You motorcoach drivers deal with a lot of the same headaches we truckers face AND you have to deal with passengers. Kudos to you because I couldn’t do it!
After driving Motor Coach for 30 years I gave it up in 2014, one of the things that always got me was we had a safety speech we had to do prior to leaving our pick up point. Once the seat belts were mandatory on coaches our company had us point them out and ask the people to buckle up. Then you started hearing why do we have to buckle up? Don’t he trust his own driving ? And then it would start the whole trip people critiquing your driving, but there was always that one elderly couple that would tell you at the end of the trip how good of a job you did and they didn’t feel unsafe and you were a great driver.
As a Greyhound driver, one thing that drives me up the wall is when I get to a rest stop, I'll tell them "We're going to be here for x minutes". THE FIRST thing they always ask is "How long are we gonna be here?" That and passengers that cause delays, then want to blame me for running late.
Being a former Driver at Greyhound (out of Chicago) I would tell them if they were not on the bus when I pulled out. The next bus was the next day. And that I didn't have the time to come back and get them. Never had an issue.
How do you tell them that? Public address? Standing in the aisle and speaking? Since the prevalence of headphones, plus the amount of things that distract riders, I assume that not all passengers will hear announcements. I am always tempted to use a quick-erase sign board, but I've never wanted to add more equipment to my work.
Thanks so much for the shoutout! I’m honestly honored!! It’s cool to see this subject from the perspective of a Motorcoach operator! I definitely hate when people think I’m trying to race them!! Clearly a car can go faster than a bus or motorcoach..I’m just trying to get to my destination safely. Lol. Great video!!
I get transit operators who think because the sign says bus only, that means transit only. There is a street in downtown Seattle that is bus only. When I drive on it during the day, they have a cow.
This is especially also true for long distance city bus routes Although I am not a bus driver myself, but I have seen cars try to race the buses I am riding on
@@smellygeezer I’m just seeing this comment 5 months later lol. This is an interesting subject that you have brought up!! I’ve experienced this multiple times and I think I may make a video about this. Thanks for the comment!!
Everything you mentioned is correct. Been driving a MC over twenty years P/T. Breaks……I don’t ask anymore. I’m upfront with my group leader about breaks during the trip. I usually tell them that I will be stopping every 21/2 to 3 hours. This is for my safety and the group. The last thing you want me to do is become fatigued from sitting in this drivers seat for a long period of time. The eating on the go. When the group says “ we are getting the food to go and will eat as we go down the road. How inconsiderate. Oh, in the last few years I’ve noticed this. There is always two or three that have their phones on with google maps or waze playing in my ear. Like I don’t know where Im going. When one of the passengers say “ weren’t you supposed to turn back there?” I usually tell them as politely as I can “ let me drive the bus and you sit back and relax and enjoy the ride.” I love to drive the MC but please let the professional drivers do their job.
Along with what you mentioned what drives me crazy is when I'm traveling on an multi lane highway and a vehicle 'parks' itself at the middle luggage bay door and just paces me. Either speed up or slow down! They can't see what's on the other side of me and my safe zone is gone. I have developed techniques to get them to move but for the love of Pete! just don't hang out there!!! The other is probably due to me being a female and the assumption that I'm not the driver but the group leader/chaperone/tour guide. You saw me pull up, I've helped you on the bus and loaded your luggage. I lost count of the number of times that I was told to my face that they were nervous because I was driving. Most times by the end of the trip the reverse is said - Best driver they had, such a smooth trip, etc but, yeah in my head my response is Gee do you know we can vote now?!
Don't forget when you show down in the left lane, and have your turn signal on indicating that you will be moving out of the way, the cars behind you cut into the right lane and try to speed past you, only to get stuck behind the car causing the problem to begin with.
My major gripe? Taking school students to “the happiest place on Earth” and having the so-called “chaperones” completely ignore the little darlings while they go nuts in the coach. Being in California, we have very specific regulations, including a complete pre-trip safety briefing. Said safety briefing is usually ignored by everyone - until I end it with “If things do go sideways, I know how I’m getting off this coach - do you?” The looks after that usually range somewhere between “what was he saying?” and “oh, crap...”
@@starcruze328 god honestly even when i was still in school i freaking hated that, it was always worse in the morning cause poeples excitement was threw the roof but any excursions we went on i felt so sorry for the driver cause despite there being 4-5 teachers/teacher aids on the bus theres only ever be one whod actually try to calm idiots trying to destroy shit down. had a couple times when the drivers have reached their breaking point and nearly threw students off and i honestly cant blame em.
@@andreasanchez1453 Class B CDL license with passenger and air brake endorsements. None of our coaches have sinks. For cleanup, it's hand sanitizer or nothing
The driver of the 4-wheeler is often distracted, sometimes talking or texting, and doesn’t realize how slow they’re going until seeing a bus passing them makes them realize it
Years ago I was driving s Greyhound run from Phoenix to LA. We stopped at McDonald's in Needles,Ca for a break. I clearly said 30 minutes and let everyone off. I was probably there closer to 40 minutes. When I left there were several passengers missing but too bad. When I was getting back on the freeway a passenger said they came running outside. The Greyhound station is behind McDonald's so I guess they got to take the next bus home. Hopefully they learned not to be late again.🤣😂
I just love the lady from Brooklyn who talks loudly on her phone for the WHOLE TRIP, sitting right behind me! If you're gonna talk on your phone, go to the back!
And once you're trapped in the fast lane and want to slow down to move to the right, then everybody starts passing you on the right side so you can't move over
OK, all joking aside, here are a couple of my pet peaves: Getting "brake checked" by a jerk driver on the interstate. Inching through a super busy intersection in downtown during rush hour traffic. You know, the situation where only one vehicle per green light can proceed without blocking the intersection. You wait for a gap large enough for your vehicle opens up on the other side of the intersection and a random jerk driver jumps into that gap, forcing you to wait for another green light 🤨
I no longer am courteous doing that, and I will block the intersection at some point with my 45 footer. They will keep filling in the gap all day long if you wait.
Had a driver in our company who was told there would be no stops at all on this 6 hour run. The driver asked if he could stop for a restroom break and was told no, he could not. He went to the back of of the bus, locked the restroom door and went back to the driver seat. The commander (military run) asked what he did and he explained, "If I can't stop to pee, no one on this bus is going to." Bad customer service, yes. But, he got a restroom break. BTW, we don't take restroom breaks anymore. We take blood clot prevention breaks every two to three hours. Most of the drivers in our company are older than 60 years and we have discovered that sitting in one place for long periods of time can cause blood clots in our legs so every couple hours, we stop the bus, go out and kick all the tires, use the restroom and back on the bus and go. 5 to 10 minutes tops.
Driving a loaded 12 ton tanker truck with concentrated sewage in the slow lane,slowing down for a red light and having 3 cars cut in front of me on a US highway in town.If I didn't pop the clutch and hit the brakes, I would have hit them.All the TV lawyers brag about how it's always the truckers fault. Similar experience driving a 50 foot RV in 5 mph traffic.I don't want to hit anything,but they assume 22 tons stops immediately?
Well done! Yes, when passing another they just have to speed up. Also love the many many tailgaters and those who enter my forward safe distance box. Shiny side up!!
it wouldn't be so bad them entering the safe box if they would just speed up and get right out of it. But when they pull into your zone and park there, ack! It's a Prius from Oregon!
Amen to all the driving things you stated. I have one more where I have quit being courteous a lot of the time and that is people entering a freeway that just stay beside you and expect you to slow down to let them in. Easy for them to speed up but they don’t. Now in my case they stay beside me and then decide they will cut right in behind me until they then discover that I have a car attached! Tough luck buddy, I gave you a chance and you were not smart enough to take it so now just suck it up!!!
When my friend drove the New Jersey transit bus on parkway and highway, he alway get why can’t we move faster? He respond look out the window. ( traffic jam and he can’t get around it. Duh!
While I don't drive a coach, I'm 70 feet long with 18 wheels stuck at 65 and I feel your pain when you get hung out to dry by a 4 wheeler or another truck.
