Wish I'd found your channel years ago. Lots of interesting inside facts you'd only hear from a seasoned driver. Growing up in Wood Green and Enfield it's great to see all my old routes, even though I moved away in 1981. I remember the 121 being RF operated and running between Enfield and ChIngford Station, loved those RFs!
Thankyou by sharing your " bus driver chat " about your job, It was very interesting and also it's always nice to see a cloudy and rainy day like you showed at this video. Excelent video Mr. Horrex.
My reason for watching the driver is because I would love to become a driver myself so for me the best way to get an understanding of how a driver works is to watch them also personally the seats at the front are the nicer ones
So I am travelling from first stop to last stop on every bus route in London. The 121 was the last route I did in Feb before Lockdown and I must say it was quite enjoyable. Was hoping for you but couldn't afford to hang around. Now essential travel only has been lifted im back at it but because the 121 was the last route I did. It will always have place in my heart. Stay Safe Peter!
6:24 I felt that; that must've been annoying 😂 Me personally, I miss those seats because I liked doing timelapses from there, but all I'd get are people's masks if I did one now anyway. There's still something hideous I find about face masks. Also, what you said from 2:45 onwards about the front seat is a very good point. I can't imagine how long the pandemic will last but I could see manufacturing companies removing that seat altogether in new buses. They might keep making them, with the chance of them being used way in the future, but the point you made about the collision hazard is also a very good reason to remove them. I love hearing a driver's insight - thank you for making this video!
Now that seat at the front is where my granddaughter and I like to sit, a) because we can see the road ahead and b) she likes to watch the driver at work. Disappointed you don't want us there, but you might be right about its long term out of use.
BristolRE I/we should hope not. It is a good position for viewing , but could be dangerous, as my father-in-law found out when the driver braked a little too late to avoid the vehicle in front and thrust my father-in-law at the glass panel in front, thereby sustaining a head injury.
I take it Ponders end have got rid of ALL their DAF buses such as DLA's and the DLPs often used on 279, 307 and 317 Volvo Geminis are a good replacement .. the ones at first eastern counties are lovely :)
Hey fellow bus driver from across the pond. I drive an employee shuttle bus for the US postal service at the Boston postal annex in Southie aka South Boston. I also drive a box truck for the PO.
I think i remembered 416 at Tottenham, always had the MIL warning light on (the puff of smoke yellow warning light) a sure sign that it's a slow bus. It was a nightmare having this one on the 243, crawling down the road and then having to do a in/out at Waterloo because you lost your stand time. One of the things I disliked about arriva was all the duties were back to front, you have a nice easy first half and a good meal relief and then get clobbered with a two rounder second half !
@@BristolRE DW's are quick with the MIL light off, a memo went around at AR around 2013/14 to put on the defect sheets if the MIL light was on and for a time the engineers were fixing them, even the DW's with 300 series bonnet numbers were speedy. However with quicker buses it was easy to get carried away and get a 'Hold Back' from the controller, you were really lucky if the controller was napping or playing windows solitare, extra stand time at Wood Grn or Wloo.
I was surprised how cold it was but hey, means I could wear a jacket again haha. Winter is coming again lol. I understand why the front seats are annoying because people do stare at you, but at the same time I like it because you get to see the front view and the way the driver handles sharp turns etc. I avoid to sit there sometimes though, I mainly go near the back.
BristolRE nah I liked that seat, wouldn’t sit there if there was other options available but it was always fascinating to watch the driver drive as it made the journey feel quicker
@@GEORGEonbuses2023 Yes, I like it as it's not mega busy, nice and quiet at night and the only real issue with traffic is Wood Green and Green lanes heading towards Palmers Green
Some companies use a passenger counter on the ticket machine which records tickets or cards being used. When it reaches the maximum capacity the driver and bus company knows the bus has reached its maximum capacity. The driver just needs to press down the number of passengers alighting to keep an accurate record of the number of passengers onboard. The maximum requirement it set to be increased on the 16th may which will probably allow all seats occupied except standing passengers and those facing other passengers.
