London Bus Drivers And Cyclists

[Miquel In De Rain]

Bus drivers in London are pretty good in my experience. I think cycle awareness must form part of their training.

and thats a big if on the route 25. other routes that use the A11 don't seem to have the same problem

Dunno,I don't really have too much of a problem with the 25 route,no more than any other route,it varies.Remember when the 25 was a bendy bus?

Im baffled what that 171 bus driver was doing at elephant on this mornings commute and while I was a bit irritated how he handled the roundabout I think we got on quite well at the end.Perhaps he was on his way home and was in a hurry,perhaps he made a mistake,perhaps I made the mistake.Not sure.

It was difficult for me with that head wind to cope with as well.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Bus drivers in London are pretty good in my experience. I think cycle awareness must form part of their training.

Not sure if they are but I see why they do the things they do.Cyclists probably p them off as well.

 

[Bromptonaut]

In my 13 years of Bromping from Euston to Lincoln's Inn they've improved beyond recognition. Overtakes before left hooking at stops are almost a memory now. Still get the odd one pulling out when halfway past but they respond to bell/shout.

ASL infringement is current bug bear - no good stopping with front wheels just on first stop line when front of bus is ten feet in ahead of wheels.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Interestingly, my experience is the complete opposite: I find bus drivers have gotten worse over the years, while black cab drivers have gotten better.

 

[subaqua]

now the No 69 drivers are muscling in on the 25s . ewspecially along the raceway, sorry great eastern rd past the station

 

[BentMikey]

I encountered three totally superb bus drivers this evening, it's the norm really. Got a lovely thank you hazards flash from two of them after I was nice back. This kind of thing is part of what makes my cycle commute such a joy.

 

[ianrauk]

@BentMikey
Have to agree.
Over the years London bus drivers have got much better in cycle awareness.
Can't remember last time I had a bad interaction with one.

You boxes of choccies really works

 

[growingvegetables]

I was reminded of an annoying bus driver practice yesterday. Where two buses pull up at a stop and the rear one is ready to go first, because more people get on the front one, the driver of the rear one them spends some time trying to edge round the front one blocking both lanes only to find that, just as they have managed that, it has gone.

Aha - I read that situation differently. The second bus is quite deliberately "taking the lane", so the first can move off smoothly as soon as it's taken on its passengers.

Means it doesn't annoy me any more, anyways.

 

[BentMikey]

@BentMikey
Have to agree.
Over the years London bus drivers have got much better in cycle awareness.
Can't remember last time I had a bad interaction with one.

You boxes of choccies really works

I haven't done that one for years, I'm feeling guilty! Better get my ass down to the garages and do it again, LOL!

 

[growingvegetables]

There's a space in the traffic before the first bus is quite ready to move; second bus claims the space, and "keeps" it open for the first.

If the second bus didn't grab the space, they would both be kept waiting until the next opening to pull out?

Eeeh - hard to put it into words. Silly, because I see it every day nearly - and it does make sense; honest!

 

[BentMikey]

I will quite often do similar, taking the lane and going extra far to the right when there's another cyclist ahead of me and parked cars coming up, for example.

 

[growingvegetables]

I will quite often do similar, taking the lane and going extra far to the right when there's another cyclist ahead of me and parked cars coming up, for example.

Gotcha - yes, exactly. I do the same sometimes when I see kerb-huggers going through some of Leeds' "superbly planned and implemented" junctions