Trivia: Most Hostile Bus Routes

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Hi all.

Having earlier stumbled upon a rather old online article about "dangerous" bus routes, it got me thinking about hostile bus routes around the UK.

Online searches suggest a variety of routes in and around Birmingham, which incidentally happens to be the only city I'm afraid to use the buses in!

Right now, I can't think of any specific routes off the top of my head, but according to people who have driven them, I'm told that many school bus routes can be pretty rowdy and intimidating!

What are some hostile or unpleasant bus routes from your own experiences?

Good luck!

 

[Megafuss]

Hi all.

Having earlier stumbled upon a rather old online article about "dangerous" bus routes, it got me thinking about hostile bus routes around the UK.

Online searches suggest a variety of routes in and around Birmingham, which incidentally happens to be the only city I'm afraid to use the buses in!

Right now, I can't think of any specific routes off the top of my head, but according to people who have driven them, I'm told that many school bus routes can be pretty rowdy and intimidating!

What are some hostile or unpleasant bus routes from your own experiences?

Good luck!

No specific examples as I wouldn't want to single out a certain school. But I avoid catching buses which have school day variation where possible. I used to be a school child using public buses as a youngster, so I know what they can be like...(not that I ever caused any problems of course)

 

[SteveM70]

In the 90s some of the Leeds night buses got a bit rowdy at times. Marketed as Night Rider, universally known as Fight Rider

 

[DunsBus]

Lothian's service 14 between Greendykes and Muirhouse. Known as the 'Rentokil Express' at one time because of the rough nature of the housing schemes which its route passed through at Niddrie and at West Granton.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Some routes in London, e.g. the N29, have been known to be very dangerous apparently.

 

[James101]

Magic Bus services in Manchester post 10pm in the mid 00s were a lively, putting 100 drunk students on a Dennis Dragon and pointing it in the direction of the city centre was always going to be a bit hairy. Might have calmed down today.

Back when Teesside had subsidised services I needed to connect in Port Clarence, changing from the 589 to the 1 onto Hartlepool. The driver of the 589 refused to go into Port Clarence ‘after dark’ - explaining my needing to connect he compromised on driving me to the very outskirts on the condition I sat up front and the interior lights were off.

 

[CN04NRJ]

Lothian's service 14 between Greendykes and Muirhouse. Known as the 'Rentokil Express' at one time because of the rough nature of the housing schemes which its route passed through at Niddrie and at West Granton.

I've heard some real horror stories about that route, although I'm led to believe it's not as bad as it used to be. Driven the 30/24 through those areas and haven't had any trouble yet (touch wood!).

I could add to this pretty much any last bus departing Newport/Cardiff for the valleys on a Saturday or match day. I've heard the last X4 to Brynmawr being called the 'vomet comet' and know of one occasion from a colleague who uses to drive it where a drunk female decided to do a number two on the back seats - I'll spare you the gory details.

I've driven the last 17/18 bengdy bus routes many times out of Cardiff centre - twice I've had to have police out to forcibly remove unruly passengers and have been assaulted once by a man who'd missed it and chased me on foot (unknown to me) for almost a mile and tried to drag me through the cab window. Happy days!

 

[GusB]

Rural routes can also be quite hostile. While it no longer applies (evening services were withdrawn a few years ago) the 331/32 Elgin - Burghead Bluebird route regularly encountered missiles at the terminus.

 

[PaulMc7]

In Glasgow, back when the 20 and 41 terminated at Peel Glen Road in Drumchapel a good while back now there was a case of drivers being attacked at the terminus. Not sure how many times it happened in total but there was at least 1 in the newspapers I'm sure. Pretty sure it's also part of why the terminus changed too although I'm not 100% sure. Did hear drivers talking about it once or twice

Can't find the article about it but I will keep looking

 

[M60lad]

Not to sure about today but I know that in the past that some routes round Merseyside especially round Kirkby used to be no go areas at certain times, infact I remember when GTL (Glenvale Transport) and various other operators used to operate Leyland Titans in/around some parts of Merseyside you would get the local kids travelling on them with their heads out the windows upstairs.

Also when Stagecoach Manchester had the Dragons and ex Hong Kong Olympians I know some drivers would dread having one at School kicking out time as kids at both Schools in the East Didsbury area used to love hanging out the upstairs windows infact I know some drivers used to do whatever they could to avoid picking them up sometimes.

There were other routes round Greater Manchester that used to be quite bad, I remember at one point a number of years ago Arriva refused to take their 247 Eccles (as it was at the time)-Altrincham service round Partington Estate due to the trouble they were getting round there and the same as happened in the past with Stagecoach Manchester and their 201 Hattersley-Manchester service.

 

[Westcountryman]

Yellow Buses Bournemouth 1b in the Somerford Estate, Morebus Poole 16, 17 Arne Avenue, Bloxworth Estate and 8, 9 in Turlin Moor were frequently in the news for being attacked by 'youths'. Evening service to these areas has been stopped on several occasions in the last few years. I haven't heard of any issues recently though.

 

[Sean Davidson]

149 through Hackney, Tottenham and Edmonton can be a bit scary, heard a bloke openly talking about drug deals on his phone near Bruce Grove.

 

[BradK2017]

in Huddersfield during 2005 Arriva pulled it's routes that turned off Leeds Road to serve Deighton & Bradley due to numerous attacks including a driver being robbed at knife point. First also pulled evening services for a while

Article from the time: https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/arriva-refuse-lift-bradley-buses-5063328

 

[Mwanesh]

When i lived in Stevenage around 2005vto 2010.Service 8 to Bragbury End kept getting windows smashed.Locals knew who was doing it. When Arriva withdrew the evening buses. Residents came to their senses and grassed on the offenders.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Rural routes can also be quite hostile. While it no longer applies (evening services were withdrawn a few years ago) the 331/32 Elgin - Burghead Bluebird route regularly encountered missiles at the terminus.

