In his comment to yesterday’s posting Ian, a Travel West Midlands driver, said he’d waved to me in Birmingham. Unfortunately I hadn’t spotted the wave or I would have waved back immediately. Anyway, this brought back to mind something I ponder from time to time. Why do waving and driving practices vary from area to area?
Here’s how things are in the areas I drive:
Winchester, Portsmouth and Southampton – all drivers wave to both own fleet drivers and other fleets. Will give way to any fleet’s PCV.
London – no one waves to anyone. Fight for every inch of road and advantage with any PCV :-)
Brighton – no one waves but generally way is given to any other PCV. The waving bit has changed, when I first went to Brighton 18 months ago B+H drivers and megabus waved to each other but that’s now stopped and I don’t know why. I still try the occasional wave but never get one in return. Have Stagecoach and B+H had a local bust up?
Oxford and Coventry – both a friendly wave and giving way are the norm.
Birmingham – no waves (except, Ian). On the giving way I’m not completly sure yet! I usually allow another PCV out of a side road etc. and get friendly thanks, but I can’t recall ever being given way to. On the other hand I can’t recall it ever being made totally obvious that I’m going to be fought with :-)
i work for oxford bus co and they are a funny lot. we only work one route as a norm( i work them all as i only do lates)and most drivers will wave at anyone but some will only wave at drivers on the same route and ignore others.we also have express drivers who as a rule are very analy retentive and will only wave at other express drivers but not at city drivers as we are below them(funny ,we all work out of the same garage and get payed by the same people).i also try to wave at other operaters drivers e.g.stagecoach arriva(who i usad to drive for so i know the drivers)nat ex ect and most give a wave back.there is a them and us attitude withsome drivers and this is also true when it comes to letting you out.somewill some wont,coach drivers moan if we dont let them out but are reluctent to let city drivers out,some drivers will only let their own company out some will only let their own route out.my attitude is we all do the some job we allget payed peanuts and all get the same crap from the public so i will wave at onyone.
Having recently commenced employment with Stagecoach NW I was surprised to discover that some drivers of the company’s “Big” buses don’t even wave to their own colleagues who drive minibuses! I wave to all bus and coach drivers regardless of employer and invariably receive a wave in return. There is an unwritten law within the company regarding allowing outall PCVs from side roads.
You should see the Isle of Wight – I’ve seen salutes, frantic waving (not just moving your hand), and waving out the window!
Where I live in Surrey, everyone waves to everyone, and everyone lets everyone out, which is nice!
This post brings up other gestures which bus drivers make to one another. The other week I gave a ‘thumbs down’ signal to another driver from our depot and got a totally blank look in return. Do mentors not explain to their new recruits nowadays that it is customary to warn fellow drivers about Inspectors, Speed Traps etc. with such a gesture ??
I drive the 700 coastliner, (Brighton-Portsmouth) and do the Worthing to Portsmouth section but on oocassions I get to pop in to Brighton and make a point of waving at all and sundry (sad isn’t it), about half wave back. I don’t think the others are being unsociable, they just don’t want to let go of the steering wheel going through Churchill Sq and North Road.