Melksham to Salisbury via Devizes - moved topic, now the original quiz has been solved

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Personally, I disapprove of public service buses departing early. There is a time, published on the posters, for when the bus should depart from that stop. If it does happen that it's actually a couple of minutes later, so be it. 

[grahame]

I am travelling to the RUH every day at the moment, for radiotherapy, and funnily enough when I was walking out of the main entrance yesterday I saw someone who I thought at the time might be Graham. It would have been about 11am.

In theory I can get a bus from the nearest stop to me direct to the RUH, the number 20 which goes once an hour, and would love to make use of it, but have only done so twice so far (in fifteen visits). Some I have cycled, but when I have tried to catch the bus, it is either not on the screen at all, and not being tracked, or it is running very late, or just for a change today, left my stop 2 minutes early, despite the previous stop being a timing point 1 minute before it should get to my stop.

Yes - that was Lisa and I rushing for an appointment.  Hope yours are going well ...

Buses were - chaotic - in Bath. Our journey in started on time from the nearest stop to our home but got into a jam on the Bathampton Bypass and was Q-Q-Q until we got to the bus lane. Late into Dorchester Street where we disgorged outside the bus station what must have been within a minute of the bus having left for the RHS.  Fifteen minute wait - in theory - for the next one but in practice it was longer.   

When the bus headed to the RUH arrived, everyone incoming got off ... including the driver, who denied us boarding, closed the door and disappeared into the bus station - personal need, I'm almost sure - and when he came back, seemed to take an eternity to board everyone.  Three pushchairs - two from the bus station and one joined later, and shunting around at lots of intermediate stops where things we re-arranged. And I know that buses are these for those not able to drive and take special care of them, but really those who's brains don't provide them with the brightness to know to move around though they physically could  should be persuaded to do so.   I heard someone suggesting that this route would be better with a conductor. Lisa and I argued afterwards as to whether or not the blocking woman's jump suite was green or turquoise - we both noticed her (and, don't worry, we made up over a burrito later on)

[froome]

Yes my treatment is going well, though is quite onerous and leaving me with side effects which will hopefully go when it finishes (which is next Wednesday).

Bath's buses are always a tale of woe. My journey yesterday, having just missed the number 20, was to wait for the number 1, which goes every ten minutes (in theory) and then have a 5 minute walk to change onto a bus going along the Upper Bristol Road to the RUH. It was due at the same time as the number 20, but unlike that, it arrived at least 5 minutes late, and ended up being overtaken by the following number 1, which is always frustrating to watch when you have limited time. After my walk to the Upper Bristol Road, the screen there said there next 3 buses were not ones which go to the RUH, but the first one due was the number 19, which goes fairly close to the rear entrance. I could see a bus coming towards me, but as the sun was shining straight into my face, I couldn't see its number, but flagged it down. It turned out to be the number 3, which does go the RUH, and wasn't on the screen at all!

You missed last week First Bus having a stall at the RUH, along with some other travel initiatives, and I had a useful chat with the two staff there (both drivers I think). Apparently the trackers can cut out in Bath due to the geography, so buses often just disappear and then mysteriously reappear (or don't) on tracker apps.

[grahame]

Bath's buses are always a tale of woe.

[snip]

You missed last week First Bus having a stall at the RUH, along with some other travel initiatives, and I had a useful chat with the two staff there (both drivers I think). Apparently the trackers can cut out in Bath due to the geography, so buses often just disappear and then mysteriously reappear (or don't) on tracker apps.

I ... miss ... not being on the First Bath Bus User panel which provided a very useful insight and very occasionally got little changes that made a big difference and helped to explain things.   When first pulled out of their final services to Melksham (the D3 at the start of Covid, but a planned withdrawal before the pandemic hit) there was no reason to still be a part of the group.  Are any members on the panel now?   Does it still exist?

[Mark A]

**snip**
In theory I can get a bus from the nearest stop to me direct to the RUH, the number 20 which goes once an hour, and would love to make use of it, but have only done so twice so far (in fifteen visits). **snip**

Yup. Also, the 20's stuck with that waltz via the Paragon and Walcot Street for the time being, Milsom Street being shut.

One thing that works with the 20: bring it up on bustimes.org, drag up its route map, and see where the buses are on the route, to check if that bears any resemblance to the timetable. After which, be aware that even if the thing's 8 stops away it's capable of moving surprisingly quickly.

Mark

[Mark A]

**snip**
I ... miss ... not being on the First Bath Bus User panel which provided a very useful insight and very occasionally got little changes that made a big difference and helped to explain things.  **snip**  Does it still exist?

According to this page, yes.

https://www.firstbus.co.uk/bristol-bath-and-west/about-us/community-and-charity/customer-panel

However, having emailed a request to the email address  buscustomerpanel@firstbus.co.uk on that page, it's failed to deliver.

Mark

[Mark A]

Ah. Using First Bus's web form being the remaining way to contact them, there are no options to feedback web site issues, so I shoehorned it into the 'Praise' category, described the issue, hit 'Submit' on the form and the form returned 'Forbidden'... I'm wondering if this is because the form's set up to disallow a second submission from the same web browser - I'd previously used it to submit feedback on their app, which is no longer allowing the user to save favourite stops - that submitted successfully...

Mark

Update: used another browser and also located the form category for web site feedback and it submitted successfully.