Andy C

So what do you waste money on? Alcohol perhaps? You don't need to waste money drinking booze, you are obviously getting paid too much and should have a pay cut. Obviously that is a stupid statement, as is the statement that drivers wouldn't need a pay rise if they gave up smoking.

That is the whole point of leverage in a strike. If the employers don't make the effort to negotiate reasonably and come to a settlement, then the staff go on strike, which means the customers aren't spending money, which hits the company where it hurts! The longer the strike goes on for, the more the companies bottom line gets damaged, which focuses management minds. And of course the longer the strike goes on for the longer the staff don't get paid. So it is in everybody's interest to resolve it as soon as possible.

Talk about pot calling the kettle black! The clientele at Bar 101 generally looks *ahem* rough, and a few times when I've been waiting for a bus nearby a fight has broke out outside the place!

OK, with my helpful hat on, let's get together a list of public transport services operated by other companies, which can be used whilst First is on strike (if it goes ahead of course) Trains: Sheffield-Meadowhall-Chapeltown-Barnsley Sheffield-Darnall-Woodhouse-Kiveton-Worksop Sheffield-Dore-Hope Valley-Manchester Sheffield-Meadowhall-Rotherham-Doncaster Trams: Yellow: Meadowhall-Sheffield-Middlewood Blue: Halfway-Sheffield-Malin Bridge Purple: Herdings Park-Sheffield Yorkshire Terrier buses 25 Bradway-Woodseats-Heeley-Sheffield-Woodhouse 49/49A Herdings-Sheffield-Parson Cross 52 Hillsborough-Crookes-Sheffield-Darnall-Woodhouse 61/62/63/64/65 Hillsborough/Bradfield rural links network 72/72A/72B Batemoor-Woodseats-Sheffield-Darfield/Manvers/Meadowhall 74/74A Millhouses-Ecclesall Road-Sheffield-High Green 120 Halfway-Sheffield-Hallamshire Hospital 123 Holbrook-Sheffield-Walkley TM Travel buses 89 Sheffield-Woodseats-Dronfield-Holmesfield-Chesterfield 213/214 Meadowhall-Wirksworth 252 Sheffield-Waterthorpe 285 Sheffield-Hallowes 293 Meadowhall-Sheffield-Millhouses-Bradway-Dronfield Stagecoach buses 43/44 Sheffield-Woodseats-Dronfield-Chesterfield 50/53 Sheffield-Mosborough-Chesterfield/Mansfield 65 Sheffield-Buxton 272 Sheffield-Castleton 747 Meadowhall-Woodseats-Chesterfield-Mansfield-Nottingham 767 Meadowhall-Worksop Aston buses M17 Jordanthorpe-Greenhill-Low Edges-Bradway-Totley-Dore 253 Sheffield-Woodseats-Coal Aston-Apperknowle-Waterthorpe 265 Sheffield-Chapeltown-Barnsley First Staffordshire buses X18 Sheffield-Totley-Bakewell-Buxton-Leek-Hanley Hulleys 272 Sheffield-Castleton Barnsley & District X10 Sheffield-Meadowhall-Chapeltown-Barnsley

Ok, on the same principle, protest marches such as stop the war should be banned from the city centre. This disrupts my ability to travel home from work or shop in peace.

I believe service 1 is the replacement, going as current route 39 to Chancet Wood, then as current service 38 to Jordanthorpe, then as current route 59 to Meadowhall. http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/yorkhumber/southyorkshire/service/service.php?item=176

The story can be found here http://www.sheffieldtoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=58&ArticleID=821145 looks like they are walking out some point next week until further notice! According to the union spokesman, the money you spend on the expensive fares go into a combination of shareholders pockets, printing glossy brochures and painting the wheel trims!

I think you have hit the nail on the head there. Firstly ALL road users should be showing each other courtesy, then everyone would be happy. Secondly new road schemes should have a physically segregated cycle lane built in for the full length of the road.

Well, there is no allowing for stupid people.

OK, so I exagerated a little!

A milk float does indeed both take up the whole of the lane, this is because of the size of the vehicle. A cyclist has the choice of showing courtesy to other road users and keeping to the left of the lane, allowing room for faster vehicles to pass. You will find drivers of milk floats, tractors etc will pull into the edge now and again to let the queue of traffic built up behind pass them, where the road layout allows. As I say, this is simple COURTESY.

OK, how about the bike passes the queue on the left hand side, where it can be seen, rather than suddenly and unexpectedly appearing in front of 2 lines of traffic as the lights turn green, with the potential of causing an accident.

Whilst people living in these developments complaining about the noise from 'nightlife' businesses that existed before the apartment blocks were built annoy me too, I think when we are talking 6:30 in the morning he has a fair point!

Erm, the bike could try waiting in line like everyone else!