Hey Peter I’m with you on that I don’t like hot weather either I can’t stand it you’re like one of those typical British people who just cannot stand the heat whatsoever
Hi i want to become a bus driver soon and i am worried that im going to hit a curb when doing a driving lesson and im not sure how to reasure me self that its gonna be okay lol
Everyone clips a curb, you'll be trained not too. The important thing is when you have an interview they'll road test you in a van. VERY important not to hit a curb on that assessment. Keep it wide on corners etc.
Interesting and I think a lot of drivers don't like that 'instructors seat' at the front and as you mentioned there is a potential safety issue. Do you always do the 121 or other routes as well?
Yes, expected start date is 10th October, though some may filter on to the route during the days before that. Drivers at Enfield garage are now being type trained on the LT.
They put the software on my phone and i clean the phone and i los my duties 🙈 so i have to wait until Monday, to ask for setting me the phone again in the garage .
These are called spreadover shifts or spilt shifts. It depends on where you work and who you work for. Outside London it's true, inside London you usually get paid for all of the break less 40 minutes plus a spreadover payment so a 12 hour shift could pay over 12 hours, even with a 4 hour break. But these shifts are not common.
@@southlondoner7169 The new contract is due 5th November 2021, so TfL usually announce the successful bidder 6 months in advance, so I guess around April / May in 2021 we should know.
The most dangerous seats are my favourites 😭
Lol
@SkillsUtd_ same!
Wish I'd found your channel years ago. Lots of interesting inside facts you'd only hear from a seasoned driver.
Growing up in Wood Green and Enfield it's great to see all my old routes, even though I moved away in 1981.
I remember the 121 being RF operated and running between Enfield and ChIngford Station, loved those RFs!
Thanks. Glad that you are enjoying my channel. Hopefully I'll put some more up soon.
epic very nice informative video nice to see how the DB300's work too
Thanks
Thankyou by sharing your " bus driver chat " about your job, It was very interesting and also it's always nice to see a cloudy and rainy day like you showed at this video.
Excelent video Mr. Horrex.
Thank You
Great video. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from America 🇺🇲
Thanks, you're welcome
Good video Peter, nice to see a little change in your video, talking about the dangerous seats. Thank you for all your advice.
Cheers, you're welcome
My reason for watching the driver is because I would love to become a driver myself so for me the best way to get an understanding of how a driver works is to watch them also personally the seats at the front are the nicer ones
Yes, that would be the best seat for you.
So I am travelling from first stop to last stop on every bus route in London. The 121 was the last route I did in Feb before Lockdown and I must say it was quite enjoyable. Was hoping for you but couldn't afford to hang around. Now essential travel only has been lifted im back at it but because the 121 was the last route I did. It will always have place in my heart. Stay Safe Peter!
Thank You, you too
6:24 I felt that; that must've been annoying 😂
Me personally, I miss those seats because I liked doing timelapses from there, but all I'd get are people's masks if I did one now anyway. There's still something hideous I find about face masks.
Also, what you said from 2:45 onwards about the front seat is a very good point. I can't imagine how long the pandemic will last but I could see manufacturing companies removing that seat altogether in new buses. They might keep making them, with the chance of them being used way in the future, but the point you made about the collision hazard is also a very good reason to remove them. I love hearing a driver's insight - thank you for making this video!
You're welcome, glad that you enjoyed it
Now that seat at the front is where my granddaughter and I like to sit, a) because we can see the road ahead and b) she likes to watch the driver at work. Disappointed you don't want us there, but you might be right about its long term out of use.
You get some right idiots sitting there, but I'm sure you and your granddaughter don't fall in to that category
BristolRE I/we should hope not. It is a good position for viewing , but could be dangerous, as my father-in-law found out when the driver braked a little too late to avoid the vehicle in front and thrust my father-in-law at the glass panel in front, thereby sustaining a head injury.
@@GuyArab Yes, definitely a good seat to enjoy the ride from
Haven't turned a destination handle for years 😃
🤣🤣🤣
Great video Peter. Good to see a work video again.
Cheers
I take it Ponders end have got rid of ALL their DAF buses such as DLA's and the DLPs often used on 279, 307 and 317 Volvo Geminis are a good replacement .. the ones at first eastern counties are lovely :)
The DLA's and DLP's are long gone, but these DW's are still DAF, we don't have any Volvo at my garage at the moment.
