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Confessions of a London Bus Driver: The Bus vs Cyclist War
Cyclists think bus drivers are pushy, aggressive and dangerous, but us bus drivers are sick of cyclists riding without helmets and checking their phones at a red light. Get them together and it's a recipe for disaster
Gavin Hill might be an unfamiliar name to many, but no doubt cyclists around the country would have heard of him when he was sentenced to a 17 month jail term for using his bus as a ‘weapon’ on cyclist Phillip Mead in Bristol. Hill claimed it was ‘a moment of madness’, but being a former bus driver in London, I know about these ‘moments of madness’ all too well.
Of course, whichever way you look at it, there are no excuses for what Hill did, but as a former driver, I know the feelings he must have felt when he launched the bus into the cyclist, who so easily could have been killed. Yet, it’s not the first time something like that has happened – search through the thousands of ‘bus v cyclist’ videos on You Tube.
The Judge at Bristol Crown Court said Hill bullied and intimidated Mead, but no-one ever speaks about how so many cyclists, without proper training, insurance or safety helmets try to bully and intimidate their way against buses, especially in London. As a former driver, with years of experience crawling in pollution and sitting in central London’s stress streets, I often have flashbacks of the moments of madness in which I could have mowed over thousands of cyclists in the capital.
These heartpounding, nerve racking, butterfly stomach, seconds were not necessarily caused by my control of the bus I drove, but the lack of competence by so many out there on two wheel, pedal power frames of metal. At night before work I used to have trouble sleeping, stressing over how I would deal with the next day’s duty (term for bus jobs) and how to drive defensively against other road users, especially vulnerable ones like cyclists, eventually it led me to quit because I did not want to have any accidents with them – I could see it coming when everyday I would see an all too familiar roadside scene – ambulance parked by cyclist hit by lorry or bus – wondering this could be me dialling 999 tomorrow, so best to avoid the scenario altogether.
I often have flashbacks of the moments of madness in which I could have mowed over thousands of cyclists in the capital.
Other drivers smoked in the cab, many drank Red Bull, perhaps their way of dealing with the stress out there, a fag and energy drink to choke over the man riding with no hands because he stuck fingers up, and to stay awake for the rush hour mob of racing city workers playing chicken with the bus, heads and beaks down, flapping away, kicking out as we drive past KFC – smell the chicken, no, but I can smell trouble.
Driving buses is a great job if you are prepared to play cat and mouse with those around you on the road. Cedars Road, Clapham, one day in May 2012 between 8 and 9am, picture the scene, a Big Bus pulls up at the crossroads with Wandsworth Road. Fat driver in the cab looking in mirrors for approaching traffic from behind. Swarm of 40 cyclists race down hill from Clapham Common, passing on either side of bus stationary at red light. One cyclist goes through, ten will follow – causing green light traffic to swerve and slow down, luckily no-one is hurt. Other cyclists waiting have no idea of what has just happened, and why would they? Too busy listening to i-pods, talking on i-phones or reading news on i-pads, me? i-saw it all, even the sweaty cyclist leaning on bus as we pull away – just another day on London’s streets.
As a professional driver, respect, courtesy and consideration are fundamental – they teach you this at bus training school – we’ve all seen the blue or red buses with L plates and ‘driver under instruction’ on the destination board – that was me once. Driver’s are also sent to regular training courses, driver CPC (certificate of professional competence) where they are taught how to drive defensively – how to use the road conditions to maximise safe driving practices.
However, many of the safety principles, like the driver’s fag and empty Red Bull can, go out of the window when inside the cab. You have to feel sorry for the buses out there who deal with so many issues on the road. From the man who defacated on the seat, the fare dodger, to the hen night party who threw up on the wheelchair user, mix in the thousands of cyclists who wind them up for fun, and we have a recipe for another Hill v Mead.
Driving along Park Lane one summer’s evening, a cyclist pulls in front of the bus wearing a t-shirt which read: ‘I hate black cabs and I hate buses’ – provocation? or justified feeling? There are a few idiot drivers out there, but despite being stupid, they are insured, have a licence and have been through rigourous training to get there – a bus driver doesn’t just turn up and ride a war chariot through town listening to an ipod and reading the paper with his other hand holding a skinny caffe late.
There are a few idiot drivers out there, but despite being stupid, they are insured, have a licence and have been through rigourous training to get there
Even the CTC, the Uk’s National Cyclists Organisation has advice for ‘Bus Driver’s and Cyclists’ – no other road users mentioned. They ask for ‘drivers and cyclists to adopt behaviour that avoids conflict’, ‘interact in harmony’ and ‘promote good relationships’. An easier way of saying that would be ‘use your common sense’, ‘wait at red lights’, ‘don’t undertake’, ‘leave the ipad at home’.
It really is infuriating for bus drivers to see cyclists checking facebook while riding or tweeting stuff like ‘on way to work, big bus trying to ram me off road’ whilst on the tarmac. Bus drivers hate cyclists, and no doubt the feelings are reciprocal – ask them. Gone are the days of ‘cut me up and i’ll give you a flat tyre’, now it’s ‘ride like an idiot and i’ll flatten you’. A walk around the garage after the duty echoes with driver chit chat about how this c*** on the bike did this, and that w***** did that – all too common stories which do nothing but emphasise the hate-hate relationship during the commute to work.