I hate when you make a turn on a tight street and a car going the other way wont move even tho it’s clear to everyone that the bus need the extra space to clear the turn.
It's even better when they are three quarters of a car length past the stop line, which was clearly set back from the intersection because large vehicles need that space to safely complete a turn. At least we now have dash cameras.
In no particular order (Said during a pub crawl) Boy, I bet you just love having a bunch of drunks on board your bus! What am I supposed to say to that ? In reality, I kind of hate it. They won't stay seated. They're loud and obnoxious and I can only stand "Cheeseburger in Paridise" and "Sweet Caroline" so many times blasted over a Bluetooth during one trip. Planning out a trip only to be told by the group leader that they have changed their itinerary. Groups that get mad at you when you won't pull into a small parking lot. "So You're going to make us walk all the way in there?!" This happened to a co-worker. He had driven all the way to Ramrod Key and dropped at the hotel. He was exhausted from dealing with Miami traffic and then just the long drive and general even though he still had a few hours left on his drive time. That's when the group leader approached him and said that they wanted to go watch the sunset in key West which was another further hour on and then be brought back to the hotel another hour back. When he pointed that out the group leader told him. "That's all right, we don't mind the ride." This one tends to happen with private schools in this area a lot, (and occasionally public ones) but it always drives me crazy. They will have a show up at some arbitrary time like 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning with no intention of leaving before 9:30 or 10:00. At one school I had a custodian beating on my door at around 5:00 a.m. to let me know that the students wouldn't even be there till close to 9:00. He was correct of course. One parish school had us drive an hour to their facility and arrive at 5:15 a.m. and they had never planned on leaving before 10:30 a.m. We still had an 8-hour drive in front of us. When we went to pick them up from camp later we were told to be there first thing in the morning but then told when we arrived that the students hadn't even gone the breakfast and then needed the still attend church services and that we should just wait. That was time we really could have used for extra sleep. This is a fun one that most motor coaches operators I'm sure are familiar with. Getting yelled at by an employee of a facility or venue for doing something that a different employee of that same facility or venue told you to do. They get mad at you for not intuitively knowing all of their rules. How about finding out after you've arrived at your destination that the kids in the back have had a M&M popcorn or Skittles fight in the back? This probably goes right along with finding that your lavoratory toilet is full of water and Gatorade bottles. If I can think of any more and I'm sure there are plenty of missed, I'll edit the post.
In high school, the school bus driver was new and the route crossed railroad tracks. The train sat there for a while and my Uncle showed me a way around the tracks. He knew about large vehicles and the new route didn't have viaducts, etc. I told her how to get to the school and she asked me who taught her the route and I told her my Uncle. Dealing with the public in any profession is the toughest job around.
Good info James. My biggest gripe is the person who coughs, sneezes cronicly or spits when they speak always sit right behind me (the driver). It led me (with company permission) to rope off the seats directly behind the driver seat. Having someone coughing, sneezing or spitting on the back of my bald head was grossing me out. Keep up the good work. Take care
When they would do that on my schedule I would tell them I couldn't afford to get sick and they would have to move toward the rear of the coach and I was serious.
@corey Babcock Just want to point out that a driver should not be engaged in conversation while driving. It is a distraction. I will answer a question or so once in a while, but I wont engage in a conversation while driving.
I picked up a group of cyclists on a cross country tour and the ONE guy who didn't access the showers and smelled of nasty ball sweat sat right behind the driver seat of course. It was so bad it was an obvious improvement when he got up to go to the lav and the stench got back with a vengeance when he returned. It was a MCI D model with the crotch air vent and tiny toll window but at least it was something to improve my air quality.
Hey James, really enjoyed this segment I was cracking up on this one, not a driver but have been a passenger and have pretty much witnessed one if not all of your pet peeves. The one about the slow driver really had me laughing because they not only do it to buses and big trucks but other cars as well so the frustration is noted. As always keep up the great work can't wait to see your next vlog and continue to stay safe.
Drives me crazy when a group cannot decide on where to stop for dinner before we depart. They inform me en route where they decide, and I have to go in blind hoping that motorcoach will fit, and seems like usually it doesn't.
I am a limousine driver in Las Vegas and they all apply to limousines also. No one likes to be passed by a limousine either. I had to laugh as I go through this quite often also.
I’m not a bus nut. Hell, I wouldn’t give them a second though, but this account really interested me and I’ve been watching a bunch of your videos. I think what’s funny is you may have driven me somewhere in the past since I’m from central Illinois area and have been on a few of these in the last decade
The passing thing. I have many, many miles on the highway behind the wheels of motor coaches and tractor trailers and this is just a constant thing. I usually just ease up on my speed. Paid by the hour!
This happens to me ALL THE TIME on the open road when driving my POV. I'll be on cruise control and I can see a slower (moving at or below the speed limit) car miles ahead. They drove at the slow speed for miles. I eventually catch them and change lanes to pass. As soon as I start to pass, they suddenly get a bug up their ass and they now want to do 10 to 15 over the speed limit and they pull away from me. It happens CONSTANTLY. Then I end up pulling back into the lane I just vacated to maintain my cruise speed.
So true about the things that get on a person nerves in all fields . I am feeling some things about my current job. And yet I keep coming back for more. I have driven buses and trains and love them both. I am in management now. I must be a geek for sure.I currently live in Atlanta GA and work for the transit agency in the train division. I recently find myself looking at your videos and videos on the express buses from NY which is where I am from originally. You inspire me keep up the great work.
My favorite story: When I was in graduate school, I was one of the charter drivers for Bob Dole's presidential campaign (That will tell you how long ago this was). We had a briefing pre day driving. The State police and the Secret Service told all of us in the motorcade that, "If you had problems, just pull over, get it taken care of, and you have the itinerary. We will not wait for you. Try to catch up with us." Ok. fine. About 30 minutes into the drive, a state police officer came over the CB and said, "[Company name]! You are falling behind! Speed up!" My lead driver said, "We are governed at 68MPH. We can't go any faster!" The police officer responded, "Yeah, I've heard that excuse from you guys forever. I never believed you. Now I know you all are telling the truth."
Thank you for this video. Your video is sooo what happens on the road today (unfortunately). Folks are not friendly drivers. I try hard to be a friendly driver, and I am an old lady. So, my driving probably frustrates some drivers. I enjoyed your video.
This is one of your best episodes, both serious and funny at the same time! Certainly time and speed pressures from customers is in conflict with a safe arrival. I can only compensate with acceleration (in the city) and optimal route selection, but only if I can do it safely first. One thing that gets me is that some bus companies have coaches governed at different top speeds. It's lopsided to have a group of coaches each governed at 62, 65 and 70 mph, each doing their own speed and arriving more than 15 minutes apart at the destination! Please, Warp 9 for all!
yes ive had to deal with the know it all passengers trying to change the route and control the trip. I took your advice and intro myself at the beginning of the trip to the leader and explain ive mapped out the route to the specs of my vehical and weather and road conditions and any deviation should be discussed prior to departing or we can agree on my trip plan now. If they try and say something later about the route I remind them politely that we already discussed and agreed upon the route prior to departing. Thanks for this great advice
Most of these things are things I have been through as well...I drive School buses as well as Motor coaches on weekends....the first two of your things are definitely things I have experienced as well and got me annoyed at times.
When you said no matter what profession you have I thought "I am a school bus driver." Been watching your videos lately and went subscribed to your channel! Awesome content!
The best one I thought was that they expected you to do a 10 hour trip without stopping. I would've asked her "do you ever drive 10 hours in your car without stopping", but that would be unprofessional. I think you handled it well by saying you'd have to make a few 15 minute stops, but the passengers shouldn't get off to keep them short. I also wonder if the bus could even hold enough fuel for that long of a trip. She probably got the idea from flying, but didn't realize there are two pilots. Even on Amtrak, they are required to have two engineers on board if the train is going more than 6 hours between crew changes.