@@BristolRE
oh my mistake i assumed the gemini model was Volvo i saw some gemini's in your videos with 349s 121s etc they are still better than E400s
@@270687carl No worries, I did wonder if that was the case. I did drive the Volvo B7TL's at Ipswich 2003-2005
Hey fellow bus driver from across the pond. I drive an employee shuttle bus for the US postal service at the Boston postal annex in Southie aka South Boston. I also drive a box truck for the PO.
Hi there, sounds nice
Wright Bus Street Lights or Polygons are very good busses. Thanks for your Video.
You are welcome
On a lot of buses in SE London the front seats arent taped off and people sit there :/
That's bad
It’s SE London, what do you expect? 🤣
Great video. ☺️
Thank You
@@BristolRE You’re welcome mate.☺️
I think i remembered 416 at Tottenham, always had the MIL warning light on (the puff of smoke yellow warning light) a sure sign that it's a slow bus. It was a nightmare having this one on the 243, crawling down the road and then having to do a in/out at Waterloo because you lost your stand time. One of the things I disliked about arriva was all the duties were back to front, you have a nice easy first half and a good meal relief and then get clobbered with a two rounder second half !
416 these days at E isn't too bad, almost all ours have that puff of smoke light on, Lol
@@BristolRE DW's are quick with the MIL light off, a memo went around at AR around 2013/14 to put on the defect sheets if the MIL light was on and for a time the engineers were fixing them, even the DW's with 300 series bonnet numbers were speedy. However with quicker buses it was easy to get carried away and get a 'Hold Back' from the controller, you were really lucky if the controller was napping or playing windows solitare, extra stand time at Wood Grn or Wloo.
I was surprised how cold it was but hey, means I could wear a jacket again haha. Winter is coming again lol. I understand why the front seats are annoying because people do stare at you, but at the same time I like it because you get to see the front view and the way the driver handles sharp turns etc. I avoid to sit there sometimes though, I mainly go near the back.
When the front seat was in use I used to hang my hi-vis down the assault screen by my left shoulder, stopping people from staring at me
@@BristolRE LOL i do that too
please do a cab view video of your journey , that would be cool
I might try one day.
Nice video keep it up nice to see a video on your bus
Thank You
@@BristolRE Your welcome
Hi BristolRE
I travel with Arriva Derby in the 7 and this bus reminds me of the Gemini Volvo B7tl that i Travel on good vidoe keep it up.
Some busses have gaps where you can look through to see an upstairs mirror.
You mean in the drivers cab? Yes used to be standard on all double deckers at one time
Did you ever know of the early days of the 121 when round there at The village wasn’t so safe for driving?
No, before my time in this area
Id imagine whoever has the printing contract for TFL is making a fortune with all these covid signs.
Indeed!
I love these DW's on 242 but they are on 121, hoping for one on 242 instead of HV's! :D
Lol, keep dreaming!
@@BristolRE I will!
@@eastlondonventures 😁
It'll never happen sadly. Since the DWs are not at the same garage.
@@GEORGEonbuses2023 Indeed
I miss you driving on 121 but you still get to drive some others you probably havent already :) (Probably like DW190, DW191 , DW334 and DW501 ect
I hate that seat next to the driver as well. I call it the co pilot seat. If I had my way, it'd be turned into a luggage rack.
Indeed, that's how it should be.
BristolRE nah I liked that seat, wouldn’t sit there if there was other options available but it was always fascinating to watch the driver drive as it made the journey feel quicker
@@CB-by9nf Yes, a lot of people liked that seat
Nice video Peter good thing you lose weight by changing the blind manually.
Cheers, Lol
@BristolRe lol, I love to stare at the driver as there my fav seats and I’m a bus enthusiast lol
Great Video :)
Thanks
Nice video Peter
Thanks
Can somebody even tell me why arrivas gemini 2 buses copy the enviro400/enviro400mmc?
We are allowed 35 passengers on the buses down here in north wales
Fine on a double decker I should think
@@BristolRE yes
isnt North Wales UP from London ;-)
Even tho the bus compacity is 30/14/11, most drivers ignore that and fill the bus to its rim
121's rarely get that busy!
Thats good. As you're a driver, is the 121 a good route to drive?
