please empty your brain below
|
Conratulations!
Nice to see Sutton getting another positive mention, although it just highlights the dearth of forms of rail transport in this area. The hopper fare has proved to be a godsend.
Did you combine your bus fest with your 'normal' visits or was this too time consuming a challenge?
Ken | 21.05.18 - 7:25 a.m. | #
|
|
Is this page design the new DG moquette pattern?
Waterhouse | 21.05.18 - 7:37 a.m. | #
|
|
Every London bus route..? Well played, Sir!
Frank F | 21.05.18 - 7:40 a.m. | #
|
Congrats
For my rare journeys on a bus it's always cheering to see passengers thanking the driver when they get off, which is something I do myself as it was the way I was brought up.
Given that you've seen them all, is this a practice that is widespread across all routes, or something that varies according to area?
dg writes: It's impressively commonplace in the suburbs.
RogerW | 21.05.18 - 7:45 a.m. | #
|
|
You did it so we don't have to. Thanks DG!
THC | 21.05.18 - 7:47 a.m. | #
|
Gosh - what an amazing feat!
Good job Travelcards don't have a 'fair use' policy...
Blue Witch | 21.05.18 - 7:54 a.m. | #
|
Wow! What an achievement! To finish something realistically scoped for a year before May is out is spectacular.
As you so often manage, the innovative page layout neatly accommodates the scattered and eclectic selection of things you have to say. Layout (while also pretty) is servant of the message.
Yes, I'm also cheered by the frequency, the thank-yous and the biscuits.
Malcolm | 21.05.18 - 7:59 a.m. | #
|
|
Congratulations! I think.
Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 21.05.18 - 8:54 a.m. | #
|
|
“It seemed like a reasonably sane thing to do.” said the crazy man.
Jimmy | 21.05.18 - 9:08 a.m. | #
|
Congratulations! Which was your favourite? And least favourite?
And of course, how many bus stop Ms did you use?
Tom | 21.05.18 - 9:13 a.m. | #
|
That's the kind of thing I'd like to do, as well as visiting all the tube stations (Not in 24 hours, mind).
Just two small problems: I don't live in London and I have a full time job.
Jon Jones | 21.05.18 - 9:16 a.m. | #
|
Working in transport planning for TfL I’m fascinated by this. Did you notice much difference in the quality of service/delays between inner and outer London. Tfl is reducing the number of bus operating kms but it’s a big question whether this happens across London or whether in outer London we look to increase kms to take account of changing population.
There’s a few hints to the direction it may be going within the Mayors Transport Strategy.
Hats off to you DG.
dg writes: I wasn't especially bothered by delays. With this kind of challenge, frequency is more important than reliability, and that worked out well.
Flare | 21.05.18 - 9:20 a.m. | #
|
Well you've done far better than me although I'm trying to ride them all end to end. I have the spare time but not your level of drive and commitment. I am lucky, though, to have done routes like the 428, 467 and 375 end to end. Still got a fair bit of Orpington to do and too much of Uxbridge. Don't think Barnet needs doing though having done the delights of the 389 and 399 plus things like the 384 round all the back roads. And yes the 384 driver did give me a funny look when I got back on the same bus at the terminus.
Unsurprisingly I agree with your comments about abolition of the printed bus maps.
I also agree that riding buses is a great way to build / maintain your mental map of London. Using the buses was the only way I pieced London together in the first place - 35 years ago.
PC | 21.05.18 - 9:22 a.m. | #
|
|
Well done,DG! 👍🏻👍🏻
Jo W | 21.05.18 - 9:30 a.m. | #
|
|
Impressive!
David @dtl | Homepage | 21.05.18 - 9:34 a.m. | #
|
As for thanking the bus driver.
I get annoyed when people don't thank the bus driver for waiting a couple of seconds for them to catch the bus. It's only manners.
Cornish Monkey | 21.05.18 - 9:41 a.m. | #
|
I can recommend the greater London printed bus map (also available digitally) by Mike Harris, from www.busmap.co.uk in the style of the original.
It's kept up to date, the only slight downside is that it's a single map for the whole of London, so you need good eyesight!
Keith | 21.05.18 - 9:46 a.m. | #
|
On thanking the driver:
Always, if he waited for me to get on.
Always, if it's quite late at night. (who wants that job, really?)
Usually, if it's a fairly empty bus.
I doubt they'd hear me the rest of the time.
Chz | 21.05.18 - 10:08 a.m. | #
|
I don't know which is the more impressive - reaching 7500 posts or completing All The Buses!
Either way, many congratulations on achieving both!
Cornish Cockney | 21.05.18 - 10:13 a.m. | #
|
|
Hear hear. 7500! I've been reading your old posts. Do you still type with two fingers? Has the "a" problem gone away?
mikeS | 21.05.18 - 10:22 a.m. | #
|
|
Well done on 7500 posts and the bonkers bus odessey !
Kevin | 21.05.18 - 10:28 a.m. | #
|
Don't take this the wrong way, this explicitly isn't a "it clearly can't be in order for you to have done this bus challenge" message, but I sincerely do hope that your mental health is OK, or at least as OK as it ever is.