Actually I have tried cycling to work, back when I worked in Sheffield and did shifts. When a 4:30am start came up, obviously there were no buses that early, so I cycled into town from Bradway. I quite enjoyed the experience early morning, and it was pretty much all down hill. Coming back early afternoon was no fun at all though. Main problem was on busy main roads such as Chesterfield Road or Abbeydale Road when you come to a parked car and have to pull out into a busy stream of traffic. I soon discovered it was much easier to get a train to either Dore or Dronfield and cycle to Bradway from there instead! Anyway, moving on, whilst cyclists on the road in front of my bus is mildly annoying, I am not driving the bus so no major stress really, and the delay is minor, so that is not my main issue. My main issue is when I am a pedestrian how I risk getting knocked down and seriously injured. Yes red lights DO apply to cyclists, I do not expect to see bikes tearing towards me when I cross on a green man, as I say, the umbrella/spokes combo is probably the answer!

Shame we haven't got roads laid out like in Holland, where all roads have a protected cycle lane, segregrated by a curb, between the pavement and main road. Bikes are able to move quickly and safely without conflicting with other traffic movements. I bet more people would cycle if we had that design. (Or at least on the less hilly routes anyway!)

The example I am thinking of was from earlier this week on Abbeydale Road. There was 2 lanes of traffic queueing at the lights, the bus I was on was in the left hand lane, and just seconds before the lights went green a bike came sailing down the narrow gap between the 2 lanes of traffic to get to the front of the line and just as the bus was setting off at the green light the bike cut in front of the bus in a kamikazi fashion forcing us to stop.

Rubbish. On a main road there is room for both, and a cyclist should be riding on the left side of the road (unless turning right of course). If other traffic is forcing a cyclist off the road in this circumstance, the motorists in question aren't fit to be on the road. If a bike is in the middle of the lane, this is deliberatly disrupting traffic behind, causes frustration and will surely lead to motorists doing something much more aggressive to get past the slow moving bike.

I'm sure they are generally driven safely, but as you point out, they often do not think about the implications of where they stop to pick up/set down. The amount of times on a Friday or Saturday night the last bus to Bradway would narrowly escape hitting a taxi on London Road outside Bed nightclub. That problem is now solved of course. Bed has closed down. And the Bradway bus doesn't go down London Road after 8pm!

I have a dislike of cyclists due to their arrogant attitude, the belief they should be allowed to take their bike anywhere, and the fact they seem to think traffic lights and other road rules do not apply to them. OK I know it's not the majority but.... As a pedestrian I am fed up with cyclists sailing through red lights on pelican crossings, nearly knocking me down. I keep promising myself that next time it happens they will somehow get their spokes tangled up with my umbrella and go flying. Also fed up with bikes travelling towards me at high speed on pedestrianised areas and pavements with blatant disregard for the safety of pedestrians. As a train passenger I am fed up with having to stand up because there are bikes on the seats rather than in the proper bike storage area (that must damage the upholstory too) As a bus passenger I am fed up with getting delayed by cyclists who seem to get some moral satisfaction riding in the MIDDLE of an empty lane at 0.5mph, rather that riding in the left hand side of the road where a) they will be safe and b) we can get past. Also when the bus is about to set off at the lights and has to make an emergency stop because some idiot on a bike rode down our right hand side and suddenly appear in front of us. If cyclists stuck to the rules and co-existed with everyone else better, I would have respect for them rather than misplaced hatred. Yes, many car drivers also appear to be bloody stupid and ignore signs and so on (just watch the cars around the railway station for some classic examples) however two wrongs do not make a right.

Yes, another Sam Smith's pub! The Old Brewery Bitter here is £1.24 a pint if I remember correctly - even cheap than Wetherspoons! Only trouble with Brown Bear these days is the clientele seems to be dominated by the old scroats that have been barred from other pubs who are their purely to get tanked up on cheap alcohol. A shame - it's always been a fine little boozer.

The new management haven't made any dramatic changes. A few cosmetic changes in the lounge, a few changes on the food side of the business and they have put beer prices up, nothing major. Atmosphere has gone though, as Ken did the mine host thing in a very over the top way. That said some people prefer to be left alone for quiet conversation. The same bar staff are still there though. And all the beer I have tried since the change has been in good nick.

I haven't been to the Redcap for about a year. If I drink locally I normally drink in the Castle Inn. I think those comments are a bit harsh though!

Cheapest beer I've found is the Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Bitter at the Old Mother Red Cap in Bradway - £1.18 per pint - and that's normal price, not a promotion.

Saw this mentioned in the Sheffield Telegraph today, the first one should be 1-16 October NEXT year, with many venues large and small taking part. Toby Foster was bigging it up, and suggested he hoped that in time it would rival the Edinburgh fringe. Sounds good to me!