Can anyone give me a plausible reason other than fundamental design flaws in buses that can explain why *some* bus drivers seem to think the best way to come to a stop is to slam their foot hard on the brake, lift it off too early just before coming to a stop and follow it with a bunny hop double-slam to bring it to rest? You know which ones I'm talking about!

:rant: :rant:

I have nothing against bus drivers in general, it's even in the family, but good bus drivers don't have this problem. It also seems linked to the similar problem of flying up towards a queue of cars at maximum warp with the intention of working out just how late they can brake without totalling everything in sight and still end up only 3mm from the back of the vehicle in front..

It is how the brakes work on some of the buses.

Can anyone give me a plausible reason other than fundamental design flaws in buses that can explain why *some* bus drivers seem to think the best way to come to a stop is to slam their foot hard on the brake, lift it off too early just before coming to a stop and follow it with a bunny hop double-slam to bring it to rest? You know which ones I'm talking about!

:rant: :rant:

I have nothing against bus drivers in general, it's even in the family, but good bus drivers don't have this problem. It also seems linked to the similar problem of flying up towards a queue of cars at maximum warp with the intention of working out just how late they can brake without totalling everything in sight and still end up only 3mm from the back of the vehicle in front..

well ,stuck in traffic all day, mind numbingly boring,miserable non-smiling passengers , guess they have to break the manotony and get their kicks some how :hihi: :hihi:

When my son was 12 he ended up at the bottom of the bus stairs through exactly this. One broken leg later the bus driver tried to say he was messing around on the stairs and thats why he fell. He wasnt, the case was the driver did exactly what the OP has described. And no compo because the attending police officer didnt take detailed enough statements from witnesses. Oh well, lifes a b***h and all that :)

See it all the time, the best thing to do it try and remember which ones do it, you will eventually, ring the bell to get off at the next stop and then take half an hour to get to the front of the bus to get off, get yer own back by makin em wait lol

The ideas ok but what about the rest of the geezers and geezeretts on the Bus?

I broke my hand last year due to a bus jerking while i was getting off, i had my little one in my arms so my weight and his weight crushed my hand on one of the bars,it was the drivers fault he was a shocking driver.

I have noticed some bus drivers seem to slam the breaks on every minute or so making passengers lurch forwards then back. I am not a driver but my fella is a HGV driver & when we have caught a bus & this has happened he has found it unbelievable. I get a few buses & with the majority it doesn't happen. However on the few that it does it is very scary, why does this happen are the drivers inexperienced?

BTW my mum-in-law went through a bus front window due to a bus driver slamming the breaks on. However she enjoyed spending the £60,000 + compensation she got with no lasting injuries. Only spent a few hours in A & E.

The ideas ok but what about the rest of the geezers and geezeretts on the Bus?

It`ll probably make em grin as the majority will "get it" and understand why, another idea is to make a short video on the old moby of the lurching and everyone falling about and send it to the bus company.

We call them A & B drivers....all accelerator and brakes. Coming home from work one day a few months ago the bus started off with such speed,before I had chance to reach a seat,I was forced into a rail and ended up on the floor.
The driver didn't even get out of his seat.
I'm a pretty fit OAP but what if I hadn't been.
As it was I cracked a rib and when I complained I had no proof or witnesses cos I was so shook up I just wanted to get home.

Professional PCV Drivers are trained in what's know in the trade as 'vehicle sympathy' - each and every bus (even new ones) handles slightly differently or has some characteristic that differs from the next. This includes brakes, which can differ from different vehicle types. If what you have described is happening, however, this shows either a) a lack of training, b) a bad driver, or c) an unroadworthy bus.

Either way, I would suggest taking the bus fleet number and time and reporting it to the company. 99% of Professional PCV Drivers are just that - Professionals, who are highly skilled, so it helps all concerned if you report it.

Professional PCV Drivers are trained in what's know in the trade as 'vehicle sympathy' - each and every bus (even new ones) handles slightly differently or has some characteristic that differs from the next. This includes brakes, which can differ from different vehicle types. If what you have described is happening, however, this shows either a) a lack of training, b) a bad driver, or c) an unroadworthy bus.

Either way, I would suggest taking the bus fleet number and time and reporting it to the company. 99% of Professional PCV Drivers are just that - Professionals, who are highly skilled, so it helps all concerned if you report it.
Don't want to sound mean but.....load of rubbish. I'm sure they do it on purpose.
What about the signs in the windows etc telling "for your own safety remain seated after ringing the bell till the bus stops"
Have you tried this? The flippin driver tries to drive off before you can get off the bus and THEN jerks the brakes....again

Can anyone give me a plausible reason other than fundamental design flaws in buses that can explain why *some* bus drivers seem to think the best way to come to a stop is to slam their foot hard on the brake, lift it off too early just before coming to a stop and follow it with a bunny hop double-slam to bring it to rest? You know which ones I'm talking about!

:rant: :rant:

I have nothing against bus drivers in general, it's even in the family, but good bus drivers don't have this problem. It also seems linked to the similar problem of flying up towards a queue of cars at maximum warp with the intention of working out just how late they can brake without totalling everything in sight and still end up only 3mm from the back of the vehicle in front..



How can bus drivers stop their vehicles without applying the brakes? please explain

God, I'm looking forward to this reply.

I would have thought friction and engine braking would slow a bus down just like in a car.

Some private individuals (i.e you'll never see white van man at it) enjoy driving like that and accelerating slow and engine braking uses less fuel and wear and tear. You tend to only get 1/2 the ammount of traffic through the lights when they are about, though.

How can bus drivers stop their vehicles without applying the brakes? please explain

God, I'm looking forward to this reply.

I have driven many many vehicles from HGV to Quad and obviously have braked quite a lot (although I do tend to engine brake as above), but not once have I ever done a bunny-hop double-slam.

I have noticed some bus drivers seem to slam the breaks on every minute or so making passengers lurch forwards then back. I am not a driver but my fella is a HGV driver & when we have caught a bus & this has happened he has found it unbelievable. I get a few buses & with the majority it doesn't happen. However on the few that it does it is very scary, why does this happen are the drivers inexperienced?


am not a psv driver now but once was and if the situation is still as it was then, the driver gets the blame when it's not always thier fault, you would not believe the number of bus'es that go out with known brake defects, i.e. brakes grabbing( causing the vehicle to lurch), brakes binding on one side or the other causing the vehicle to pull to one side.
not only that but for some reason i could never fathom, NO 2 buse's behaved in the same way, you drive one bus and have to stamp on the brake to gey any reaction,get on another totally different reation.

as i say don't always blame the driver,it may not be his fault at all.

[QUOTE]but good bus drivers don't have this problem.

don't wish to appear argumentative, but i drive buse's for a living and YES good drivers do have the same problem, not all buse's react the same way to the pedal,some WILL stop smoothly enough,others need an anchor, some have problems like binding and grabbing, some are just past their sell by date, even some of the newer ones which have a computerised braking system can be a nightmare to bring to a halt smoothly ,especially in stop start traffic conditions.

but that aside i do agree that certain drivers have a prepensity to brake harshly for no apparant reason.

See it all the time, the best thing to do it try and remember which ones do it, you will eventually, ring the bell to get off at the next stop and then take half an hour to get to the front of the bus to get off, get yer own back by makin em wait lol

take it from me the driver won't mind how long you take to get off,coz if he's late on a particular trip, he get's his time adjusted, which could mean a longer rest period but more oft,his bus comes out of service,which in turn means longer waiting times for other passengers,as there is then a bus "missing".
so delay away i'm sure your fellow passengers won't mind the wait :hihi: :hihi: