Ooh routemasters...have you been on one recently?

Haven’t seen one for ages, remember them well, the ability to jump on, quickly make your way to the front of the bus, just so that it looks like you’ve been on for a while then to watch the conductor (remember them, lugging this large, heavy silver mechanical ticket printer about with them) tell the next person on the bus to get off as it is full.

Last one I was on was at Euston station a couple of years ago, even then it looked like it had come straight out of the routemaster graveyard, presenting an oystercard to the driver and him not able to read it so letting anyone with one on the bus without paying.

Memories….

Posted about 1 year ago by cobo04

They sold off all those heavy ticket machines at the LT Museum a good 10 years or so ago, and I bought one for a mate’s birthday. Wish I’d kept it now.

Routemasters are kept going on two routes, I think, principally for the benefit of tourists. Presumably TfL reckon that fewer of them will be disabled, or something.

Posted about 1 year ago by BraveNewMalden

I miss them lots, they were ace – mostly in terms of being able to get on and off whenever you want, and having a conductor to keep peace and order and blow harmonicas and tap dance.

How hard can it be to make a bu that does the following:

1. have a hop on hop off platform
2. be enviro-friendly
3. have disabled access like current buses do
4. have a cuddle seat at the back upstairs
5. have oyster card readers dotted about
6. have seats facing each other for friendly interaction, but not shared knee room

Hm?

Posted about 1 year ago by iSleepDiagonal

Pretty hard, if you want a capacity greater than about 20. Not sure how tall you lot are, but the routemasters were unbearable for me, and I’m only 6’1”. Maybe if the seats in front weren’t backed with hard enamel, but as it was my knees wouldn’t answer my texts after 10 minutes on the old 36.

Posted about 1 year ago by Mockernee

What was the capacity of the Routemaster? 70ish?

Posted about 1 year ago by iSleepDiagonal

Yeah, between 70 and 80, depending on the design, so about half the bendy buses’ capacity. Almost no luggage space, open to the elements, precipitous steps, uncomfortable seats, low ceilings, I really don’t get why people are nostalgic for them, bar the aesthetics.

Posted about 1 year ago by Mockernee

I remember them well and I was very surprised when I came back to London and found they had totally disappeared, because this memory I have of them is from only back in 2001, and I seem to remember there were still a few around.

I was in London for a week in 2001 doing a short course at Central St Martins, and I was lucky enough to find mysef in the middle of a tube strike one day. What an utter nightmare. When I was done with my lessons, I set to go home, but I found myself in Oxford St at 5pm – practically hell. People were desperate for buses, and I would have loved to jump on one as well, since I had to make it back to Paddington to catch a train from there. Most buses wouldn’t even stop, but the traffic was very slow, so people were trying to jump on routemasters from everywhere. It was so funny, the poor conductors were trying to stop people, but there wasn’t much they could do, and you’d see all these people hopping on hanging on like monkeys. I tried as well, but wasn’t hardcore enough….

I’d only been to London for quick touristy visits before, and had spent a lot of time in Brighton, where there are no such buses, so I remember finding them quite cool when I saw them here.

And again, I remember being quite disappointed when I came back and they’d gone. Did spot a couple around, but they never seem to be in service most of the times

Posted about 1 year ago by Vero

open to the elements is good! You can get off whenever you think it’s safe! This is a good thing.

Also, I’d give a 10% discount to whoever oystered in on the top deck.

Posted about 1 year ago by iSleepDiagonal

It was the presence of a conductor that made them what they were, not just the ease of getting on and off FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED. The conductor would sort out unruly fuckers, speed up the whole boarding process thus easing traffic flow, give free rides to nurses and by God do they deserve it, would make sure you didn’t travel for nothing (although of course some didn’t give a shit); would tell you which stop was coming up so you’d know where to get off in you were in travelling outside your particular manor and…I can’t think of an and. That’s enough I think.

Problem was, they were people, and people cost money.

Posted about 1 year ago by BraveNewMalden

conductors cost money
conductors make passengers happy and safe
happy and safe passengers make more bus journeys
more bus journeys make more money
money pays for conductors

where’s the weak link?

Posted about 1 year ago by iSleepDiagonal

ISD – The weak link? 1 word – Consultants.

Posted about 1 year ago by pottytime

Thought the routemasters had luggage space under the stairs, certainly remember the 140 route to Heathrow loaded with bags and suitcases there, made it difficult to get on board and even more so to get on/off the downstairs part.

Not secure either, can remember seeing a suitcase fly out of the open door when the bus turned a corner sharpish !!

Posted about 1 year ago by cobo04

Yes, that’s the “almost no luggage space” to which I referred, practically useless. BNM’s list is flawed. Pushing your child in a buggy isn’t a disability, but routemasters wouldn’t let you on. The stairs were mad steep, and dangerously slippy in wet weather. You can get more people on and off a bendy bus quickly, they take TWICE as many passengers, you’ve legroom and head clearance, and there’s no risk of people jumping on or off as the bus accelerates away. I’ve clung on to the pole as my legs risk going under the back wheel, it ain’t fun. They looked good, I concede that, but as a democratic means of transport for all, they were shit. And cold. And shit. And far too hot in summer. But mainly, they were cramped, reeked of piss and belched more diesel than a dozen tractors idling.

Posted about 1 year ago by Mockernee

but it seems to me that no one ever pays on the bendy bus (at least on the number 25 bendy bus route that goes out east, except me, and I get dirty looks when I beep my oyster), so how are London Transport making enough money to keep them runnng?

Posted about 1 year ago by archetype

Maybe they’re like me, they have travelcards that don’t need swiping as they’re not pay-as-you-go they’re seasonal? Or they’ve bought tickets from the machines?

On the 436 route we’re regularly swooped upon by a ridiculous amount of transport and regular police, the most I’ve counted at one stop is 44, with two vans, two squad cars and a couple of motorbikes. Some ticketless kid tried to make a break for freedom and was brought down and slammed against pavement and wall like he was a shoe bomber screaming “infidels”. After a couple of weeks of these searches last month, it was noticeable that the buses were significantly emptier though, so I suspect you’re right about the free bus element.

Thing is, the conductors weren’t deterrent enough, plenty of times I witnessed gobby teens buoyed up by peer pressure spitting venom at anyone fool enough to ask to see their tickets. We lament the passing of conductors, but it’s not a job I’d be happy doing, demanding payment from Peckham hoodies in the late hours.

Posted about 1 year ago by Mockernee