@@smellygeezer 8mpg? I know they’re lighter but I’m surprised it’s that good, my car hauler gets 4-5 depending on my load and the direction of the wind (I’m being serious, I’ve had headwinds that have cut my fuel economy by .5 to 1mpg)
I was just on a 12 day roadtrip across the midwest. I took Amtrak to Milwaukee from New York. I had a 5 hour layover in Chicago and the first thing I saw when I left Union Station was a Peoria Charter Bus. I wish I was able to take a picture.
I've seen drivers try turning into an intersection and due to having tail swing needing to wait for the cars to their right to move so the tail swing won't smash into traffic light poles. The intersection is very tight even for small buses. Charter Double Deckers, Coaches have navigated that intersection. Swinging onto incoming traffic and swinging back in. Some older buses don't have turning axles at the rear, which makes it difficult for longer buses.
I honestly love when I get passed by a bus or semi...it means that driver is on a mission! I'm all for it...why would I let my ego get involved? No reason to bump off my cruise control.
4:32 that is so true. A little irrelevant, the other day I was driving my lovely Toyota Camry with a manual transmission. I had to pass a fancy Porsche cruising on the left lane from the completely empty right lane (=.=) I wasn't trying to race them, but why don't people just use the right lane for cruising at whatever speed they like and leave the left lane empty..
My number one pet peeve is what you said in the very beginning. When there are PMV's parking in the bus stalls! I live on an island here in Hawai'i with very limited parking for busses. Most times we have to police our own parking stalls to allow other busses who utilize the stalls everyday! I have made countless calls for police assistance to either ticket the PMV (most times and it is priceless when those drivers sees the ticket on their car and their jaws drops when they see the fines) or in some cases their cars get towed because it is in a tow away zone for all other vehicles in the bus stalls. The police response is usually pretty quick (at least with me).
on the other side of things; In the Early 2000s, I won a coach trip from Sheffield to Paris, the whole trip took nearly 24hours, and the whole time, the driver was *pumping* the throttle. All the passengers looked like nodding dogs. Suffice to say, he did not get a tip.
Yooo too true @ 2:47. Even as a passenger, when I see povs parked in bus lanes only which are clearly marked, it pisses me off and it pisses off our driver because we're forced to walk out in the middle of the street often to get the bus and then they owner(s) of their POV get mad when we say something to them. On top of that, the driver having to partially block traffic or hold it up to let passengers on because of some asshat.
Great episode! The drivers that don't want me to pass are pretty frustrating. I swear, some people just want to hold others up. Don't get it. We all have somewhere to be. Most also need a physics lesson, because they do some crazy moves that puts both of us at risk. Typically I slow down, so do they, I don't try to pass the 2nd time very often. I would rather get there safe than to deal with the consequences/mess if something happened. Sometimes the backseat driver (aka coach) notices and tells me to go around. I drive for a local college. I tell them it is not worth it. It is my license and I am not risking it. If they persist, I tell them they are welcome to get the CDL and do whatever they want. I do love to see all the different places we go. I only do it part time now, but when I retire I want to hit the road much more! Great channel - keep up the great work!
I can’t believe the lady assumed you don’t need a bathroom break and expect you to drive for 10 hours- you’re human not a robot. One thing I find annoying is when you’re waiting say at a hotel for the rest of your guests, and someone decides to get off the bus without telling you, then you leave to go to the next pick up and get a call saying someone was left behind and you have to go back now. Also people who are beyond reasonably late or cancel and don’t even call to notify the company.
You did an excellent job! The very first thing you hit on. The bus stop having cars in it made almost be a true ( you know where I live when I grow up mass transit) so you fill in the blank! You put together such great content. Keep up the great work
I’ve never driven a bus or coach, but when I did long trips on the motorway and was just cruising along at 60mph or so on cruise control, people would overtake me (usually without indicating), and then slow down once they pass me. And sometimes it would repeat multiple times. I’m guessing the ultimate annoyance for the coach driver would be this combined with them not letting you pass.
I get the whole getting passed by a bus thing. What makes my blood boil as a driver is when 2 semi trucks or a semi and a bus are taking up the whole road, and James touches on that in the video. I do find that usually motor coach operators and truck drivers are courteous drivers but when trucks are doing 65 or less in the left lane trying to pass another semi and they end up driving next to them for 10 miles.
I’m planning a trip to a theme park for next year. My parents ( I’m 23 but I live at home with my parents because I’m still in college ) have recommended I go through a charter tour company and make it a overnight trip. Im doing my research and how to plan this trip as best as possible. Rest stops / stretch breaks for my charter driver will be a must !
I had a car try to race me for 45 miles. Every time I tried to pass him he sped up from 55 to my max speed of 72 and wouldn't let me pass. On the final attempt it had gotten dark by then and my coach had a side turn signal the size of a brick. I changed lanes to pass him and he sped up again. I turned on my right turn signal and waited for him to notice it. When he looked over at the big blinking yellow light I moved my bus to the dotted line. He hit the brakes, slowed down in a hurry, and when I moved into his lane he went around me. Never saw him again
I hated when cars cut me off close and then hit their brakes like I can stop on a dime just like they can. Also when going uphill on the freeway going up and over a mountain, I want to try to build up as much momentum as I can, try not to lose speed for as far as I can, help the bus up and over. But there are always these pesky little cars blocking every lane that just won't go fast enough. I finally get stuck behind a car and sure enough at one point, I start to lose speed, and the car in front of me leaves me in the dust never to be seen again while I limp up the damn mountain sweating as I stare at the temperature gauge. Btw, coaches were not speed governed back in my day.
I'm not a motor coach driver the way you are, but I do own and operate my own 2000 Prevost H3-45 for personal use (motor home), but I've definitely had the displeasure running into those folk that don't like getting passed by a bus. The ones that really irk me are the ones that move up just as you're signaling to get over so you're not in front of them. One guy recently actually sped around me on the right after I had signaled to move over and was already MOVING over. He very nearly ended up as a streak on the highway as a result. What's wrong with people?
The “unprofessional” term is really defined by each customer. Being sarcastic is if course not professional, but respectfully telling them why we do certain things, like stopping or not making that detour is not rude in my opinion. If they choose not to accept my reason, it’s their problem really. My experience is that most of my customers accept it. I choose to ignore those who don’t and do my job. I had passengers complaining that we didn’t make that 15 minute break on a certain bus station for them to smoke, not realizing that the road works 1 hour before caused that delay. One customer even went in to the lavatory to smoke, setting of the fire alarm and making the display in front of me flash red. I called both the police and my supervisor, and they both asked me to talk to him and see whether he should leave the coach or not. When he realized the consequences of his action, he immediately regretted, apologized and asked for a second chance. I accepted that, and he never did it again. The worst thing traffic wise is drivers coming so close to the rear of the coach that we can’t see them in the mirrors, and then suddenly decide to overtake us in an unsafe location. We feel unsafe because we can’t make an emergency braking if needed, and they can’t really see what’s going on in front of us, making them change lanes halfway to see if it’s safe to overtake. Other than that, I love my job!
I’m so glad you brought the bathroom and stretch breaks as that’s been on my worried mind as I know I couldn’t go 8 hours without a bathroom break. I haven’t been to my orientation class yet to ask those questions, but it has been on my mind for sure.
Hi I stumbled across this video to see what it is about. I am OTR semi driver even though you and I carry 2 different kind of cargo. I can definitely relate to this video in some aspects. The list of what grinds my gears is long but I know you can relate in many ways.
"...yeah but I failed my bladder control exercises" That would be me.....and that's another reason I'm not driving coaches atm. One lady TOLD me to turn off my radio...(it wasn't loud at all from my perspective) My response? " Do YOU want to sleep or would you rather I sleep?" She gave me that look..... Started using headphones after that even though its not the proper thing to do..
Yeah back in my driving days I used headphones on the long late night stretches even though it wasn't the best look. But it beat falling asleep at the wheel. I wish they had the aftershockz bone-conductive headphones back then.
