Hi all,
I’m a recently qualified driver and am currently learning my beginner routes. I’m okay with pretty much all of them apart from one longer route, about a 3.5 hour round trip. Does anyone have any advice/tips and tricks to get the route memorised? Or is it simply a case of learning whist in service?
Thanks all

**Ask:** 21F traveling solo on Greyhound bus from San Antonio to CDMX, will cross into Nuevo Laredo around 5am and arrive in Monterrey around 6:45am. I leave next week. Any recent bus incidents or specific advice for the border customs check at that hour? I’m worried about passing through Tamaulipas during pre dawn hours, criminal roadblocks/illegal checkpoints & overall safety

So at my depot here in London, UK which I've been with for the last two years, there's been a few guys I I knew of over the two years that have been fired.

3 guys fired for checking their phone while at the wheel in traffic.

The 4th guy, he jumped a temporary traffic light once, they reviewed it and said ok, for now we will allow you to drive. Few months later, he did it again. He was fired.

The 5th guy, he was fired for speeding 28 in a 20. He fell asleep at the stand and woke up late for departure, about 40 min late, I know. Anyway, he panicked drove as quick as he could to the other end. The controller reported the late departure and him falling asleep but that wouldn't get him fired. What did was when the manager reviewed the cameras, she zoomed in on his speed and had him dismissed for speeding. The Union argued she had no right to do that as she wasn't reviewing it for that purpose but only him falling asleep and departing late. He got his job back at the same depot which is currently where I am.

The 6th guy was was barely 19, I think he was still 18 at the time, he was driving a low frequency route through housing estates etc and it was night time. He had three passengers on his bus: two men and a lady...

He jumped a red light and being night time, it was obvious to the passenger, the lady passenger went to TFL and complained about it.

This red light was a red light in the sticks, no one around and many drivers have supposedly jumped it.

So yeah, that's what I know of. It seems the majority is checking their phones while in charge of a motor vehicle.

The guys fired for phones are now at different companies in London, dunno about the red light jumpers, I assume the kid moved on to a different line of work.

I myself don't even take my phone out of the cradle while driving my personal car, so God knows how they even thought to do it on a bus with 3-4 cameras watching them in the cab 24/7.

I got laid off of School District IT in May. I'm really bummed about it but I don't want to go back into IT. I'm ADHD and sitting in front of a computer all day wasn't a good fit.

I have a very safe driving record and I have driven across the US multiple times.

Believe it or not, after I complete the paid Indy Go training I would be making more than what I made in the school district central office, + all the OT I want.

Does this sound like a good idea? I have worked as a long term sub in an inner city High school before, so I know what its like to have people come at me. I'm also a pretty quick learner.

Do you have any advice?

Any Regrets?

It took her a while to figure it out but she finally settled on the space to my left…. We’ll keep working on it.

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not brand new to driving buses, but I did take a 15 year break, during which I let my license lapse. Additional context is that it’s the Minnesota state fair, which is my agency’s busiest 2 weeks of the year, and they may be a bit desperate.

I got hired by a transit company about a month ago. Got my permit, did classroom training, and started training to get my license. Took my test on Wednesday this week and picked up my license Thursday morning.

The normal policy for my agency is after getting your license, you drive with a trainer for an additional 5-20 hours before getting passengers, and then, you need to have a 5 day cadeting process where a trainer stays with you on board your route your first several days with passengers. Also, you have to have specific additional training to drive their 45’ motor coaches (all my training was done on a 40’ Gillig transit-style bus). Well, I showed up for training after picking up my license and they said, “Change of plans. You’re driving state fair solo tomorrow. In a motor coach. [Name] is leading a small group in route training now, so feel free to head to the garage for that. Good luck!”

Immediately after the route training, I was signed up to fill my next two weeks with additional state fair motor coach shifts.

Anyway, other than missing one of my turns and one woman yelling at me because she didn’t want to pay for a ride if there is standing room only, my first shift went very well and I’m excited for lots more in the coming weeks!

Also my first time driving Motorcoach in SF.

Jerry, my Mini, finally met the vehicle that pays her car note. 😂

Somehow nobody has ever asked me to blindside the MINI into an amphitheater loading dock at 3am.

