I’ve just realised that I’ve missed my 1st birthday as a blogger by 12 days. Here is that first posting on 7 February 2007.

We have a little ritual when I come home from work. The first thing my wife will ask when I come in after a day driving for Megabus is “How was your day?” to which I’ll reply “Just another day on the buses”. It’s not very amusing but like all rituals it comforts and reassures. Today is a rest day for me, so what better way to spend it than setting up a Megabus driver’s blog! I did a google on “bus driver”+blog and interestingly found a fellow Stagecoach driver who’s blog is now in its 3rd year http://www.busdriving.blogspot.com is a great read.

How long will this blog last? Will my enthusiasm wane first, or will I not have a job with Megabus in a couple of weeks? I drive the South Coast routes covering Bournemouth, Ringwood, Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester, London and Brighton. A couple of weeks ago passengers were unable to book any trip after 25 February on these routes. In true Stagecoach style no one is told what’s going to happen and it’s even said that the company haven’t yet decided what to do. I can’t believe that someone could think it would be a good idea to stop taking money (bookings) without knowing what they would do next. But maybe I must believe they don’t know what to do because suddenly you can now make bookings for a few days after 25 February! I don’t know who’s more confused, the potential passengers or the drivers.

Tomorrow I’m due to drive Bournemouth (09:30) – London (12:20) and the return London (16:10) – Bournemouth (19:00). Heavy snow in the South East causing major travel disruption is forecast.

I’ve just uploaded the pictures of our recent holiday in La Palma, Canary Islands. They are here.

Yes, today was the duty from hell day again. It comes round far to often. But to be absolutely honest it wasn’t too bad today because the worst aspect of it, the passengers, were well down on the usual numbers. Whilst 95% of the users are car park users who ride for free we do pick some people up in town for other town stops, here’s an exchange I had with one such passenger :-

Passenger: “Railway Station” (note no please)
Me: Tap, tap on the ticket machine “80 pence, please”
Passeger: “I’ve got a pass”
Me: What type of pass? I need to see it”.
Passenger: “It’s an OAP pass”. No movement made to extract it from wherever it is.
Me: “Unless I’m able to see it I’m afraid I’ll have to charge you”
Passenger: “I’ll sit down and look for it”

Aaaargh. Nurse, nurse bring my medication please!

I’ve rung the Police 3 times today, on the number they left in the answering machine message …. all I get is “you are in a queue and will be answered as soon as possible”. “As soon as possible” wasn’t early enough for me and I had to give up when my break was over so, after a total of about 20 minutes being in a queue, I never did get them. Tomorrow is Saturday which judging by their lack of anything so far probably means the Hampshire Constabulary are closed for the weekend and will open again on Monday morning!

To continue the moan why does a local Constabulary like Hampshire not have a geographic telephone number? They leave 0845 numbers which to me and I’m sure many others are premium rate numbers. Premium rate in the sense that they cost from a mobile when geographic numbers are included in inclusive minutes. Premium rate in that many landline packages include free UK geographic calls off peak etc. If I were cynical I’d believe that placing calls in a queue was no more than an income generator from shared revenue which users of 0845 numbers can get.

Essy treated me to a restaurant lunch today because it was Valentine’s day. I managed to get a parking space right outside even though the place was on a very busy road with many shops either side of the place. As we ate lunch, at 13:30, my seat was facing the window and I watched in horror as a hooded piece of scum smashed the drivers door window on my car and reached inside! We were both outside in seconds, along with local shopkeepers, and he was off before he could get anything out of the car. I went back into the restaurant to ask them to call the Police and when I went back outside Essy was missing! She’d chased the little bastard determined to do him an injury! But a skinny young hoodie out ran her :-( The Police said they’d call back, after 30 minutes they hadn’t so I rang again, they said again they’d ring back but before they did the little bastard come into view again so I called again … “we’ll call you back”. Then a WPC walked by the restaurant – hurray. I rushed out to her but she was on the way to something or other and would “let control know” and that was all she could do. This evening at 19:10 the Police left a message on my answering machine (we were out) calling us back as promised 6 hours later!! I’ve not rung them back yet and wonder whether there is any point in doing so?

I think I’m going soft in the head. This morning a young guy got on in Southampton full of apologies because he’d just realised he’d booked to go to Oxford yesterday instead of today – his return was for later today. Normally it’s a ‘no, no’ to travel the next day but somehow I felt that the guy was telling the truth, further compounded by the big bouquet he was carrying for his girlfriend. I let him on :-)