The one thing that really annoys me is doing a charter to a winery and having a passenger either get so drunk they pass out on the ground or they either throw up or urinate inside the coach. Yes, I’ve had all three happen on my coach. I don’t mind if they pass out before getting on the coach, I used to work as a nurse and can deal with that. But I hate having to clean up urine or vomit from inside the coach. Not much fun at all!
I took the Van Galder from O'Hare to RFD. When I got there Safely, and I thanked AND TIPPED the driver for storing my bag and handling it. He sincerely looked at me and said thank you. I don't think drivers hear that enough. You're stuck on i-90 and you can see clearly that you're not going anywhere for miles cuz there's been an accident and they're blaming you for being late. It never ceases to amaze me. PS people race the CTA BLUE line too, that shows their mentality. 🤣
I've actually done backseat coach driving but it wasn't on a coach, it was a school bus. My elementary school class and I took a trip to Montreal's famous Olympic Stadium (Big O for any Montrealers), more specifically, the biodome, I was anxious to get off the bus. I suggested to the bus driver that he take a ramp that led to an entry point where we could be let off. I remembered this door from a previous trip I had made over the summer with my day camp. Long story short we ended up circling a bit longer than planned because the bus wouldn't fit😅
Right on the money - won't let you pass!! But I've had a few instances where after you "fall back in line" They speed-up, allowing you to resume "crusing" .........Then they start slowing down a bit & giving you some serious/hard "brake checks" & the obligatory hand gesture.
I watch your videos, even though i drive a 26' reefer box truck governed at 73. You talking about passing people on the interstate was way to familiar, lol
Good advice, I'm living in london uk and just I'm starting in the industry driving a city buses , I'm very very fresh driver because just a had got my licence 5 month ago. Here you can facing multiple situations like that with other road users, especially with motorcycles and bicycles
Thank You for some insights. I have driven semis X country in my younger years. Now a school bus driver, and motor coach driver. W e are a contracted to our local school disrict for both. I am the same way about catching other vehicles. Also i am the driver, the one in charge once the door goes shut, my route. Our coaches and chaperones understand coming home late at night the driver might need to get out for a few minutes. We are in South Dakota so traffic is not that bad on a day to day basis, we go to the same places alot. In the summer time we will run a few charter type runs. I helped carry cases of water out to the bus a couple of times for the groups i had on, it paid off big time. Thanks again.
In Holland the maximum speed in the highway is 100 km/h between 06:00 an and 18:00. This is also the governor speed of all coaches . . It bends my steeringwheel , overtaking a Toyota aygo Whit 1 mile , 5 Miles later they pass me again. And again. And again
Omg yes! I hate when I go to pass some slow-poke in the right lane, only for them to speed-up and keep me stuck in the left lane... This is worse when you're a transit bus who needs to service stops in the RIGHT lane... the slow lane, not the "pass the bus" lane.
I had a coach refuse to give me an address to where we were going until I was driving down the freeway. And then when I told them that it was very dangerous for me to text and drive they said that they would just tell me where to drive. Of course they got distracted and didn't give me directions until we were past the exit. They got us lost.
Another great vid. I'd say my biggest ones are asking if the bus goes to the place displayed on the desto sign (once I actually said "I hope that's what it says on the front" and they actually went and looked at the sign), also passengers walking on without touching on their Myki cards (Melbourne's smart card ticketing system for public Train, Tram and Bus) and also just a couple of weeks ago had a passenger (fare evader) complain to me about the bus "stopping every 5 minutes" when I had to wait at our timing points due to quiet running during our covid lockdown, I told him why and he just said "that's just an excuse" and called me an "A hole", operations notified but he got off when he realised it was being reported.
One thing that drove me crazy was when passengers called me "bus driver." While I am performing the job of driving a bus, I hated it. I equate bus drivers to people who are miserable, drab, and hate their jobs. I was far from that. I would always ask them to refer me to my name if they had any questions or concerns.
James I couldn't agree more with your explanation of the passing thing!! I'm guessing most aren't aware that many commercial vehicles are governed to a max speed?! I have this problem as an OTR truck driver whereas people speed up instead of letting you just pass.... LOL! I'm not catching up because their driving faster?!?! Many passenger car drivers don't understand the concept that large vehicles are slower uphill and faster downhill?!
Hey David. Yeah sorry about the 2 weeks of absence. I released videos on my other channel due to bus trips I went on. Have you seen my other channel? ua-cam.com/users/jwangvlogs
Thank you James for another great video. Nearly all large trucks and buses have dashcams in New Zealand. Having viewed the footage of some of these dashcams, you gasp at the, dangerous, reckless and stupid behaviour of motorists driving on NZ's narrow, hilly and winding two lane highways when passing large trucks and buses. It is so bad and frequent, the vast majority of incidents and nearly misses are not reported to the authorities.
I see people cutting off buses all the time too, I don't think any realize how heavy motorcoaches are! But about racing, in Indonesia you might be able to combine both racing and motorcoach driving! 😂
Not a motor coach driver, but the “compensation mobiles” (jacked up, tuned pickup trucks) seem to hate it when my 1998 Nissan cruises past them at a higher speed, so they just MUST speed up, roll coal if possible, and go past me. Then the process of exactly what you described takes over 🤣
My major bus gripe (and it happens way too often) is when people decide that the little red stop sign that swings out from stopped school buses doesn’t apply to them. It delights me when blue lights behind them show them another reason to stop. Do drivers like it when passengers greet/thank them upon each boarding and disembarking or would you rather us just get on/off and keep on moving?
My personal pet pe1eve1 is whe1n i m driving and I signal to change lanes. The traffic in that lane will speed up and not let me in. Even cars behind me will change lanes and speed up to prevent me from changing lanes. In heavy traffic, I've seen cars nearly rear end the car in front of them rather than allow me to merge or change lanes in front of them.
One thing that really annoys me as I catch the bus weekly specially here in the UK is when they see a big double decker bus overtaking them they speed up which annoys the bus driver and everyone behind as the bus can't pick up speed as quickly as a car can and if the lane is closed due to an accident or there's roadworks in that lane no one seems to care about the bus or move over or give way ( or yield if your American ) so the bus driver is forced to wait which yet annoys both bus driver and the cars behind
You motorcoach drivers deal with a lot of the same headaches we truckers face AND you have to deal with passengers. Kudos to you because I couldn’t do it!
But, our cargo loads and unload's it's self.
@@smellygeezer except for 51 60 pound hard samsonite bags!
Also load delays 🎭
After driving Motor Coach for 30 years I gave it up in 2014, one of the things that always got me was we had a safety speech we had to do prior to leaving our pick up point.
Once the seat belts were mandatory on coaches our company had us point them out and ask the people to buckle up. Then you started hearing why do we have to buckle up? Don’t he trust his own driving ? And then it would start the whole trip people critiquing your driving, but there was always that one elderly couple that would tell you at the end of the trip how good of a job you did and they didn’t feel unsafe and you were a great driver.
As a Greyhound driver, one thing that drives me up the wall is when I get to a rest stop, I'll tell them "We're going to be here for x minutes". THE FIRST thing they always ask is "How long are we gonna be here?"
That and passengers that cause delays, then want to blame me for running late.
Being a frequent greyhound user that drives me nuts too.
Being a former Driver at Greyhound (out of Chicago) I would tell them if they were not on the bus when I pulled out. The next bus was the next day. And that I didn't have the time to come back and get them. Never had an issue.
How do you tell them that? Public address? Standing in the aisle and speaking? Since the prevalence of headphones, plus the amount of things that distract riders, I assume that not all passengers will hear announcements. I am always tempted to use a quick-erase sign board, but I've never wanted to add more equipment to my work.
Thanks so much for the shoutout! I’m honestly honored!! It’s cool to see this subject from the perspective of a Motorcoach operator! I definitely hate when people think I’m trying to race them!! Clearly a car can go faster than a bus or motorcoach..I’m just trying to get to my destination safely. Lol. Great video!!
I get transit operators who think because the sign says bus only, that means transit only. There is a street in downtown Seattle that is bus only. When I drive on it during the day, they have a cow.
