Why do buses always signal when you're alongside?

[Matty]

It doesn't matter how long they have been stationary, 5 secs or 2 days, they always start signalling when you are alongside. At least they mostly signal before starting to move!

I've tried slowing down, speeding up, maintaining same speed. No difference, so the only conclusion is the driver must watch in his mirror and signal just at the right time to keep you on your toes!

 

[kool4caats]

Yeah, they do! There's a bus on my commute in that is really hard to get past. It stops, pulls off just as I'm about to overtake it, so I drop back... then it gets a bit ahead, stops again, and then the same thing happens again!

 

[addictfreak]

Its a well known bus drivers trick, along with pulling away when they see someone running for the bus or pulling away before the old lady with her bags has sat down.

 

[arallsopp]

I get the opposite. They always signal as I approach, then I sit behind them (wary of new highway code rules), for bleedin ages, whilst they don't move at all.

Eventually, a stream of cars pulls around me, and the bus, and I have to wait for them all to clear before backing up, pulling out (blind) then going round the bus.

Normally, it then pulls out.

 

[Archie_tect]

Rule 47 [mandatory] of the Bus Drivers Manual....

 

[purplepolly]

I've tried slowing down, speeding up, maintaining same speed.

Try watching the door instead:-

if there's people getting off and no-one waiting it won't wait long

if there's people waiting it'll take longer, you can usually see through the back window whether they're queueing or are going straight on with passes, people with pushchairs and young children will take longer to load than commuters who may or may not have bus passes, older people will usually have bus passes so are even quicker to load

if there's no-one at all, it's going to wait at a timed stop

not entirely accurate but works most times.

 

[hackbike 666]

Your bus drivers signal?

 

[Matty]

Your bus drivers signal?

Generally very well behaved, except for the smaller firms.

 

[Chrisz]

Buses are not fitted with 'indicators' (flashing orange lights designed to tell other motorists of the users intention to turn/pull out). Buses are instead fitted with 'I just did it and there's nothing you can do about it' signals!

 

[upsidedown]

Look in the driver's side mirror for when he's putting his Daily Star away, if you then see the top going on to a tartan flask you can be fairly certain that he will be pulling out imminently, and indicating about 5 seconds after that.

 

[mark i]

To be fair to the West Midlands bus drivers after a period of somewhat poor driving (including one hitting me.....) they have been really good recently, the ones in coventry especially. I added some bright yellow paniers to the back at the start of the year which makes me look wider. They even wait behind me if they are turning right up ahead, rather than overtake, brake in front of me and turn. No problems.
Some of the antics of Lorry drivers have not been so good.

 

[domd1979]

Try watching the door instead:-

if there's people getting off and no-one waiting it won't wait long

Also watch brake lights - driver should be holding the bus on the handbrake, when they go to release it they will often apply foot brake first. Brake lights coming on is usually prelude to indicators.

 

[upsidedown]

Also watch brake lights - driver should be holding the bus on the handbrake, when they go to release it they will often apply foot brake first. Brake lights coming on is usually prelude to indicators.

Good tip, cheers domd

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

They did this to me so much that I just decided to wait all the time now - sometimes they just take the pee though!

They do it when I am in the car too. I was behind one bus one evening and it was going really slow - 15 mph. I was stuck behind for ages and only when he pulled into a bus stop did I overtake. I was half way past him when he decided to pull away. As I got back in front of him he flashed his bloody headlights at me so much that I couldn't flipping see.

It really cheesed me off. Okay if there is a big line of cars and it is really busy I suppose it's a bit much to ask Mr Bus Driver to wait until it is safe to pull out but he was clearly in no hurry - hence the 15mph crawl that had preceeded the pull into the bus stop!!!!

I feel better now I have got that out of my system!!!!