Frustrating Bus !

[Marylou]

Logic - that company has just taken over the bus service in Malta, where we spent our holiday. Complete chaos, nobody - locals or tourists - had a good word to say about them! Some enterprising Italian stallholders were even selling T-shirts that read "A****a, a****a, perche non a****a?" (which I think means something like .roughly translated - "why doesn't it arrive" - but clearly a play on words with the name of the bus company.)

[logic32]

Two miles and your son still has to leave at 7.30 ? that's just unbelievable mike1880. I really had no idea that bus journeys were so exciting / difficult / unpredictable

It seems that Bus 'Service' is a contradiction in terms !

Snowdrops it nice to know that some things are consistent wherever you live .

[push-pull-mum]

(he really could walk there quicker - if only he didn't take 50kg in his rucksack every day). I find it quite infuriating.

Probably still be quicker if he made two trips - at 25kg a time! Poor Son1880.

Logic, no, our company's called Transdev - think they forgot the il at the end of it!

The coaches for our long ago school outings (including the weekly swimming lessons) were supplied by the 'Mitcham Belle' coach company. I only remember this because they were notoriously bad and immortalised in one of our favourite school songs - "Oh, you'll never get to heaven in a Mitcham Belle - coz a Mitcham Belle goes straight to H*ll!"

Funny how vivid my memories are of all the transport crises of my youth. Very grateful now that DD's school is within walking distance - couldn't afford the years of post traumatic counselling.

[logic32]

Marylou - That's fab, the ditty rather than the fact poor Malta has to suffer the same company !

I'm sure DS and friends could come up with an english equivalent.

Push-pull-mum - I loved 'oh you'll never get to heaven' !!!

[scarlett]

My sons bus journey takes 1 hour 15 minutes ...his school is 8 miles away. I vividly remember my own school journey although I don't think it has defined me as the person I am today ( apart from not using buses of course ) .Our coach was constantly on its last legs, belching out black smoke which smelt of rotten eggs, causing most of the girls to throw up in a plastic bag kept for the occasion.It didn't help that Shirley, our coach driver, only drove in second gear.

[pheasantchick]

My son's bus has always been 10 minutes late. Today, I factored that into my journey, and what happens, the bus came on time!

[inmystride]

DS's bus trip is just over an hour (18 miles). Has already broken down once (fourth day) but replacement bus got them to school 5 mins before registration, so can't really complain. However, last week on DS's very first bus trip into GS, the bus pulled up with the wrong number displayed! If I hadn't been there, DS would not have boarded as he knew what number to look for. I walked home with a few more grey hairs!

[T12ACY]

DS2 uses the local bus. We are directly on a route which offers really good service to be fair.... however on the first day back after the summer break the double decker he was on broke down about 300 yards from the stop he got on at. The company sent a replacement, single decker and he couldn't get on as it was full. Same for the next 2 Arrived at school over half hour late for registration. Then on Monday this week, because of the weather the traffic was dreadful and our town was gridlocked. Again he was over half an hour late. In assembly y'day he was asked to indicate he was there, and when he did he was told in front of everyone that in 6th form registration is not optional so maybe he could make the effort to arrive. He tried to explain but they obviously didn't believe him

Am hoping this was just an unlucky start, although our experience of DS3's return journey from the station doesn't offer much hope. He has to walk from the station in to town if there is to be any hope of a space available on his bus, which rarely stops if he waits at the station as it is always full for 'home time'.

Not much incentive to use public transport