This is especially also true for long distance city bus routes
Although I am not a bus driver myself, but I have seen cars try to race the buses I am riding on
@@smellygeezer I’m just seeing this comment 5 months later lol. This is an interesting subject that you have brought up!! I’ve experienced this multiple times and I think I may make a video about this. Thanks for the comment!!
Everything you mentioned is correct. Been driving a MC over twenty years P/T. Breaks……I don’t ask anymore. I’m upfront with my group leader about breaks during the trip. I usually tell them that I will be stopping every 21/2 to 3 hours. This is for my safety and the group. The last thing you want me to do is become fatigued from sitting in this drivers seat for a long period of time.
The eating on the go. When the group says “ we are getting the food to go and will eat as we go down the road. How inconsiderate.
Oh, in the last few years I’ve noticed this. There is always two or three that have their phones on with google maps or waze playing in my ear. Like I don’t know where Im going. When one of the passengers say “ weren’t you supposed to turn back there?” I usually tell them as politely as I can “ let me drive the bus and you sit back and relax and enjoy the ride.”
I love to drive the MC but please let the professional drivers do their job.
Along with what you mentioned what drives me crazy is when I'm traveling on an multi lane highway and a vehicle 'parks' itself at the middle luggage bay door and just paces me. Either speed up or slow down! They can't see what's on the other side of me and my safe zone is gone. I have developed techniques to get them to move but for the love of Pete! just don't hang out there!!!
The other is probably due to me being a female and the assumption that I'm not the driver but the group leader/chaperone/tour guide. You saw me pull up, I've helped you on the bus and loaded your luggage. I lost count of the number of times that I was told to my face that they were nervous because I was driving. Most times by the end of the trip the reverse is said - Best driver they had, such a smooth trip, etc but, yeah in my head my response is Gee do you know we can vote now?!
Yes.. women drivers are always challenged and people think we can't drive!! That attitude upsets me!!
As an 18 wheeler truck driver, the passing issue while while trying to maintain our cruising speed happens to us too.
As a truck driver I hate people cutting me off while I'm in a tractor trailer driving
I watch these videos because of the dense knowledge and information but they're really fun to watch too
Thank you for your kind words
Don't forget when you show down in the left lane, and have your turn signal on indicating that you will be moving out of the way, the cars behind you cut into the right lane and try to speed past you, only to get stuck behind the car causing the problem to begin with.
You have just summed up my 30 years as a coach driver, glad to be retired now but still miss it.
LOL! Thanks Traveling425. your comment made me laugh!
My major gripe? Taking school students to “the happiest place on Earth” and having the so-called “chaperones” completely ignore the little darlings while they go nuts in the coach. Being in California, we have very specific regulations, including a complete pre-trip safety briefing. Said safety briefing is usually ignored by everyone - until I end it with “If things do go sideways, I know how I’m getting off this coach - do you?”
The looks after that usually range somewhere between “what was he saying?” and “oh, crap...”
Oh yes, do I remember doing grad night at Disney! Yup lots of kids trying to join the 55 mph club those nights! lol
@@ewelmo3921 That's why part of my pre-trip inspection includes locking the restroom door! LOL!
@@starcruze328 god honestly even when i was still in school i freaking hated that, it was always worse in the morning cause poeples excitement was threw the roof but any excursions we went on i felt so sorry for the driver cause despite there being 4-5 teachers/teacher aids on the bus theres only ever be one whod actually try to calm idiots trying to destroy shit down. had a couple times when the drivers have reached their breaking point and nearly threw students off and i honestly cant blame em.
@@starcruze328 What type of driver’s license do I need to operate a charter bus?
Do some coach busses have sinks in their restrooms?
@@andreasanchez1453 Class B CDL license with passenger and air brake endorsements.
None of our coaches have sinks. For cleanup, it's hand sanitizer or nothing
The driver of the 4-wheeler is often distracted, sometimes talking or texting, and doesn’t realize how slow they’re going until seeing a bus passing them makes them realize it
"I failed the bladder test". That's hilarious I would have failed that too. lol. Nice use of the Star Trek clips. I love it!
Years ago I was driving s Greyhound run from Phoenix to LA. We stopped at McDonald's in Needles,Ca for a break. I clearly said 30 minutes and let everyone off. I was probably there closer to 40 minutes. When I left there were several passengers missing but too bad. When I was getting back on the freeway a passenger said they came running outside. The Greyhound station is behind McDonald's so I guess they got to take the next bus home. Hopefully they learned not to be late again.🤣😂
Nice to see the headaches and the truckers for the interface of passengers in their own lives.
I just love the lady from Brooklyn who talks loudly on her phone for the WHOLE TRIP, sitting right behind me! If you're gonna talk on your phone, go to the back!
Yeah the loud phone conversations drive me nuts
And once you're trapped in the fast lane and want to slow down to move to the right, then everybody starts passing you on the right side so you can't move over
OK, all joking aside, here are a couple of my pet peaves:
Getting "brake checked" by a jerk driver on the interstate.
Inching through a super busy intersection in downtown during rush hour traffic. You know, the situation where only one vehicle per green light can proceed without blocking the intersection. You wait for a gap large enough for your vehicle opens up on the other side of the intersection and a random jerk driver jumps into that gap, forcing you to wait for another green light 🤨
I no longer am courteous doing that, and I will block the intersection at some point with my 45 footer. They will keep filling in the gap all day long if you wait.
Had a driver in our company who was told there would be no stops at all on this 6 hour run. The driver asked if he could stop for a restroom break and was told no, he could not. He went to the back of of the bus, locked the restroom door and went back to the driver seat. The commander (military run) asked what he did and he explained, "If I can't stop to pee, no one on this bus is going to." Bad customer service, yes. But, he got a restroom break.
BTW, we don't take restroom breaks anymore. We take blood clot prevention breaks every two to three hours. Most of the drivers in our company are older than 60 years and we have discovered that sitting in one place for long periods of time can cause blood clots in our legs so every couple hours, we stop the bus, go out and kick all the tires, use the restroom and back on the bus and go. 5 to 10 minutes tops.
Lol 🤣 I love the locking the restroom move
Driving a loaded 12 ton tanker truck with concentrated sewage in the slow lane,slowing down for a red light and having 3 cars cut in front of me on a US highway in town.If I didn't pop the clutch and hit the brakes, I would have hit them.All the TV lawyers brag about how it's always the truckers fault. Similar experience driving a 50 foot RV in 5 mph traffic.I don't want to hit anything,but they assume 22 tons stops immediately?
Well done! Yes, when passing another they just have to speed up. Also love the many many tailgaters and those who enter my forward safe distance box. Shiny side up!!
it wouldn't be so bad them entering the safe box if they would just speed up and get right out of it. But when they pull into your zone and park there, ack! It's a Prius from Oregon!
Amen to all the driving things you stated. I have one more where I have quit being courteous a lot of the time and that is people entering a freeway that just stay beside you and expect you to slow down to let them in. Easy for them to speed up but they don’t. Now in my case they stay beside me and then decide they will cut right in behind me until they then discover that I have a car attached! Tough luck buddy, I gave you a chance and you were not smart enough to take it so now just suck it up!!!
When my friend drove the New Jersey transit bus on parkway and highway, he alway get why can’t we move faster? He respond look out the window. ( traffic jam and he can’t get around it. Duh!
Hey James your back on the block,so here we go #1 riders with bad hygiene, bad breath, and overpowering colognes or perfumes.
While I don't drive a coach, I'm 70 feet long with 18 wheels stuck at 65 and I feel your pain when you get hung out to dry by a 4 wheeler or another truck.
I hate when you make a turn on a tight street and a car going the other way wont move even tho it’s clear to everyone that the bus need the extra space to clear the turn.
It's even better when they are three quarters of a car length past the stop line, which was clearly set back from the intersection because large vehicles need that space to safely complete a turn. At least we now have dash cameras.
or sees you start your turn with plenty of time, they see this and speeds or keeps creeping up, like what???
In no particular order
(Said during a pub crawl) Boy, I bet you just love having a bunch of drunks on board your bus!
