I worked on the buses forty years ago and it was crap then. The union reps were only interested in avoiding working late shifts and anything else they didn’t like. This applies to all the unions I have been in.
When one of our conductors was assaulted and taken to hospital the only thing that concerned our manager was that wellbeing of the ticket machine.
national express pay over £10 a hour, on the coaches, i had an assement etc lined up but turned down to stay on hgv work…
rambo19:
The problem is that to many drivers are in debt, mortgage, mobile phone contracts, cars on finance, latest tellys/and consumables and can’t afford to strike, and the companies know that.
Agreed Rambo, but you could say that about any job. The working man is his own worst enemy, living beyond his means yet convincing himself that all is well, until events take over and he finds himself in zb street.
peterm:
In the end you’d probably finish up like I did: pulling people out of cars and thumping them, or heaving people out the door by the throat. I don’t know how I got away with it, or stabbed or something, but I got out too late… I’m totally [zb] nuts now.I wouldn’t go back to it for 99 quid and hour. No wonder he was upset.
I saw lads that ended up this way - aggressive as hell when they had the uniform on. I went the other way, became the boring ignorant git that customers complain about frequently. Eventually stopped even looking at them, when they got on, when they got off - you don’t stick your hand out you don’t get the bus.
The day I left was a good day! 
And I definitely agree that you could offer me any rate and I would never drive a bus again!
Stan
I’m a london bus driver.
TBH, the money’s not bad, but the job is complete brain damage.
Non stop scum getting on the bus and non stop rows, but, I won’t let anyone on free, hence loads of rows.
TFL’s official policy is to let people on free if they have no money 
Ive got to the stage now that if someone is rude to me I’m rude back to them.
Last year had a kid smashing the protective screen between the driver/boarding passengers in and the management just told me to get back out on the road and stop moaning.
Kids getting on the bus carrying hammers.
First summer on the job had a kid smashing his head against the bus door until it bled and only scarpered when police requested. However, I had to request them 6 times from management until they agreed to send them as ‘they were too busy’. Management constantly lying then moaning when I refuse OT.
One of the buses would break down when passing near one of the staff carparks as an engineer thought it a prank to fix a large magnet there. Told to ‘carry on’ on a route when reported serious diesel leak on bus…
Refused to take bus down road as it would get stuck with badly parked cars. Threatened with suspension. With manager on board followed the route and got stuck. Suspended for getting stuck.
