Bus drivers

ayden · Post by **ayden** » 11 Aug 2005, 02:06

I dont know about bus drivers in your areas but i know for a fact that down here in portsmouth they are a real pain the in the backside. Take for example today a bus driver pulled out in front of a guy in a freelander who happend to be in front of me the guy in the freelander slams on his brakes i do the same except i dont stop in time wham straight into the back of him smashing the headlight an pushing the bonnet up a bit, what does the bus driver do ?? Nothing carries on and drives off. I ring the bus company and tell them the number of the bus and what time it caused the accident but all they could do was apologize and put the phone down on me ?? it irritates me so much thinking that bus drivers assume that they own the place its not right

Ross_K · Post by **Ross_K** » 11 Aug 2005, 03:50

Ahh bus drivers. The same rung on the evolutionary ladder as taxi drivers in my book...[}:)][}:)]

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 11 Aug 2005, 04:33

If the bus pulling out caused the accident, the bus driver is legally responsible unless you could be proven to be doing something neglegent, such as driving too quickly or too closely to the car in front. Don't let the fact that you exchanged no paint with the bus stop you from pursuing the bus company.

Ross_K · Post by **Ross_K** » 11 Aug 2005, 04:42

Isn't that "please let this bus pull out" thing a request and not an order? [;)]
Interestingly, I took my ZX to my local accident repair place to get a quote for my tailgate and was chatting to the owner about council drivers and the mayhem they cause. "Nah, that's nothing" he says, and pulls out a half-inch thick sheaf of paperwork for damage caused by F***t Bus. They keep him in business... [:D]

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 11 Aug 2005, 05:01

Rule of the road No1 observed the world over- the bigger you are, the more priority you have- irrespective of what road traffic regs say!!!
It goes big truck, smaller truck, bus, van, car, motorbike, moped, pushbike, pedestrian.......taxi's being the exception to the rule: learn the pecking order and you can safely drive anywhere in the world.
Worse than bus drivers are HGV drivers who will pull out into the middle lane on the motorway to overtake another half asleep yorkie eater wether they have room or not-they neither know nor care if you have priority as you are already there: they are the most pig ignorant of the lot!! But, as they say, size matters, and it does you no good to assert your "priority" from a puny little BX or Xantia, or, worse, a 2CV!!!!

vanny · Post by **vanny** » 11 Aug 2005, 05:26

ah its fun when truck drivers do that, if im feeling in a revenge sort of mood i'll quickly get in front of said overtaking truck and block him from overtaking, slowly forcing him back until a hill and he has to get straight back into the space he came from! Try it, it works!
Can only really think of two proper idiot drivers that have actually tried to have a go, one of whom physically got out of the cab while doing 50 in a 40 and having been properly tail gating, hadn't actually done anything wrong bar keep him within 10 mph of the speed limit!
Now think about the number of taxi and bus drivers that have tried to have a go!
Fortunately round here the bus drivers are pretty good, and while they occasionally do have to force there way out they're always on the ball and spot stupid people doing stupid things! Except for that one that tried to hit me when pulling away from a stop, i swear i have never seen ANYONE look so petrified, but again he was paying attention! Big up the Arriva drivers!

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 11 Aug 2005, 12:49

"Half Asleep Yorkie Eater"..... hehehehe a classic [:D]

yangreen · Post by **yangreen** » 11 Aug 2005, 13:45

I love refusing to give way in my 2cv, especially when 4x4 owners are involved! Not sure how I've avoided hitting anyone though...
As for bus drivers, time was that kids grew up wanting to be a bus driver so you had real enthusiastic, friendly folk at the wheel. Now it's just another job. Plus of course, if I was driving around a City for four hours at a time, I think I'd lose the plot completely!
As for HGVs, the majority are excellent I find. Ok, so they pull out but driving a 2cv, I also know the importance of maintaining momentum. If you drive along expecting it, you don't get nasty surprises. See a truck up the ar5e of another? Expect it to pull out. Easy!

chaseracer · Post by **chaseracer** » 11 Aug 2005, 19:57

OK - general rules, for me anyway[;)]:
1. Let a bus out, or across traffic, only if it has more people on board than can be carried by the average car[:)]
2. Never give a taxi driver an even break[}:)]
3. German 'prestige' cars are invisible[:o)]
4. Size matters - nobody argues with a 15 year old XM...[8D]
Truck drivers, however, are generally pretty good - and that's not just because my brother-in-law might be reading this.
Cheers to the truckies who've (usually knowingly) given me and the Dyane aerodynamic tows on the motorway, and especially to the Belgian knight of the road who put his truck between me and the traffic when the Dyane turned its bonnet into an air-brake on the M1 last year...[:0]

yangreen · Post by **yangreen** » 11 Aug 2005, 20:33

Ah Mr Racer. You've decided to join us here then?
Ian

ayden · Post by **ayden** » 11 Aug 2005, 20:52

Stil havent heard anything from the police or the bus company[}:)] but went to the scrappy today for a new headlight thought i would treat myself to a phase 2 405 steering wheel which i have always liked [:D] if i dont hear anything after tomorrow i might just take a trip up to the bus company myself, hard thing about this situation is that most big companys wont believe anything a 17yr old has to say [:I]

chaseracer · Post by **chaseracer** » 11 Aug 2005, 20:54

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by yangreen</i>

Ah Mr Racer. You've decided to join us here then?
Ian
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I have, Mr. Green. Dunno why it took me so long...

oilyspanner · Post by **oilyspanner** » 11 Aug 2005, 21:03

My favourites here are the taxi drivers, my personal best was five emergency avouding manouvres in the space of three miles. I honestly felt that the highway code had been changed overnight, then again one of them did help SWMBO a few weeks ago, then again she is blonde[8D]
Stewart

Oscar Too · Post by **Oscar Too** » 11 Aug 2005, 21:57

On the M20 near Maidstone I saw a foreign truck pull out and catch a late model Sierra on the rear bumper - I could see it happening before it happened with that horrified feeling you have when something bad is about to happen and you can't do anything about it....
The truck swiped the bumper and the car swung sideways across two lanes before the driver got some control and pulled onto the hard shoulder. It was like you or me kicking a cuddly toy across a room. Superb presence of mind by the Sierra driver. I only managed to get my hazards on before I was past the collision.
So now I give trucks plenty of room on the M-way.

yangreen · Post by **yangreen** » 11 Aug 2005, 23:18

Yes, left hand drive trucks have a HUGE blind spot on that side. I always try and get past trucks as quickly as possible but that's not always easy in a 2cv!