Not All Bus Drivers are Sh!ts

Me and my mate were cycling along the main Mold-Ruthin road in N Wales
Sunday morning on the way to the start of the off-road section of our ride
when a bus overtook us missing me by a couple of feet and my mate behind by
what he reckoned was inches. Anyway we were still in two pieces so we
continued the ride. We'd finished the first off-road section and were biking
up to the next off-road when a bus heading towards us slowed down and the
driver waved at us to stop. Turns out he was the driver that overtook us and
he offered us profuse apologies for passing so close. Said we were going
quicker than he realised. Said he did a bit of cycling himself and always
tried to give bikes room. Thought I'd post this to try and even things up a
bit as most postings here seem to be about bus drivers with homicidal
tendencies.

"Neal Milne" wrote in message
...
Me and my mate were cycling along the main Mold-Ruthin road in N Wales
Sunday morning on the way to the start of the off-road section of our ride
when a bus overtook us missing me by a couple of feet and my mate behind
by
what he reckoned was inches. Anyway we were still in two pieces so we
continued the ride. We'd finished the first off-road section and were
biking
up to the next off-road when a bus heading towards us slowed down and the
driver waved at us to stop. Turns out he was the driver that overtook us
and
he offered us profuse apologies for passing so close. Said we were going
quicker than he realised. Said he did a bit of cycling himself and always
tried to give bikes room. Thought I'd post this to try and even things up
a
bit as most postings here seem to be about bus drivers with homicidal
tendencies.



If he'd hit one of you, would he have been so quick to come back? Actually,
it's nice that he realised we're vunerable. It's a good story. It was North
Wales though? Bollox it'll ever happen in S London.

I had someone follow me for at least half a mile, and not pass, despite
room. I always give a thankyou to anyone who goies beyond the call of duty.
Maybe it's my motorcycle background?

I also feel that the reason threads are having a go at cars etc, is because
we do become more of a hidden target this time of year. It'll be the same
next year, and then the next year etc etc ...

"Neal Milne" wrote in message
...
Thought I'd post this to try and even things up a
bit as most postings here seem to be about bus drivers with homicidal
tendencies.

In that vein I'll give honourable mention to Pennine Motors, who run the
local buses (orange). They've always been good to me.

cheers,
clive

We did cynically think that maybe he thought we had his number and would be
calling his boss with a complaint. I think I'll give him the benefit as he
did appear genuinely sorry.

"Neal Milne" wrote in message
...
tried to give bikes room. Thought I'd post this to try and even things up
a
bit as most postings here seem to be about bus drivers with homicidal
tendencies.

A while back, I encountered a Reading bus driver approaching a particularly
dodgy junction in my home area.

He saw me approaching, and actually *waited* until I had passed and was
safely away before turning into the junction.

I posted a report here - and *did* try to telephone the bus company to pass
on a compliment - but no one there could be bothered to pick up the 'phone
within an acceptable time, and I had been warned that e-mails to Reading
buses were routinely ignored; so unfortunately I couldn't even bring this
chaps *good* driving to the attention of his management....

Alex

"Neal Milne" wrote in message
...
We did cynically think that maybe he thought we had his number and would
be
calling his boss with a complaint. I think I'll give him the benefit as he
did appear genuinely sorry.


I obey to this rule a lot. Make them think about what they nearly did. I
managed to resist from slanging matches after being hugely cut up over the
last two days. Motorists don't often anticipate bicycles as a reasonably
fast form of transport. 18mph on a mountain bike isn't such a huge task, and
is 2/3rds of the speed of a motor car. In central London, it's about three
*times* the speed.

In message , "Mr R@t
(2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room 2]" writes

I posted a report here - and *did* try to telephone the bus company to pass
on a compliment - but no one there could be bothered to pick up the 'phone
within an acceptable time, and I had been warned that e-mails to Reading
buses were routinely ignored; so unfortunately I couldn't even bring this
chaps *good* driving to the attention of his management....


I'll tell them when I see them.

One very wet morning I was riding flat out along Xchurch Road towards
the Whitley Pump roundabout, saw a bus coming up from the town,
mistakenly thought it was turning left so I could go on.
When I realised my mistake I was too close, braked hard, skidded,
corrected the skid, skidded again...
The bus driver actually stopped on the roundabout, leaving a clear lane
for me to slide past him sideways (or fall off in front of him,
whatever.) When I did manage to stop (about a millimetre from the line)
he gestured that if I was in that much of a hurry he'd be happy to wait
where he was until I was safely past him!

--
Sue ]

In message , elyob
writes

I really can't think that
some temp in the complaints department really could be bothered to pass on a
kind thankyou on from one cyclist out of the hundreds & hundreds the driver
passes a day ... Sounds like the driver is a cyclist though ...

Reading Buses isn't big enough to have a complaints department.
If the phone isn't answered it's probably because the person who
should've answered it's either out driving a bus (when calling avoid
lunchtimes and rush hours) or on the radio telling a new driver how to
find Tilehurst.
You never could get the staff!
--
Sue ]

"Sue" wrote in message
...

lunchtimes and rush hours) or on the radio telling a new driver how to
find Tilehurst.

before I started cycling I used to get the bus regularly in Reading. On a
few occasions I have had to act as navigator for new drivers! In their
defence however, the road layout of Reading is fairly convoluted - IMO it is
a "stealth new town" shoe-horned on a collection of villages.

Alex