What am I supposed to say to that ? In reality, I kind of hate it. They won't stay seated. They're loud and obnoxious and I can only stand "Cheeseburger in Paridise" and "Sweet Caroline" so many times blasted over a Bluetooth during one trip.
Planning out a trip only to be told by the group leader that they have changed their itinerary.
Groups that get mad at you when you won't pull into a small parking lot.
"So You're going to make us walk all the way in there?!"
This happened to a co-worker. He had driven all the way to Ramrod Key and dropped at the hotel. He was exhausted from dealing with Miami traffic and then just the long drive and general even though he still had a few hours left on his drive time.
That's when the group leader approached him and said that they wanted to go watch the sunset in key West which was another further hour on and then be brought back to the hotel another hour back.
When he pointed that out the group leader told him. "That's all right, we don't mind the ride."
This one tends to happen with private schools in this area a lot, (and occasionally public ones) but it always drives me crazy.
They will have a show up at some arbitrary time like 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning with no intention of leaving before 9:30 or 10:00. At one school I had a custodian beating on my door at around 5:00 a.m. to let me know that the students wouldn't even be there till close to 9:00. He was correct of course.
One parish school had us drive an hour to their facility and arrive at 5:15 a.m. and they had never planned on leaving before 10:30 a.m. We still had an 8-hour drive in front of us.
When we went to pick them up from camp later we were told to be there first thing in the morning but then told when we arrived that the students hadn't even gone the breakfast and then needed the still attend church services and that we should just wait.
That was time we really could have used for extra sleep.
This is a fun one that most motor coaches operators I'm sure are familiar with.
Getting yelled at by an employee of a facility or venue for doing something that a different employee of that same facility or venue told you to do. They get mad at you for not intuitively knowing all of their rules.
How about finding out after you've arrived at your destination that the kids in the back have had a M&M popcorn or Skittles fight in the back? This probably goes right along with finding that your lavoratory toilet is full of water and Gatorade bottles.
If I can think of any more and I'm sure there are plenty of missed, I'll edit the post.
In high school, the school bus driver was new and the route crossed railroad tracks. The train sat there for a while and my Uncle showed me a way around the tracks. He knew about large vehicles and the new route didn't have viaducts, etc. I told her how to get to the school and she asked me who taught her the route and I told her my Uncle. Dealing with the public in any profession is the toughest job around.
Good info James. My biggest gripe is the person who coughs, sneezes cronicly or spits when they speak always sit right behind me (the driver). It led me (with company permission) to rope off the seats directly behind the driver seat. Having someone coughing, sneezing or spitting on the back of my bald head was grossing me out. Keep up the good work. Take care
When they would do that on my schedule I would tell them I couldn't afford to get sick and they would have to move toward the rear of the coach and I was serious.
I love the ones that take off their shoes and stick their feet up by the drivers spot.
@corey Babcock I met a lot of really cool people while driving and chatting.
@corey Babcock Just want to point out that a driver should not be engaged in conversation while driving. It is a distraction. I will answer a question or so once in a while, but I wont engage in a conversation while driving.
I picked up a group of cyclists on a cross country tour and the ONE guy who didn't access the showers and smelled of nasty ball sweat sat right behind the driver seat of course. It was so bad it was an obvious improvement when he got up to go to the lav and the stench got back with a vengeance when he returned. It was a MCI D model with the crotch air vent and tiny toll window but at least it was something to improve my air quality.
Hey James, really enjoyed this segment I was cracking up on this one, not a driver but have been a passenger and have pretty much witnessed one if not all of your pet peeves. The one about the slow driver really had me laughing because they not only do it to buses and big trucks but other cars as well so the frustration is noted. As always keep up the great work can't wait to see your next vlog and continue to stay safe.
Sir. Every point ON point. I'm retired from driving now, but I've seen it all. (Maybe)
James, all these challenges are why you get the big bucks. You could be my coach driver any day.
Thanks David! Lol appreciate that.
I wish we could still do 70 and not stuck at 62 I live on a small iland called the Isle of Wight so we are chasing to make it in time for the ferry's
Drives me crazy when a group cannot decide on where to stop for dinner before we depart. They inform me en route where they decide, and I have to go in blind hoping that motorcoach will fit, and seems like usually it doesn't.
I am a limousine driver in Las Vegas and they all apply to limousines also. No one likes to be passed by a limousine either. I had to laugh as I go through this quite often also.
I’m not a bus nut. Hell, I wouldn’t give them a second though, but this account really interested me and I’ve been watching a bunch of your videos. I think what’s funny is you may have driven me somewhere in the past since I’m from central Illinois area and have been on a few of these in the last decade
The passing thing. I have many, many miles on the highway behind the wheels of motor coaches and tractor trailers and this is just a constant thing. I usually just ease up on my speed. Paid by the hour!
This happens to me ALL THE TIME on the open road when driving my POV. I'll be on cruise control and I can see a slower (moving at or below the speed limit) car miles ahead. They drove at the slow speed for miles. I eventually catch them and change lanes to pass. As soon as I start to pass, they suddenly get a bug up their ass and they now want to do 10 to 15 over the speed limit and they pull away from me. It happens CONSTANTLY. Then I end up pulling back into the lane I just vacated to maintain my cruise speed.
So true about the things that get on a person nerves in all fields . I am feeling some things about my current job. And yet I keep coming back for more. I have driven buses and trains and love them both. I am in management now. I must be a geek for sure.I currently live in Atlanta GA and work for the transit agency in the train division. I recently find myself looking at your videos and videos on the express buses from NY which is where I am from originally. You inspire me keep up the great work.
As a school bus driver people that do my head in are drivers that feel the need to jump on the breaks for absolutely no reason.
My favorite story: When I was in graduate school, I was one of the charter drivers for Bob Dole's presidential campaign (That will tell you how long ago this was). We had a briefing pre day driving. The State police and the Secret Service told all of us in the motorcade that, "If you had problems, just pull over, get it taken care of, and you have the itinerary. We will not wait for you. Try to catch up with us." Ok. fine. About 30 minutes into the drive, a state police officer came over the CB and said, "[Company name]! You are falling behind! Speed up!" My lead driver said, "We are governed at 68MPH. We can't go any faster!" The police officer responded, "Yeah, I've heard that excuse from you guys forever. I never believed you. Now I know you all are telling the truth."
Thank you for this video. Your video is sooo what happens on the road today (unfortunately). Folks are not friendly drivers. I try hard to be a friendly driver, and I am an old lady. So, my driving probably frustrates some drivers. I enjoyed your video.
This is one of your best episodes, both serious and funny at the same time! Certainly time and speed pressures from customers is in conflict with a safe arrival. I can only compensate with acceleration (in the city) and optimal route selection, but only if I can do it safely first. One thing that gets me is that some bus companies have coaches governed at different top speeds. It's lopsided to have a group of coaches each governed at 62, 65 and 70 mph, each doing their own speed and arriving more than 15 minutes apart at the destination! Please, Warp 9 for all!
yes ive had to deal with the know it all passengers trying to change the route and control the trip. I took your advice and intro myself at the beginning of the trip to the leader and explain ive mapped out the route to the specs of my vehical and weather and road conditions and any deviation should be discussed prior to departing or we can agree on my trip plan now. If they try and say something later about the route I remind them politely that we already discussed and agreed upon the route prior to departing. Thanks for this great advice
Most of these things are things I have been through as well...I drive School buses as well as Motor coaches on weekends....the first two of your things are definitely things I have experienced as well and got me annoyed at times.
Passengers sitting in the front seats playing with the light on their phones at night!
OMG. That scares the crap out of me every time.
When you said no matter what profession you have I thought "I am a school bus driver." Been watching your videos lately and went subscribed to your channel! Awesome content!
The best one I thought was that they expected you to do a 10 hour trip without stopping. I would've asked her "do you ever drive 10 hours in your car without stopping", but that would be unprofessional. I think you handled it well by saying you'd have to make a few 15 minute stops, but the passengers shouldn't get off to keep them short. I also wonder if the bus could even hold enough fuel for that long of a trip. She probably got the idea from flying, but didn't realize there are two pilots. Even on Amtrak, they are required to have two engineers on board if the train is going more than 6 hours between crew changes.