The thought of such a route having those issues is bizarre.

Some areas in Aberdeen used to be the same (particularly Scatterburn/Heathryfold/Northfield), but generally things have improved. At one point if the 13 at Scatterburn had long layover the driver would go down to the Haudagain Roundabout and back instead of sitting at the terminus, they later changed the timetable so the bus had next to no layover there. Yet these days the bus happily sits there for 15-20 minutes during the day without any issues.

 

[A0wen]

When i lived in Stevenage around 2005vto 2010.Service 8 to Bragbury End kept getting windows smashed.Locals knew who was doing it. When Arriva withdrew the evening buses. Residents came to their senses and grassed on the offenders.

Back in the day, the town centre pub in Stevenage, Edward the Confessor aka Ted the Grass, was right next to the bus station. My late grandfather drove for London Country in the 70s and 80s and recounted driving a late bus from Hitchin and on approaching Stevenage bus station was directed away from it by the local plod.....

 

[ScotRail158725]

Some areas in Aberdeen used to be the same (particularly Scatterburn/Heathryfold/Northfield), but generally things have improved. At one point if the 13 at Scatterburn had long layover the driver would go down to the Haudagain Roundabout and back instead of sitting at the terminus, they later changed the timetable so the bus had next to no layover there. Yet these days the bus happily sits there for 15-20 minutes during the day without any issues.

why is every suburb called “northfield” dodgy? one in Edinburgh isn’t very pleasant either

 

[Jordan Adam]

why is every suburb called “northfield” dodgy? one in Edinburgh isn’t very pleasant either

The one here isn't that bad, your typical post-war housing estate, primarily semi-detached housing inhabited by middle income families. I'd say generally most areas here are better than they used to be, even the ones that had a bad reputation aren't in reality that bad.

Just Northfield has a higher proportion of youths hence it in the past being a hot spot for vandals attacking buses.

 

[WM Bus]

Online searches suggest a variety of routes in and around Birmingham, which incidentally happens to be the only city I'm afraid to use the buses in!

Just wandering, what makes you afraid to use them?
I live near 55/94 (City - Ward End) routes and most of the time never seen any problems using them.
So don't think they're that bad.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Just wandering, what makes you afraid to use them?
I live near 55/94 (City - Ward End) routes and most of the time never seen any problems using them.
So don't think they're that bad.

Not exactly sure, to be honest. I just get a bit of a bad feeling about them. It's probably due to the excessive number of horror stories onboard buses in Birmingham which I've seen, which doesn't help. But with all due respect, there are a lot of areas around Birmingham which aren't very nice at all, and don't feel safe even during the daytime - I remember staying in a hotel in a rather dodgy area of Birmingham one time, and the walk to the hotel was pretty terrifying!

 

[WM Bus]

It's probably due to the excessive number of horror stories onboard buses in Birmingham which I've seen, which doesn't help.

I've never seen an excessive number of horror stories onboard buses in Birmingham.
Any horror stories also probably represent a very small numberr of journeys made compared to the thousands of journeys made on Birmingham buses everyday.

 

[Cambus731]

The one time I experienced eggs being thrown at a bus, was in Cherry Hinton, which as anyone who knows it, will know it is a pleasant village suburb of Cambridge

 

[Mag_seven]

I remember reading an article in the London Evening Standard some years ago that the 140 which goes from Heathrow to Harrow was particularly bad for anti social behaviour.

 

[Cambus731]

it would either been on the 1 or 2 or possibly the 101 or 102, in Stoops Estate, Burnley in about 2008, when some kids were hassling the bus and pressed the ENGINE STOP button. I was there bus bashing at the time. Haven't been back to Stoops Estate since.

 

[LancasterRed]

The 40, 41 and 42 to and from Lancaster can all be really bad during the school commute.

 

[90019]

Lothian's service 14 between Greendykes and Muirhouse. Known as the 'Rentokil Express' at one time because of the rough nature of the housing schemes which its route passed through at Niddrie and at West Granton.

We call it the Methadone Express nowadays.

I like the route of the 14 and don't mind driving it, but you do get some weird characters on it. It's definitely not as bad as it used to be though.

 

[317666]

The one time I experienced eggs being thrown at a bus, was in Cherry Hinton, which as anyone who knows it, will know it is a pleasant village suburb of Cambridge

Well, Cherry Hinton High Street is so slow that it must have been impossible for them to miss!

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Have enjoyed reading through all the posts, some really interesting answers so far! I've also just remembered this online article from a while ago.

Gwynedd bus service suspended over 'continuous anti-social behaviour'

The suspension has infuriated some passengers who rely on the service to get to work as police launch probe abuse claims

www.google.co.uk

Arriva pulls Gwynedd bus service over 'continuous anti-social behaviour' and to protect drivers

A vital weekend bus service has been suspended over "continuous anti-social behaviour" and claims that drivers have been abused and vehicles damaged.

Arriva Buses Wales has pulled the 9.35pm and 10.51pm services that run between Pwllheli and Blaenau Ffestiniog.

The firm claims some youths have jeopardised the safety of staff and other passengers who use the 3B service by their loutish behaviour.

Arriva has passed CCTV footage to the police who have now launched an investigation.

It's really sad to see that people have had essential services withdrawn as a result of individuals who can't understand the concept of not making stupid choices which endanger drivers and passengers.

 

[Cambus731]

Well, Cherry Hinton High Street is so slow that it must have been impossible for them to miss!

that is true, even when the level crossing is open

 

[cnjb8]

Nottingham City Transports 35 often gets rocks thrown at it in Broxtowe. Same with TrentBarton services through Hucknall.