@@GEORGEonbuses2023 Yes, I like it as it's not mega busy, nice and quiet at night and the only real issue with traffic is Wood Green and Green lanes heading towards Palmers Green
Some companies use a passenger counter on the ticket machine which records tickets or cards being used. When it reaches the maximum capacity the driver and bus company knows the bus has reached its maximum capacity. The driver just needs to press down the number of passengers alighting to keep an accurate record of the number of passengers onboard. The maximum requirement it set to be increased on the 16th may which will probably allow all seats occupied except standing passengers and those facing other passengers.
Hey Peter I’m with you on that I don’t like hot weather either I can’t stand it you’re like one of those typical British people who just cannot stand the heat whatsoever
That's cool
@@BristolRE i dont like hot weather either, especially on a bus with no air-con or air-con that doesnt work which is even more frustrating
@@andyo6713 Yes indeed
Hi i want to become a bus driver soon and i am worried that im going to hit a curb when doing a driving lesson and im not sure how to reasure me self that its gonna be okay lol
Everyone clips a curb, you'll be trained not too. The important thing is when you have an interview they'll road test you in a van. VERY important not to hit a curb on that assessment. Keep it wide on corners etc.
very Interesting Vid Mate
Cheers
@@BristolRE No problem Mate
My Work Today On Route 121 Driver Duty
Social Distancing Has Block The Seat Off
Yes
Interesting and I think a lot of drivers don't like that 'instructors seat' at the front and as you mentioned there is a potential safety issue. Do you always do the 121 or other routes as well?
121 is my main route, but I'll do 313 and 377 as well.
@@BristolRE I would imagine the 279 and 349 are ones to avoid😂
@@jbc825 Definitely, I avoid anything that goes Edmonton or Tottenham, so that wipes out the 191 192 and W6 at E as well.
Don't the company take you home in the old days they did London transport
No, afraid not
@@BristolRE your helping people in London to get home 🏡 why can't they do that for you 😠
@@VICTOR-pf9eg Indeed
@@BristolRE is there no staff bus?
Very risky job I watched some videos on UA-cam daaaaang no help available if u get attacked
Indeed
What's the matter with DW415
Not the fastest of buses
@@BristolRE thats annoying
Is it true that 313 is getting LTs?
Yes, expected start date is 10th October, though some may filter on to the route during the days before that. Drivers at Enfield garage are now being type trained on the LT.
Do you know how to find my duties on internet, as i lost the software on my phone 🙀
All I have access to is this:
tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/bus-schedules
They put the software on my phone and i clean the phone and i los my duties 🙈 so i have to wait until Monday, to ask for setting me the phone again in the garage .
@@callatabares2290 Ah, you mean the software from your employer, yes they'll give you the link again
I am new in the company
I was told tht bus company give 3 hours and 4 hours breaks without pay is it true?
These are called spreadover shifts or spilt shifts. It depends on where you work and who you work for. Outside London it's true, inside London you usually get paid for all of the break less 40 minutes plus a spreadover payment so a 12 hour shift could pay over 12 hours, even with a 4 hour break. But these shifts are not common.
@@BristolRE thanks fr sharing information
@@wasimmanzoor7310 👍
Will you be doing route 405?
You mean driving it? No, it's not in my garage.
Plus, 405 is quite boring, E routes are actually better.
405 isn’t even operated by Arriva London North
Talking tiger 158 bus
Social Distancing Your Have To Leave Seat Until It Clear
Great video but I thought you drive 279
Thanks. I have driven the 279 in the past, but not within the last couple of years
@@BristolRE Oh right so you've moved onto the 121 now
@@mohibj Yes, since early 2019
@@BristolRE As you must know, Arriva's up for sale. I think Metroline should buy Arriva London North, like most of First London
@@mohibj Yes, I'm sure they'd like a garage in Enfield. Could put the W8 and 231 in here and move the 313 to PB
Talking lion 121 bus
I’m disappointed in ALN for losing so many routes
Yes, seems Go-Ahead want everything
Yep. ALN need to fix up. I’m happy with E as they haven’t lost any routes for a while
@@southlondoner7169 I believe the 313 is the next up for tender from E
Do you know when that should be announced?
@@southlondoner7169 The new contract is due 5th November 2021, so TfL usually announce the successful bidder 6 months in advance, so I guess around April / May in 2021 we should know.