

I might have mentioned beforfe about bus stops - some stops just ARE better than others - no logic to this but I ALWAYS have to wait for a bus outside ED station but if I wait at the stop by Goose Green there seems a steady supply - weird

[jim_the_chin]

the lesson here is that buses are for people who don't actually have to be somewhere at a specific time. unless you leave half an hour early at least.

[Rowanofski]

Did you not know that buses are above the law?! It's a complete windup how London Buses seem to do what they like without any regulation (that I know of anyhow). Tube? 15min wait and money back. Train? What is it? An hour wait and money back? Even planes are in on the money back for an under-performing/lack of service. But Buses? Oh no! They can do what they like because it is all "beyond their control". Agreed, traffic can cause some delays, but I think more often, Bus drivers sitting around eating pies or just not showing up for work causes more delays!

Anyhow, ending this tangent, I think Maggie Thatcher's hilarious quote teaches us all a lesson... "A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure." I've got 10 months of success left then!

[Huguenot]

I could of course tell the tale of irresponsible bus drivers who were known to attach to meat pie wrappers to the transmitter which gave the bus position. This ensured that the impromptu coffee breaks and erratic working hours (which may otherwise have been identified and curtailed) blended seamlessly into an 'apparently' dysfunctional system.

No ghost buses those, and no dysfunctional system. Just a quick sarnie.

That cannot, of course, account for the steady stream of buses arriving from another dimension at untimely moments.

;-)

[mockney piers]

That's called sod's law. Apparently an academic study worked out that you really do wait for half an hour then three come along all at once.

[Muttley]

There's a popular maths book on that very theme.

[louisiana]

Rowanofski Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

just not showing up

> for work causes more delays!

>

> Anyhow, ending this tangent,

I think I've found a new word: 'rangent', being a rant that is off on a tangent.

[mockney piers]

We need to start a dictionary of EDF neologisms. shhhh I don't want to get this lounged

[Nero]

MP, Well, stick it in a 'portmanteau' then. Nero (This is a reference to another exchange on neologisms iin case you and anyone else is scratching heads.)

[Al&Em]

I heard that they've had a lot of problems with bus drivers not liking being tracked - especially at night when they like to stop off in dark corners and play cards with their mates (hope I'm not libelling anyone here....) - so they've been disabling whatever transmitter devices were used.

[OutOfFocus]

There's a popular maths book on that very theme.

The author lives / lived round here, and I knew him from a previous life. I once saw him at the bus stop and was about to say hello. But then 2 buses turned up and we got on differrent ones.

[the cloak]

Perhaps Cafe Nero could breathe some life into this redunant facility and use it to advertise their delicious range of 'froffy coffees' and fancy pastries?

[mightyroar]

Maybe those bus drivers are too busy reading that book when they've finished the pies?

[spooniferous]

What is the name of the book? I wouldn't mind giving it a read.

[OutOfFocus]

Why Do Buses Come in Threes?: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life

by Robert Eastaway, Jeremy Wyndham - 1999 - 156 pages

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JF8r8KJmXI4C&pg=PP1&ots=UGRQZEHRDl&dq=buses+come+eastaway&sig=vqcqIl-EFs9AQJE6vj6zZ2Pd8Ns

[Muttley]

Standing at the Caffe Nero bus stop today, I noticed that the display indicating when the next bus is due was working. The 176 turned up within 2 minutes of when the sign said it would. Hooray! How long has this been back in operation?

[Louisa]

Buses have always been unreliable, unlike trains, they have to travel around peckaed London roads which are highly unpredictable. I would suggest never relying on a bus, and those signs they put up never have worked. They just change to suit the lateness.

[ivemet-jimmy]

Muttley.

I want to thank you for your post.

Its bad enough travelling by bus without having to wait! Its true what you say. Its not really the waiting its the not knowing when the dam thing will arrive?! I now avoid taking the bus where possible! I much prefere walking as I know how long it will take. I can plan my journey! ( how the hell do you spell journey?) lol

I'm a smoker and its sods law that the bus comes right at the time I light my fag. So now I light up as if to summon the Bus god into action! It usually works!

I also have a problem with the regular info too. They say the bus comes every 10 to 12 mins which is also B*****ks (rubbish)!

Perhaps this is there way of reducing our carbon foot print by inticing us to walk. Who knows!

[Muttley]

Buses may leave the depot individually every 10 minutes, but by Lordship Lane they come in pairs separated by 20 minutes. With 37s it's even worse, they come in fours separated by several hours. (Try catching a 37 from Herne Hill to E.Dulwich and you'll see what I mean.)

[Nero]

I think there is meant to be a new version of the display coming on line 'soon' (ask Ken for exact definition). When I have a bus pass I hop on the first one and then swap, ie. 40 to E and C and then 68,188,176,171 to Aldwych. But I am SERIOUSLY thinking of getting a bike. I am fed up of the rubbish on buses, and of the yoof who play their phones out loud and eat their junk food and leave it on the floor. (6) Now, I feel better for that. Nero

[Marmora Man]

mockney piers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> That's called sod's law. Apparently an academic

> study worked out that you really do wait for half

> an hour then three come along all at once.

The theory is:

a. Three buses leave bus station at 10 minute intervals.

b. Time 05: Bus 1 stops at first stop and spends 5 mins loading passengers.

c. Time 10: Bus 1 leaves first bus stop. Bus 2 departs station and is now 5 mins behind.

d. Time 15: Bus 1 stops at second stop - again spends time loading passengers. Bus 2 arrives at first stop but has fewer passengers to pick up so leaves after 3 mins.

etc etc etc. Gradually the gap between the three buses decreases from 10 minutes to 0 minutes. Can send anyone who likes maths puzzles an illustrative spreadsheet and graph by PM.

PS: I haven't tried to prove it by maths but, apart from the exercise gained there's no point in walking ahead to the next stop. The bus may get to the next stop fractionally earlier (becaue it didn't have to wait for you to board at the previous stop) but it will leave the next stop at the same time beacuse it has now had to wait for you to board. Lazy sods will sit it out and wait - it makes more sense plus, of course, there's always the possibility that you'll be overtaken between stops if you walk on.