You haven't mentioned being at work after you mentioned unemployment some time ago, and I hope this isn't taking too much of a toll on you. I'm glad that you are getting to travel and to do things for yourself, but I hope that the practicalities of a changed work-life balance aren't getting you down too badly.
dg writes: I don't know how the same situation would have affected your mental health, Chris, but rest assured I'm absolutely fine.
Chris | 21.05.18 - 10:34 a.m. | #
|
Congratulations - hugely impressive achievement DG.
Following retirement I set out to ride along every road which has a TfL bus route but did it over the course of many months. Great fun.
I certainly agree with your 3pm school kid invasion point!
I used the map produced by Mike Harris - who commendably is diligently keeping it up to date.
Roger French | Homepage | 21.05.18 - 10:35 a.m. | #
|
|
Saying thank you to the driver isn't that easy on buses that have an exit door half way down the bus. I find it better and easier to thank, or at least acknowledge the driver when getting on a bus; a quick nod, attempt eye contact and a perhaps a quiet thanks. I always do this if I'm the only person boarding, but might give it a miss at a busy stop.
Boneyboy | 21.05.18 - 11:01 a.m. | #
|
Crikey. All the buses, and 7,500 posts. Congratulations.
Regarding thanks, I tend to thank the driver when getting on, if I pass them. Most of my journeys are on busy buses in the centre of town, leaving by a different exit away from the front, so there is rarely the opportunity for thanks then, short of bellowing down the bus past the other passengers. Which I don't do, of course.
DG indicates thanks remain surprisingly common in the suburbs. Does that mean thanks have become relatively rarer in the centre of town? All those busy commuters, headphones on, heads down, avoiding eye contact, looking at their mobile phones ...
Andrew | 21.05.18 - 11:08 a.m. | #
|
Congratulations DG! Incidentally I rode the X26 and blogged about it yesterday:
http://patrickov-assorted.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/patrickov-on-x26.html
Patrickov | 21.05.18 - 11:34 a.m. | #
|
I suspect this is the record for a single person! Congratulations again on your achievement, it would be wrong for me to question your sanity and thanks especially for the comprehensive blog post which will likely now act as the ATB FAQ section in addition to being an interesting bit of prose.
dg writes: Blimey, I didn't realise it was that rare! May I just say that 20 weeks is incredibly beatable.
The Orange One (from the All The Buses team) | 21.05.18 - 12:12 p.m. | #
|
|
Very glad to hear it!
Chris | 21.05.18 - 12:27 p.m. | #
|
Congratulations again for doing ATB, and for your Double Diamond x century of blog posts!
(apparently 75 = diamond)
Bob L-S | 21.05.18 - 1:04 p.m. | #
|
Congratulations on both the buses and the 7,500.
I'm a bit worried you may have 'outed' yourself. Does the hammering you gave your oyster card mean someone at their end could easily work out who you are?
Will | 21.05.18 - 1:59 p.m. | #
|
Congratulations! I must say it is incredible that you managed this in five months, but I do wish to ask - were there any routes you did end up at riding end-to-end other than the four you blogged about?
dg writes: No, because I didn't need to.
Well done again and you should be proud of this - I’ve been trying to do every route in London end to end but with school and an ever-growing workload it’s taken me 3 years to get to 317!
LBOTG | Homepage | 21.05.18 - 9:15 p.m. | #
|
7,500 posts and All the Buses. Two fantastic achievements.
Double congratulations!
Hadders | 21.05.18 - 10:08 p.m. | #
|
|
All The Bus Routes (All of them)
Geofftech | 21.05.18 - 10:18 p.m. | #
|
If it's busy, and not wanting to shout when getting off, I look towards the driver's saloon mirror and give an appreciative wave.
I agree on the overall quality of service that TfL buses provide. Whenever I travel back into London after a long road journey, the sight of the red buses is like a welcome back to civilisation, where public transport services are taken seriously, and easy mobility (if not the fastest) to just about everywhere is there for the taking.
No wonder you were vexed by the hold tight messages - spending that much time riding around.
NickW | 21.05.18 - 11:54 p.m. | #
|
|
Now's the best time to do the night buses, as it gets bright by 5am and especially on Sunday mornings when they run a little later!
John | 22.05.18 - 5:56 a.m. | #
|
In June, I see three minor outer London buses are getting their frequencies cut:
• 327, from every 30 minutes to every 40 (and scrapped in the evening)
• 491, from every 15 minutes to every 20
• H2, from every 15 minutes to every 20 (on Sundays)
diamond geezer | Homepage | 22.05.18 - 8:07 a.m. | #
|
Fascinating to read about your bus journeys. I wonder if you can comment on something?
I have noticed that the bus displays at the bus stops (and on the app I use) showing the arrival times of buses varies a lot. Recently I noticed that the "due" buses seemed to take a minute or even two before they arrived. Can you comment on how accurate you found these displays on your bus travels? Do you know if they recently changed the algorithm they use to calculate and display the arrival times?
Johntiptop | 22.05.18 - 3:38 p.m. | #
|
|
I agree Johntiptop. I have notice in the last couple of weeks that bus due can now mean anything up to 5 minutes before that bus will appear, even taking into account the traffic.
Tones | 23.05.18 - 12:25 p.m. | #
|
|
|
TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy
|