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COMMENTS
What a boring article.
you know how the bus driver felt when he attempted to kill a man? Is this a joke that i dont get? Silly article by a bitter man.
i dont think its a silly article by a bitter man - poorly written, maybe, but he has a point - cyclists have a holier-than-thou attitude and take no responsibility when they take to the roads. there are laws and rules that drivers must abide by, that feckless cyclists just dont. And they dont even have the wherewithal to know the havoc they can cause, more importantly, they dont have the respect or thought for other road users or even pedestrians. I drive in Bristol and i know exactly the kind of thing that Bus driver must have experienced before he decided to knock that poor innocent, defenceless, fluffy bunny wabbit off his wittle bicycle.
A vehicle against a bike is hardly a fair fight. And while we're tarring all cyclists with the same brush, why don't we mention that for every bad cyclist, there are five to 10 bad drivers of all vehicles? Just be careful out there. It's not hard.
Can we look forward to article from Salvatore justifying why so many London bus drivers are so rude to their passengers?
Well, I for one enjoyed this article and even though I am not a bus driver, I can see how frustrating it can be navigating city centres with spry cyclist.
I thought is was quite a good article. I ride a bike everyday to work and back again and I always give other road users respect, afterall they hit me I'm dead and 'dead' don't 'buff right out'. Funny thing is on the way to work in the morning I never have any problems, on the way home it's a different story, the same cars that make room for me in the morning don't give a flying fuck about me come 5 o'clock.
Salvatore was distracted from driving his bus by staring at male cyclists bottoms.
Agreed Bob, decent article. I ride my bike and despite provocation from (mainly mini) cab drivers and other cyclists I try not to act like a total dick. For the most part bus drivers are decent in stopping/giving way etc
Hate bus drivers. Hate cyclists. Kill each other, for me.
I witness the cyclists coming off of Clapham Common on to Cedars Road every morning. And again when they cross the Wandsworth Road heading down into Queenstown Road. It's true they do seem to exhibit a pack (herd) mentality and there is a lack of decorum. Seems its a badge of honour to take chances. Take more care people, and have more regard for your own safety and others. God knows enough cyclists have been killed, especially in the blind spot of a turning vehicle.
The scene: A junction a couple of years ago, lights red. Guy coming the other way on a pushbike jumped the red light to be sideswiped by a van crossing on green doing about 20mph that demolished the bike, broke the headlight on the van and threw the rider across the road. Fortunately he was unhurt. His reaction? He told the driver "don't worry, I won't sue". 1. I think he was lucky not to be crowned. 2. I laughed for half an hour at the torrent of abuse he got from the van driver. He tapped into a few new seams of invective that I never knew existed.
Well we have all been there at times and seen the red mist and want to hit the mug who has caused us to see red and in most cases its just a few words that are exchanged. As a motorcyclist I have had my fair share of car drivers and pushbikes. I had a cyclist take me and my mate of my motorbike by swerving right in front of me and due to my good nature I did not run the twat of the road while I was laying under my bike I did exchange a few words with the peddle pushing mug and he legged it away as fast as he could as I would have made him wear his bike like a gold chain round his neck. We all need to respect all kinds of road users and keep our eyes open for our own safety. I think that pushbikes should have some form of liability Insurance well done Salvatore
My vast experience of bus commuting qualifies me to make this one conclusion. For the most part, bus drivers are among the saltiest pricks on earth.
In reply to Mikie,i take it from your remark that you have tasted many in your "vast experience"!
Only your mom
The attitude of cylists never ceases to amaze me. They are immune to any question that any of them may be less than perfect. The idea that for every bad cyclist there are 5-10 bad drivers. More like the other way round. Day after day going in to Oxford i see cyclists streaming through red lights, undertaking by the dozen buses that are stopped waiting to let people off. Yesterday i saw two people clipped by cyclists jumping red lights. The responce of on cyclist? To swear at the victim for not looking! If cars and busses acted the way cyclists do it would be carnage. I to have almost been taken out by cyclests a number of times swerving round traffic without looking or pulling out of junctions and it is only my skill and training as a motorcyclist that has saved them from a big accident. And accident that would hurt me more than them due to the fact that my bike will hurt me more than their bike will hurt them on top of them.
Being a cyclist, van/car driver,maotorbike rider and my other half is a bus driver I would say MOST cyclists are CUNTS. Pull out without looking, never use the cycle lanes provided, jump red lights, could go on forever. And also there is no way that you can report 'em to police for wrong doing as there are too many stupid twats in lycra to question.
not silly at all. i hate cyclists, and i dont even drive, they think they are above law, always going through red lights, jumping up on two pavements which i love, i never get out of there way , this is my ground, and trust me they never win.plus how many time do you see these idots going down a one way street, most cyclists i see, break the law, just stand at clapham junction at rush hour and watch how many times they break the law, feel sorry for them , no chance.
I gave up cycling in London 5 years ago having cycled daily for a decade as I felt it was just too dangerous. There are definitely lots of awful cyclists out there who do not understand how to cycle defensively or sympathetically to other road users. That said there are also lots of awful drivers, I still see them everyday shooting lights, speeding sitting in the Nike boxes at junctions. Overall I think bus drivers do a difficult job fairly well, they are generally more aware than out of town coaches, delivery lorries and white vans. In the end the problem is not the drivers or the cyclists however it is the roads. The busy roads in the central London are not suited to do many different road users and many of the cycle lanes make the shared experience more rather than less dangerous. Unless a proper cycle network is built and larger out of town vehicles are partially restricted this problem will never be solved. Too the non cyclists out there you really should appreciate that the cyclists are doing there best to take some of the load from the straining infrastructure in London while daily risking their lives, however doomed to failure the current arrangements are...,
i am a bus driver and a cyclist all i can say is most people behave well, it is only the odd few that create problems. I think this can be put right by training for cyclist`s as there are going to be more and more on our roads soon there will be carnage unless this is done . London bus driver`s are professional well trained people and do not want to run anyone over
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