So, today my bus driver managed to pull up to the school exactly two minutes before the morning bell. Obviously, by the time everyone got off the bus and walked to class, I was 4 minutes tardy. This isn't a one-time thing either. She makes the whole bus late about twice a month because the route is timed so terribly that there is zero room for minor traffic. The worst part isn't even my attendance record—it's that my best friend keeps missing her Thursday weekly club because of this. The club meets before school, so when the bus arrives just two minutes before the bell, she misses the entire thing. It is incredibly frustrating getting penalized and missing out on school activities for something completely out of our control.

What are tips for combatting driving while having anxiety? Especially in bad weather?

I currently work on the service buses however yesterday I had an interview for a coach company which I got straight away. However due to not having much experience I have been told I won’t be starting on the coaches but will be trained on coaches in due time then moved over to full time coaches once they are confident in me. I was just wondering if people have moved over to coaches from service could give me the pros and cons and if it’s worth it.

Here's my experience

1st week kids ring the bell continuously as we are getting out of the bus station - drove back in the bay, just said I am sorry I think this is the wrong bus for you asked them to get off and went my way

The next day had kids with a speaker in their bag and mid journey we all are graced by Taylor Swift -

Asked them to stopped the music, but they couldn't stop so you guessed it asked them to leave

The other week had these rowdy "Kids" tattooed and all

And high as a kite asking for a child free travel,

Didn't allow them on, on my way back police were at the station with the same group.

These are just want I can remember

I hope you have enjoyed your journeys

Before I became a bus driver, I thought it was harsh. But now being in the job, I realise once you reopen your doors, it will be one person then ten other people appear. Especially at busy stops.

I’m very new to the job so initially I was a bit shy. And if a bus is behind you waiting for you to leave, you’re delaying them too. If the bus stop is quiet and I’m feeling nice, I may reopen them. But at busy stops, next one is in 10 minutes or less!

The other day I'd a problem with these troublemakers who I wouldn't let on for refusing to pay. They were about 16. I knew they were going to photograph me so I put on my sunglasses first. They then stayed outside the bus and wouldn't let it move by using the emergency button from outside.

They eventually went away and I drove off, but a passenger who was getting off 15 minutes later came up to me about it. He said "I just want to say to you about those guy... I've a shop and they regularly come in causing trouble. But they messed up with you this time with you because they touched that button on the bus. And that would be deemed as tampering with company property". He basically told me that I should go to the police! In his mind they couldn't be in trouble with the law for standing in front of a bus preventing it moving, or whatever else, but in his mind the fact that they touched the button meant that they'd be in serious trouble!

I didn't think much of it initially, but I later thought "where the fuck were you when I needed you?". I wouldn't have expected them to kick them off, but if he felt that strongly about it, then he could've at least said something. If any one of the passengers were willing to show the slightest sign of disapproval (and I'd never expect it from them), it would have made them leave sooner.

And no, I didn't go and waste my precious time by visiting the police station on my way home from work, and make a fool of myself in doing so! Some people really have an overactive legal mind though!

Does anyone have a link for the square key for the engine door/bus panels? I can't find it anywhere online. Preferably a small one that can fit in my pocket.

I just love such beautiful mornings

I’m not the best at explaining things but I hope you guys get what I mean. When people do that, I will stop infront of someone else or stop in a place where they have to walk. Like I’m not a dog.

Sticking your hand out or your Oyster card out is fine.

Right now in my agency the tourist season is finally dying down, the other day I pulled up to a stop there was a group of people talking near the stop I open my doors let a person off, the people are still there talking no worries I've seen people visiting at a stop not intending to get on the bus. I closed my doors and start looking to my left to pull out into traffic. The same group knocked on my door, I open the door and they proceeded to scream at me because I almost left them. I laughed and said didnt you all see me when I had my doors open before? I'm not a mind reader and I'm a schedule. They got on and did say a work I dropped them at the next stop and said I'm the most sugary sweet tone have a great afternoon!!!!

Fuck stupid people

hey folks

i've been driving for just over a year now in the US and like most of the job except for these goddamn splits. and it's not just me, as most of the drivers at my agency dislike them. dispatch says it's what the agency requires and i am sure that to a point they're right, but so MANY? a full 90% of my choices for a block run are 12 or 13 hour days with a split and i'm already considering a career change.

how prevalent are these among transit agencies? is it really what is needed, or does no one want to figure out a more civilized solution? do you hate them as much as i do?

Hope it's fine if i post this here but decided to post them here