I think I’m being picked on at work….
….Metro made a great announcement about the
Category Archives: Milton Keynes
Would you?
Would you rather have a faint bit of heat, But have to listen to a high pitched whine from the heater for Nearly seven hours, Or have no noise but be freezing cold?
httpv://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yiDxVO23k5g
This is me at 9am…
and this is me at 3.30pm…
This bus seemed to get colder with each hour that passed!
Oh and notice how there’s no passengers in either picture, It’s been that busy today LOL
…and before anybody says anything about me looking miserable, This is my Route 20 Face, OKAY!
When you have a bus with no ticket machine, It seems to take twice as long to load the bus. It seems to confuse people when you say it’s a free ride, They just stand there looking at you LOL. Well looks like one driver was getting tired of explaining it to each person judging my the picture I was sent today. (and If you are reading this Meatloaf this was NOT me!)
It also looks like our very own Mrs C is becoming a bit of a celeb! Here she is being ‘spotted’ driving one of Aylesbury’s new Citaro’s in High Wycombe (thanks ‘Spotter Matt!’). It’s also been suggested that if any of you spot Mrs C and manage to get a photo that you could please send me a copy, Then I can start a Mrs C Gallery LOL.
This is gonna go right to her head but ‘Spotter Matt’ said “She was very friendly and I have to say a good driver (considering it was her first time with an unfamiliar bus and the other Citaro driver we had on the 300 seemed to like the kerbs).“
She’ll be dining out on that comment for months now ‘spotter Matt’ LOL
We've been here before
Wondered how long it would be before I had to do 200’s, At least here you get a decent bus for it!
and I’ve never seen a bus with so many different warning lights….
Cold Cold week
I’ve seen the latest in Bus Heating technology this week in one of our buses….
Someones been complaining that there isn’t enough pictures of me on here (God knows why!) so here’s one of me & Mrs C freezing our bits off on an open top bus in London last week…
Where you going??
This destination is for a non-english friends, Although I’m not too sure what language it could be classed as…
Got to drive a new bus today with only 180 miles on the clock, Typical though that I’m using in on Route 4 when It’s branded for Route 1 LOL, But me previous bus had a defect…. It had that new car smell about it 
Another week passes by….
Sunday:
I think ‘Professional Matt’ and ‘Mrs C’ are competing with each other in the saddo stakes 
There is no title
Quite possibly the most boring video you’ll find on Youtube, Bits of my Sunday glued together into one video.. and No, I didn’t win anything….
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xLXr56AdhQ
Now into my third week at MK Metro, and it’s my first week out on my own without a trainer…. All going fine I think.
I’m still missing the friendlyness of Aylesbury depot, I find Metro, and especially the Bus Station a bit intimidating, But since starting here I’ve noticed my Psoriasis has started to slowly clear up, Which proves my theory that working all those hours on the 200 for Arriva wasn’t doing my health any good.
The problem being of course that my skin was at it’s worst when I started at Metro. I did plan to try and at least get my hands clear with steroid cream, But it hasn’t happened. This hasn’t helped with getting to talk to people as I can see them staring at my skin which then puts me on the defensive. :/
Oh well, I’ve only been on me own for 2 days, So we’ll have to see how it goes, At the moment I’m 80% certain I made the right decision to transfer.
Another 5 second video now, This bus must hold the record for the most annoying indicator sound! LOL
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpisc6uXFpk
Not alot to say really
I don’t really have much to write about at the moment, But I’m being nagged to put something new here, So I’m doing as I’m told.
It’s been 7 days since I started at MK Metro, I am still with an In-Service Trainer until Thursday, and then I’m hoping to still get my 4 day weekend off
It all seems to be going okay, Hoping to find out which depot I’m gonna be based at tomorrow, and I only have one more route to learn, the 26E.
On Sunday just gone I went to the London Transport Museum’s Depot at Acton Town as they were having an open weekend.
While I was there I spotted this…
Here we have a Museum piece, Donated by Arriva London, While up here in Milton Keynes, Metro have two of these in service! LOL
Aylesbury have got two of there 13 new vehicles, One has been out on the roads of Princes Risborough to see if it will fit on the 300’s
…And we all… Stand…Together
Another week passes where not alot happens :/
A bus stop has appeared by the fancy new Sainsbury’s in Central Milton Keynes, by “The Hub”. The timetable states that is is valid from Monday, 6th October and has times for the route 7/7E….. Pity noone seemed to tell MK Metro about this new stop and route change as they were still sending their buses the old route for all of this week. It’s great to see the Council and Bus Company working together! LOL
Still no sign of our new buses at Aylesbury. We’re now being told that they are in the wrong shade of blue and have all got to be repainted, A bit embarrasing to be repainting brand new buses, But hardly surprising either
Nothing at all has happened on the 200 this week. While waiting my time at the City Centre on Friday afternoon I seemed to make a new friend who wanted to tell me everything thats wrong with MK Metro & Arriva buses and that their were 72 speed ramps on the number 9 route. I just nodded and grunted til it was time to go. 
MK Metro seem to have gained an old The Shires Trident, I think it was new at Southend, But not sure. Anyway it caught fire quite a while back and has only just reappeared after a rebuild. It’s been painted bright orange, and according to one driver it still smells “smokey”.
UPDATE:
I’ve been directed to a news website that reported on the fire of the trident, You can see the bus was in a pretty bad way which might explain why it took so long to rebuild.
You can read the newspaper article here.
Oh and highly exciting news I almost forgot to tell you all. I’ve managed to wangle myself one of the new style ARRIVA fleeces, I bet your all so so happy for me 
It's been a long day
People that know the 200 will know that it’s soooo busy we need 2 buses in tandem….
Of course thats not really the case, It just seems that the people that work out the Duty sheets haven’t realised that the 08:14 bus from Northfield is on two different duties, LOL.
Still, this is the first time since I started this route in March that I’ve actually met the bus, and followed each other all the way to town.
If you flag down a bus, and when the doors open it has one of these….
Please don’t expect the driver to be able to understand what your saying if you stand on the pavement and wisper.
If your then asked to speak up as they can’t hear you, Don’t then whisper at the very same level as before.
And once you’ve been asked a third time to speak up as the driver taps the plastic screen, Just to make sure you realise it’s there, Don’t then shout at the top of your voice in a sarcy manner.
All you have to do is talk normally at the holes in the screen, Not towards the floor or into the rest of the bus, If you do that then we can hear you just fine! Thankyou!
Lady who I don’t think was 100% walked upto my bus today
Lady: Does this bus go to the National Express Coach Station?
Me: Yes It does
Lady: Oh it does, does it?
Me: Yes
Lady: So it does go there then?
Me: Yes!
Lady: Oh right, I was waiting for the 200
Me: This is the 200
Lady: This is the 200?
Me: Yes
Lady: Oh, I thought it was the 70
Me: <looks at blind> It does say 200 on the front
Lady: Oh yeah I know, I just thought it was the 70
Me: Oh ok….. <pause> So do you want to goto the coach station?
Lady: No, Not right now thankyou