Cyclists

The Daily Hootsmon! reports that a cyclist was responsible for yesterday's Trambush at Haymarket.

Does the X38 not have brakes?
Why did it take three fire crews and Plod Scotland's finest over two hours to clear the crash site?

The Edinburgh Erect Nipple (EEN) carried the story with a different stolen image:

Johnston Press is a severely infected organ.

More Wells Fargo

It's not even the rush-hour but old habits die hard at Stagecoach! Time: 15:59.

Stagecoach fn 24007, service 55 to Dunfermline boarding passengers almost a bus length away from the bus stop. FOR NO GOOD REASON AT ALL.

Arty bus shelter reflections

The X File

First service X38 brought gridlock to Haymarket by trambushing a tram at 07:45 today. At least he hit something his own size!

McPravda posted this on 26 Augusr 2015 about the same service traveling in the direction of Stirling during the afternoon rush-hour:

"First fn  69259, operating service X38 to Stirling cuts in front of LB fn 659 between the bus stop and the traffic signal controlled pedestrian crossing (that is, NOT a bus stop!) and proceeds to board new passengers. LB fn 659 gives the moron a blast on his horn out of frustration. First moron gives not one jot! For, he or she is a thick-skinned First moron!"

Prophecy.

Wells Fargo rides again

Different day, same old story.

Four minutes into a journey from Princes Mall on a LB service 43 and the bus is beside the floral clock at the foot of  the Mound. It will take another six minutes to reach bus stop PU. A line of buses is queued nose-to-tail, unable to get through the junction at the foot of Frederick Street because Wells Fargo & Co are blocking the PU bus stop back through to the junction.

Due to the City of Edinburgh Council's decision to turn George Street in to the Chimpanzees-Élysées.

McPravda gives you First fn 69261, service X38 to Falkirk Bus Station. Just finished boarding passengers 10 yards before bus stop PU. The passenger standing beside it knows her Stagecoach will stop short of the stop as well.

Stagecoach fn 28668, service 101 to Dumfries doesn't seem to understand the bus stop thing either. What is WRONG with these people?

Same bus, same position, different angle.

There is no physical, or rational, reason why these buses board passengers well short of the bus stop.

For no apparent reason (maybe there's an invisible force field to keep non-LB buses away from bus stops?).

Stagecoach fn 27608, service 40 to Queensferry via Barnton keeps the theme going.

Every 10 minutes! He gives change! Whoopee -doo!

LB fn 371, service 11 to Hyvots Bank gets access to bus stop PU and demonstrates how a bus stop works.

Hallelujah!

And today's Winner is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stagecoach and Scottish Citylink share the honours for this afternoon's public transport high-jinks. First up it's Stagecoach fn 24001, service  X57, running the cowboys and cowgirls of Fife out of town to Kirkcaldy, via Ferrytoll P&R.

The Stagecoach fn 24001 driver started boarding passengers BEFORE he got within the boundaries of the bus stop PU. Two of his chums had followed him through the traffic signals from Frederick Street. That's them sitting behind him. (Drivers should treat junctions as if they are yellow box junctions, even if they are not painted as such, if their exit is not clear.)

No tram or bus shall pass! But, . . . wait, . . . Edinburgh's cabbies can always find a way through.

Brilliant! 

It should be noted that pedestrians have a green man at the Princes Street crossing and these two beauts have run a red traffic signal through it. The pedestrians have to find a space between the Stagecoaches to do so, just like in the old Wild West!.

 And he's off! (He's checks his near-side mirror.)

No he isn't! This lucky passenger gets his attention and gets her ride homeward.

Next up, Stagecoach fn 24002, service 55 to Dunfermline via Rosyth, Ferrytoll & Inverkeithing (scrolling destination blind).The fn 24002 driver got his nose into the bus stop boundary but stopped short of bus stop PU. The third Stagecoach is still behind him preventing any other vehicle in lane one, eastbound, on Princes Street from venturing through the traffic signal.

Ah, there's the maverick MacTours off-roader from yesterday's post!

