Funny things

[billyboy]

heh heh heh...Don't you just love this "Buck and truss forum?"

[ceylon220]

Ever been embarrassed, driving out of Leeds city in a Leyland Daf with a 40 ft trailer climbing a hill going nice and steady when I was overtaken by a Paki sitting on a little open top road pavement cleaner grinning from ear to ear, the bl---y thing must have been doing all of 50mph and then had the cheek to bare his backside at me, by the time I got to the top of the hill he had disappeared.

[Energumen]

Ah the joys of the road, but the one thing most bus men would agree on, you could virtually write a book every few weeks, with the things you saw, heard and experienced.

I am going to give others a chance, but, one day, I will write about the British Rail Guard, who chose to hold court on my early morning bus and take over as timekeeper. A plan doomed to failure.

Energumen

[billyboy]

The one thing worse than a early morning bus was the last one at night. Almost guaranteed th have a fight on the last one out of pool valley on a saturday night. Amazing how when the conductor tries to break it up they all turn against him.
receiving 5 bells the brakes were applied emergency fashion. the conductor would already be holding tight but the brawlers would all end up at the front feeling bruised. Something about the thought of the ten mile walk home seemed to calm them down a bit

[Energumen]

This one not so funny but one to make Billyboy homesick.

A Brighton-Eastbourne again, 12 road. Just approaching the bus lay-by past the Kemp Town Brewery at Denton Island Newhaven, I see a car stopped ahead and behind the car, between the kerb and the Keep Left bollards, just outside the bus lay-by, A bundle of clothing , in the road. Oh jeez. here we go again.
I drive into the lay-by and dismount, having Done first aid courses and medical room relief at the gasworks, I was not unused to that feeling at encountering an accident, It is the 'fight or flee moment', you know that as a trained person, you now, not only must help this person, but recognise that, you are taking responsibility for another persons Immediate Safety, comfort, recovery prospects and sometimes, posiibly their life. Do I do it, or turn away?. Fortunately I somehow always found the strength to bite the bit.

The victim was an elderly Lady, with immediately apparent fracture of the neck of the femur, (leg foreshortened foot, knee etc. fallen outward), so, people are now around and no such thing as a mobile phone, sent two people to phone for police and ambulace making sure they knew the location, set another to divert the traffic and moved in asking for a first aid kit from anyone.

Well to be brief, there were superficial injuries to add to the broken femur and at least one break in the other lower leg, so, the legs were best left to the experts, too much risk of extra nerve and tissue damage and profuse bleeding into the thigh area, carried out usual all over checks including, responses and vital signs, evidence of fluids from ears nose etc, any drug intolerances, any current medication or illnesses, next of kin to advise etc., treat, superficials and reassure, whilst a kind passenger wrote all the information down for me to give the ambulance crew, in case the vicim became unconscious before they arrived.
Well they duly arrived, it took about fifteen minutes, why?, I know not.
I briefed them, gave them the notes and returned to the bus.

The broody Conductor, was spitting bile, "why don't you mind your own broody business", " Your broody job is driving this bus, I am responsible for time keeping and passengers", blimey, how many times have you heard that one Billyboy?. Ok, so when we get back to Poole Valley he is going to report me for making the bus twenty minutes late etc. etc. etc.

This was one of the occasions when the passengers better sides came out, they gave him hell, " Could have been your Mother", etc. etc. etc. And of course the news reached Pool Valley, before we got to Eastbourne on the outward leg.

Yes there were some Conductors who rated themselves up there with Andre Previn, or even Sir Malcolm Sargeant.

'Just another day on the buses'

Energumen

[billyboy]

Didnt some of them have some interesting nicknames too!
The ferret always looking for lost property
the hedgehog an inspector, prickly customer
His lordship thought he was the boss.
The fiddler sold used tickets to pay for the tea
the tapper always tapped on a handrail with a coin instead of ringing the bell

[Energumen]

Hi Billyboy, new part on the Military Vehicle thread.

Regards
Energumen

[billyboy]

Right I am off over there for a read mate

[billyboy]

NOT AT ALL FUNNY

How many of us can admit to this though ... Asleep at the wheel.
In the days before tachographs, Dodgy running days,
I will admit to a mysterious length of the M6 southbound. seemed to come out of the "Trance" as the lights of Spaghetti were aproaching. Cant remember anything from the Lytham St annes turn at all. Scared the heck out of me to put it mildly. I pulled off on to the A446 and got out and walked round the vehicle to check for any damage ...None was found.
I had made it from Lytham St annes asleep (or hypnotised by the cats eyes)
Made damn sure that never happened again.
An yone else had a bad experience like that?

[Energumen]

I had a nasty experience like it, a few years ago. I was within my hours and thought I had had a good sleep and was totally unprepared for this;

On an odd occasion, with early starts, I would feel a bit tired, half hour after getting on the motorway, but it would pass very quickly. On one particular morning, I left Portbury and headed North on the M5, I was barely past Michaelwood Services and this tired feeling started to come on, having just passed the services, I was too late to stop and have a walk round the lorry park and a quick hot cuppa, so was looking to get off at Jct. 13 and just stop a few minutes.

The sign indicating one mile to Junction 13 appeared, followed a second later by my seeing the old Strensham Services, (Jct. 8), on my near side.
This was not a period of fighting to stay awake. This was a period during which my conscious mind was asleep. it is the only explanation I can think of.
I am convinced to this day, that we must have a part of us that can function on 'automatic pilot, to some degree.

I know what it is like to fight to stay awake, on the road, my cab happy experience without a co- driver many years ago, gave me that insight, and I thought I would never go there again.

It showed me that even within legal but long hours, you are vulnerable to this. Further, who among us has not tried to get the attention of someone weaving on and off the hard shoulder, or between two lanes, in the wee hours.