In the uk that one problem we have as can only drive for 4Hr30min be for we have to have a 45min brake by law
10 hours is only 600 to 700 miles. Our buses hold about 200 gallons of fuel and get about 8 mpg, so that's enough to go over 1500 miles.
@@smellygeezer 8mpg? I know they’re lighter but I’m surprised it’s that good, my car hauler gets 4-5 depending on my load and the direction of the wind (I’m being serious, I’ve had headwinds that have cut my fuel economy by .5 to 1mpg)
I was just on a 12 day roadtrip across the midwest. I took Amtrak to Milwaukee from New York. I had a 5 hour layover in Chicago and the first thing I saw when I left Union Station was a Peoria Charter Bus. I wish I was able to take a picture.
I've seen drivers try turning into an intersection and due to having tail swing needing to wait for the cars to their right to move so the tail swing won't smash into traffic light poles. The intersection is very tight even for small buses. Charter Double Deckers, Coaches have navigated that intersection. Swinging onto incoming traffic and swinging back in. Some older buses don't have turning axles at the rear, which makes it difficult for longer buses.
It's challenging navigating a double decker over a habour bridge, it gets windy often so it rocks. Minimum Wage hazards!
I honestly love when I get passed by a bus or semi...it means that driver is on a mission! I'm all for it...why would I let my ego get involved? No reason to bump off my cruise control.
Lol… so true. I have listened to customers on road directions and so regretted it. Tour guides can get you in trouble quickly.
4:32 that is so true.
A little irrelevant, the other day I was driving my lovely Toyota Camry with a manual transmission. I had to pass a fancy Porsche cruising on the left lane from the completely empty right lane (=.=) I wasn't trying to race them, but why don't people just use the right lane for cruising at whatever speed they like and leave the left lane empty..
My number one pet peeve is what you said in the very beginning. When there are PMV's parking in the bus stalls! I live on an island here in Hawai'i with very limited parking for busses. Most times we have to police our own parking stalls to allow other busses who utilize the stalls everyday! I have made countless calls for police assistance to either ticket the PMV (most times and it is priceless when those drivers sees the ticket on their car and their jaws drops when they see the fines) or in some cases their cars get towed because it is in a tow away zone for all other vehicles in the bus stalls. The police response is usually pretty quick (at least with me).
on the other side of things; In the Early 2000s, I won a coach trip from Sheffield to Paris, the whole trip took nearly 24hours, and the whole time, the driver was *pumping* the throttle. All the passengers looked like nodding dogs. Suffice to say, he did not get a tip.
Yooo too true @ 2:47. Even as a passenger, when I see povs parked in bus lanes only which are clearly marked, it pisses me off and it pisses off our driver because we're forced to walk out in the middle of the street often to get the bus and then they owner(s) of their POV get mad when we say something to them. On top of that, the driver having to partially block traffic or hold it up to let passengers on because of some asshat.
Totally!
@Geo me cards I'm not going to feel the least bit bad if they get their cars clipped or something. Smh they deserve it.
@Geo me cards I like the sound of that. Instant karma 😅
@Geo me cards Ahh geez. Darwin award winners!
Great episode! The drivers that don't want me to pass are pretty frustrating. I swear, some people just want to hold others up. Don't get it. We all have somewhere to be. Most also need a physics lesson, because they do some crazy moves that puts both of us at risk. Typically I slow down, so do they, I don't try to pass the 2nd time very often. I would rather get there safe than to deal with the consequences/mess if something happened. Sometimes the backseat driver (aka coach) notices and tells me to go around. I drive for a local college. I tell them it is not worth it. It is my license and I am not risking it. If they persist, I tell them they are welcome to get the CDL and do whatever they want. I do love to see all the different places we go. I only do it part time now, but when I retire I want to hit the road much more! Great channel - keep up the great work!
I can’t believe the lady assumed you don’t need a bathroom break and expect you to drive for 10 hours- you’re human not a robot. One thing I find annoying is when you’re waiting say at a hotel for the rest of your guests, and someone decides to get off the bus without telling you, then you leave to go to the next pick up and get a call saying someone was left behind and you have to go back now. Also people who are beyond reasonably late or cancel and don’t even call to notify the company.
You did an excellent job! The very first thing you hit on. The bus stop having cars in it made almost be a true ( you know where I live when I grow up mass transit) so you fill in the blank! You put together such great content. Keep up the great work
I’ve never driven a bus or coach, but when I did long trips on the motorway and was just cruising along at 60mph or so on cruise control, people would overtake me (usually without indicating), and then slow down once they pass me. And sometimes it would repeat multiple times.
I’m guessing the ultimate annoyance for the coach driver would be this combined with them not letting you pass.
I get the whole getting passed by a bus thing. What makes my blood boil as a driver is when 2 semi trucks or a semi and a bus are taking up the whole road, and James touches on that in the video. I do find that usually motor coach operators and truck drivers are courteous drivers but when trucks are doing 65 or less in the left lane trying to pass another semi and they end up driving next to them for 10 miles.
I’m planning a trip to a theme park for next year. My parents ( I’m 23 but I live at home with my parents because I’m still in college ) have recommended I go through a charter tour company and make it a overnight trip. Im doing my research and how to plan this trip as best as possible.
Rest stops / stretch breaks for my charter driver will be a must !
I had a car try to race me for 45 miles. Every time I tried to pass him he sped up from 55 to my max speed of 72 and wouldn't let me pass. On the final attempt it had gotten dark by then and my coach had a side turn signal the size of a brick. I changed lanes to pass him and he sped up again. I turned on my right turn signal and waited for him to notice it. When he looked over at the big blinking yellow light I moved my bus to the dotted line. He hit the brakes, slowed down in a hurry, and when I moved into his lane he went around me. Never saw him again
I think Greyhound had some of their buses governed at 68 or 72 mph. This was many years ago. I don't know if it still applies.
I hated when cars cut me off close and then hit their brakes like I can stop on a dime just like they can. Also when going uphill on the freeway going up and over a mountain, I want to try to build up as much momentum as I can, try not to lose speed for as far as I can, help the bus up and over. But there are always these pesky little cars blocking every lane that just won't go fast enough. I finally get stuck behind a car and sure enough at one point, I start to lose speed, and the car in front of me leaves me in the dust never to be seen again while I limp up the damn mountain sweating as I stare at the temperature gauge. Btw, coaches were not speed governed back in my day.
I'm not a motor coach driver the way you are, but I do own and operate my own 2000 Prevost H3-45 for personal use (motor home), but I've definitely had the displeasure running into those folk that don't like getting passed by a bus. The ones that really irk me are the ones that move up just as you're signaling to get over so you're not in front of them. One guy recently actually sped around me on the right after I had signaled to move over and was already MOVING over. He very nearly ended up as a streak on the highway as a result. What's wrong with people?
The “unprofessional” term is really defined by each customer. Being sarcastic is if course not professional, but respectfully telling them why we do certain things, like stopping or not making that detour is not rude in my opinion. If they choose not to accept my reason, it’s their problem really. My experience is that most of my customers accept it. I choose to ignore those who don’t and do my job.
I had passengers complaining that we didn’t make that 15 minute break on a certain bus station for them to smoke, not realizing that the road works 1 hour before caused that delay. One customer even went in to the lavatory to smoke, setting of the fire alarm and making the display in front of me flash red. I called both the police and my supervisor, and they both asked me to talk to him and see whether he should leave the coach or not. When he realized the consequences of his action, he immediately regretted, apologized and asked for a second chance. I accepted that, and he never did it again.
The worst thing traffic wise is drivers coming so close to the rear of the coach that we can’t see them in the mirrors, and then suddenly decide to overtake us in an unsafe location. We feel unsafe because we can’t make an emergency braking if needed, and they can’t really see what’s going on in front of us, making them change lanes halfway to see if it’s safe to overtake.
Other than that, I love my job!