Finally, the third Stagecoach that was blocking the tram line, fn 22874, service X54 to Lochgelly via Dunfermline and who knows where else in the Kingdom of Fife. The fn 22874 driver keeps up the company's fine tradition of ignoring the niceties of actually stopping at the bus stop!

The show's not over yet.

Stagecoach fn 27610 made a text book pickup at bus stop PU. Yes, at the bus stop! Well done, that driver! 

As he was attempting to depart a passenger had to hail the Scottish Citylink service 900 to Glasgow (lead vehicle in the concertina captured in the image)  who was not for stopping at his designated bus stop - PU. Nobody was passing this triple-axled  brute! He even took time to open his luggage door while Edinburgh awaited on his pleasure.

Citylink 900 rides off into the sunset that is Weegieland.

The City of Edinburgh Council, it seems, couldn't organise a PU in a brewery.

The Athens of the North

The City of Edinburgh Council is forever keen to capitalise on the Capital's Mediterranean climate.

George Street has been transformed into a giant pavement cafe.

So, the out-of-town buses have been diverted to slug it out on Princes Street with Transport for Edinburgh. And the black cabs, private hires, touring buses, sight-seeing tour buses and cyclists.

Consequently, bus stop PU ( also known as NaPTAN # 36243234) is a busy place to be.

Inevitably, this has led to some tension between the drivers of bus operators competing for space and driver conduct is a matter of concern. Updates will follow at this corner of the interwebby.

SNAFU

The commute home this evening had a bit of everything,

LB fn 183 operating as a service 43 to Barnton arrives in Waterloo Place at 17:01 and blocks entry to bus stop ZG (allocated to First). It is not a terminus or designated layover point. Those are in Regent Road, opposite the Scottish Government's St Andrew's House building.

First service X28 can't get close and parallel to the kerb at bus stop ZG. That's low-floor accessibility out the window then!

Next up it's cabbie V170, sporting cherished plate B8 DSM, dropping his fare off over a metre from the kerb at 17:03. LB fn 183, service 43 is due to depart on its journey from bus stop ZH now. The bus driver is awol from the bus cab.

LB fn 659, service 15, arrives 5 minutes late for its 17:00 departure from bus stop ZH. Cabbie V170 is oblivious to the obstruction he is causing. The traffic is tailed back from the traffic lights at the junction with Leith Street.

LB fn 659, service 15 finally departs 8 minutes late on its journey to Penicuik. It is expected to arrive at Boots on Princes Street in 5 minutes. But it won't! ETA is 17:13.

Meanwhile, LB fn 183 has used the window of opportunity to depart ahead of LB fn 659, barely within the Senior Traffic Commissioner's Guidelines.

LB fn 659 moves forward in lane 2 to allow Mac Tours to move into lane 1 by mounting the pavement with its front, near-side wheel. An interesting location for such maverick driving!

LB fn 659 has reached bus stop PQ at Princes Mall, loaded its new passengers and is ready to depart at 17:18. 

Distance traveled: 0.2 mile

First fn  69259, operating service X38 to Stirling cuts in front of LB fn 659 between the bus stop and the traffic signal controlled pedestrian crossing (that is, NOT a bus stop!) and proceeds to board new passengers. LB fn 659 gives the moron a blast on his horn out of frustration. First moron gives not one jot! For, he or she is a thick-skinned First moron!

First service X38 is timetabled to depart from Regent Road every 20 minutes at 00, 20, and 40 minutes of the hour. So this moron was either very late or a bit early.

The lights change and the journey begins again at 17:20.

LB fn 659 is stationery at the traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing at the tram stop on Princes Street at 17:22. ETA at the bus stop opposite 100 Princes Street is 17:24.

Distance traveled : 0.5 mile

Time taken: 16 minutes

Average speed: <2mph

Estimated walking time: 10 minutes

The commute I undertake is 4.5 miles. It regularly takes over 45 minutes. LB fn 659 was showing 21 minutes late on its Wayfarer when I alighted at my journey's end. This is not an unusual occurrence.