Well said Eirik. Thank you
I’m so glad you brought the bathroom and stretch breaks as that’s been on my worried mind as I know I couldn’t go 8 hours without a bathroom break. I haven’t been to my orientation class yet to ask those questions, but it has been on my mind for sure.
Hi I stumbled across this video to see what it is about. I am OTR semi driver even though you and I carry 2 different kind of cargo. I can definitely relate to this video in some aspects. The list of what grinds my gears is long but I know you can relate in many ways.
"...yeah but I failed my bladder control exercises"
That would be me.....and that's another reason I'm not driving coaches atm.
One lady TOLD me to turn off my radio...(it wasn't loud at all from my perspective)
My response?
" Do YOU want to sleep or would you rather I sleep?"
She gave me that look.....
Started using headphones after that even though its not the proper thing to do..
Yeah back in my driving days I used headphones on the long late night stretches even though it wasn't the best look. But it beat falling asleep at the wheel. I wish they had the aftershockz bone-conductive headphones back then.
The one thing that really annoys me is doing a charter to a winery and having a passenger either get so drunk they pass out on the ground or they either throw up or urinate inside the coach. Yes, I’ve had all three happen on my coach. I don’t mind if they pass out before getting on the coach, I used to work as a nurse and can deal with that. But I hate having to clean up urine or vomit from inside the coach. Not much fun at all!
I took the Van Galder from O'Hare to RFD. When I got there Safely, and I thanked AND TIPPED the driver for storing my bag and handling it. He sincerely looked at me and said thank you. I don't think drivers hear that enough. You're stuck on i-90 and you can see clearly that you're not going anywhere for miles cuz there's been an accident and they're blaming you for being late. It never ceases to amaze me.
PS people race the CTA BLUE line too, that shows their mentality. 🤣
James! I'm going to be hopefully starting a great company here in PA and this has become my favorite UA-cam channel even as a creator!-Chad
I've actually done backseat coach driving but it wasn't on a coach, it was a school bus. My elementary school class and I took a trip to Montreal's famous Olympic Stadium (Big O for any Montrealers), more specifically, the biodome, I was anxious to get off the bus. I suggested to the bus driver that he take a ramp that led to an entry point where we could be let off. I remembered this door from a previous trip I had made over the summer with my day camp. Long story short we ended up circling a bit longer than planned because the bus wouldn't fit😅
Right on the money - won't let you pass!! But I've had a few instances where after you "fall back in line" They speed-up, allowing you to resume "crusing" .........Then they start slowing down a bit & giving you some serious/hard "brake checks" & the obligatory hand gesture.
I watch your videos, even though i drive a 26' reefer box truck governed at 73. You talking about passing people on the interstate was way to familiar, lol
Good advice, I'm living in london uk and just I'm starting in the industry driving a city buses , I'm very very fresh driver because just a had got my licence 5 month ago. Here you can facing multiple situations like that with other road users, especially with motorcycles and bicycles
You were killing me with that “ I failed my bladder control test “ 😂😂😂
Thank You for some insights. I have driven semis X country in my younger years. Now a school bus driver, and motor coach driver. W e are a contracted to our local school disrict for both. I am the same way about catching other vehicles. Also i am the driver, the one in charge once the door goes shut, my route. Our coaches and chaperones understand coming home late at night the driver might need to get out for a few minutes. We are in South Dakota so traffic is not that bad on a day to day basis, we go to the same places alot. In the summer time we will run a few charter type runs. I helped carry cases of water out to the bus a couple of times for the groups i had on, it paid off big time. Thanks again.
BTW James. Thank you very much for your kind comments.
I like to see myself as a cog keeping New Zealand's vital
supply chain operating.
😃👍
In Holland the maximum speed in the highway is 100 km/h between 06:00 an and 18:00. This is also the governor speed of all coaches . . It bends my steeringwheel , overtaking a Toyota aygo Whit 1 mile , 5 Miles later they pass me again. And again. And again
Omg yes! I hate when I go to pass some slow-poke in the right lane, only for them to speed-up and keep me stuck in the left lane... This is worse when you're a transit bus who needs to service stops in the RIGHT lane... the slow lane, not the "pass the bus" lane.
I had a coach refuse to give me an address to where we were going until I was driving down the freeway. And then when I told them that it was very dangerous for me to text and drive they said that they would just tell me where to drive. Of course they got distracted and didn't give me directions until we were past the exit. They got us lost.
Lol 😂 sorry you had to go through that but I would say they got what they deserved
Should have told her, "Sorry, the "relief tube" is not working on this bus".
That was spot on, sir James.
You can't win. Im telling you! Mgmt drove me crazy.
Another great vid. I'd say my biggest ones are asking if the bus goes to the place displayed on the desto sign (once I actually said "I hope that's what it says on the front" and they actually went and looked at the sign), also passengers walking on without touching on their Myki cards (Melbourne's smart card ticketing system for public Train, Tram and Bus) and also just a couple of weeks ago had a passenger (fare evader) complain to me about the bus "stopping every 5 minutes" when I had to wait at our timing points due to quiet running during our covid lockdown, I told him why and he just said "that's just an excuse" and called me an "A hole", operations notified but he got off when he realised it was being reported.
One thing that drove me crazy was when passengers called me "bus driver." While I am performing the job of driving a bus, I hated it. I equate bus drivers to people who are miserable, drab, and hate their jobs. I was far from that. I would always ask them to refer me to my name if they had any questions or concerns.
James I couldn't agree more with your explanation of the passing thing!! I'm guessing most aren't aware that many commercial vehicles are governed to a max speed?! I have this problem as an OTR truck driver whereas people speed up instead of letting you just pass.... LOL! I'm not catching up because their driving faster?!?! Many passenger car drivers don't understand the concept that large vehicles are slower uphill and faster downhill?!
Another great video James! I'm definitely looking for more bus vlogers or channels so thanks for the suggestion.
Yay...James is back! Thanks for all you do.
Hey David. Yeah sorry about the 2 weeks of absence. I released videos on my other channel due to bus trips I went on. Have you seen my other channel? ua-cam.com/users/jwangvlogs
@@MotorcoachWorld I haven't, but I'll sub today.
Yeah, that attempting to overtake idiots who continually speed up as you try to pass pisses me off, it happens all the time.
Thank you James for another great video.
Nearly all large trucks and buses have dashcams in New Zealand.
Having viewed the footage of some of these dashcams, you gasp at the,
dangerous, reckless and stupid behaviour of motorists driving on NZ's
narrow, hilly and winding two lane highways when passing large trucks and buses.
It is so bad and frequent, the vast majority of incidents and nearly misses are not
reported to the authorities.
I see people cutting off buses all the time too, I don't think any realize how heavy motorcoaches are! But about racing, in Indonesia you might be able to combine both racing and motorcoach driving! 😂
I'm a school bus driver. and I love it.
Not a motor coach driver, but the “compensation mobiles” (jacked up, tuned pickup trucks) seem to hate it when my 1998 Nissan cruises past them at a higher speed, so they just MUST speed up, roll coal if possible, and go past me. Then the process of exactly what you described takes over 🤣
My major bus gripe (and it happens way too often) is when people decide that the little red stop sign that swings out from stopped school buses doesn’t apply to them. It delights me when blue lights behind them show them another reason to stop.
Do drivers like it when passengers greet/thank them upon each boarding and disembarking or would you rather us just get on/off and keep on moving?
My personal pet pe1eve1 is whe1n i m driving and I signal to change lanes. The traffic in that lane will speed up and not let me in. Even cars behind me will change lanes and speed up to prevent me from changing lanes. In heavy traffic, I've seen cars nearly rear end the car in front of them rather than allow me to merge or change lanes in front of them.
One thing that really annoys me as I catch the bus weekly specially here in the UK is when they see a big double decker bus overtaking them they speed up which annoys the bus driver and everyone behind as the bus can't pick up speed as quickly as a car can and if the lane is closed due to an accident or there's roadworks in that lane no one seems to care about the bus or move over or give way ( or yield if your American ) so the bus driver is forced to wait which yet annoys both bus driver and the cars behind