THE CITY BUS DRIVER SANTA MONICA CALIFORNIA 1960s EDUCATIONAL FILM 58084

This 1960s film showcases the work of the city bus driver named Mr. Staley working on Santa Monica's famous "Big Blue Bus" lines. Featuring GMC "new look" buses, the film shows the operation of a diesel bus from the depot to a route on Lincoln Blvd. up to Montana Avenue. The film looks at the activities of various passengers, all the while showcasing the operation of the bus. Some of the topics explained include the use of transfers, tokens and fare boxes, the operation of the bus' signaling system and buzzer, the operation of the rear door, and more. The friendly operator, who carries a pocket watch to keep on schedule, knows the names of many of the passengers on his bus. At 6:23, the System Development Organization is seen while at 6:30 what appears to be 3rd Street (now known as the Promenade) is seen. At 8:00, the planning and management dept. of the Big Blue Bus is shown. At 8:27, bus driver training is seen. At 9:20 the Big Blue Bus garage is seen.
The GM New Look bus, also commonly known by the nickname "Fishbowl" (for its six-piece rounded windshield), is a transit bus introduced in 1959 by Truck and Coach Division of General Motors and produced until 1986.More than 44,000 New Look buses were built. Its high production figures and long service career made it an iconic North American transit bus. The design is listed as U.S. Patent D182,998 by Roland E. Gegoux and William P. Strong.
In 1928, the City of Santa Monica launched its first route. Choosing a blue livery, it was called Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines. It kept its base fare at 10 cents for a long time. The impetus for the creation was a fare increase on the Pacific Electric interurban trains between Santa Monica and Los Angeles. The Santa Monica bus connected with the Los Angeles Railway streetcars at Pico and Rimpau Boulevards in the Mid-City section of Los Angeles. That historic terminus point has become an important transit center in Los Angeles simply because it is the point where thousands of bus riders along Pico Boulevard must transfer to continue their trips eastward to Downtown Los Angeles or westward to the Westside.
The Big Blue Bus is considered one of the best bus services in the Los Angeles area. The system won the American Public Transportation Association’s Outstanding Transportation System award in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2000 and 2011. The Big Blue Bus did not raise its regular fare above 50 cents until 2002, when it became 75 cents. In contrast, most public bus lines in California were charging fares of a dollar or more well before 2000. The Big Blue Bus system provides frequent and convenient service to most neighborhoods in its service area. Many routes serve UCLA.
The Big Blue Bus was one of the last transit agencies using the GMC New Look buses; they were retired in 2005. Big Blue Bus received the last New Looks ever built. The last one built, #5180, was driven off the property in May 2013 after being donated to the Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which preserves the bus. It was also the first transit agency in the State of California to use the Grumman-Flxible Model 870 advanced design transit buses equipped with Lift-U wheelchair lifts beginning in 1978, and the third customer after Atlanta's MARTA, and the Connecticut's Department of Transportation's CT Transit's order of these buses. These buses never experienced the same chronic structural problems that plagued these early vehicles that were also sold to other transit agencies. These were also the very first production buses built with wheelchair lifts before ADA effectively became law of the land in 1990.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFi...

[@synchro505]

I can almost smell the diesel and feel the motion of the bus. My grandmother and I used to take the Santa Monica bus when I was very young. It was a big thrill for me to pull the buzzer cord to let the bus driver know we wanted off at the next stop.

[@misters2837]

That Red Ford Falcon at 8:38 almost got Squished!

[@rikspring]

Great to see this Grtz from a busdriver from Holland.

[@mikemad3934]

wow what a great time to be alive!!! no traffic not weirdos on the bus everyone respectable and dress nice.

[@63bbray]

The bus garage featured was Santa Monica Municipal's old facility on 4th. Street north of Pico Blvd., now a parking lot for the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and Courthouse. The coaches featured are TDH-5301's, the first version of the 'Fishbowl'. A few GM TDH 'Old Look' coaches and a 700 series White are seen in the garage as well. The Fishbowl was known for its easy handling and tight turning radius (for a 40' bus!) as evidenced by Mr. Staley's well executed U-turn at Sunset Blvd. and Marquez Ave. (4:48). Incidentally, the corner where the 2 passengers get on at 3:30 is very close to the current M.T.A. Expo Line light rail stop at Colorado Ave. and 17th. Street in Santa Monica.

[@sadikperez7564]

We want our bus getting alive

[@sadikperez7564]

I miss this bus😢😢

[@lewiemcneely9143]

Good old reliable GM 6-71's and Allison automatics.

[@Jefferson1969-u4s]

When America was the envy of the civilised world

[@bbhr8409]

Howdy! Now I'm a proud bus driver for life. Love and respect from Hamburg, Germany to California! 🇺🇸☀️

[@roachtoasties]

The passengers really trashed up the bus (9:41).

[@annpeerkat2020]

The mechanic is just a mere "jerry" but the bus driver is "Mr" Staley. I thought I was in britain's class society there! Whatever happened to "morning ralph, morning sam" on the way to the time clock before hunting chickens?

[@17tubemaster]

While references to Santa Monica are present in the visuals, I can't help but notice how it's been edited out of the voiceover.

[@ndogg20]

I heard Steven Spielberg bought the rights to City Bus Driver. Hope its as good as the original with no CGI effects, those were REAL people doing REAL stunts, dammit!

[@mrpeel3239]

Maybe call it "Saving George Stanley"?! 😆

[@countdown2xstacy]

Maybe have the bus tailing a 1971 red Plymouth Valiant through the mountains and follow Dennis Weaver everywhere he goes.

[@roachtoasties]

E.T. II will be featuring old Santa Monica buses. They'll be flying through the air as he's getting away from all those government agents.

[@BaronVonShrapnel]

About 6:18 the people get off and go to work at SDC. My dad worked there in the 1960s!

[@Zulnex]

Splendid video! Thank you very much for sharing. I love those GM buses by the way.

[@michaelsnider5293]

When Santa Monica was the absolute best place in the world and when people had standards. Everyone well dressed, the city was clean and orderly and there were no homeless. Once Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda moved to town, once SMRR started and invited in all the indigents, all of that ended.

[@rikspring]

Nice Grtz from a dutch busdriver 😊

[@rondothard1698]

the people have never looked like that, remember this was a movie. they weren't as messy as they are today but not this neat!

[@Danny-di2zk]

This is gold thank you for sharing 👍

[@smlislaze327]

That's the bus from speed

[@HGM19922]

Close, the bus used in Speed was a GM TDH 5303, introduced in 1966. Fun fact, the real 5303s used in the Santa Monica Fleet didn't have the Air Conditioning vent on the rear of the bus. The buses used in Speed came from SCRTD, MTS of San Diego, and OCTD (now known as OCTA).

[@burroaks7]

micheal phelps

[@thepeterchannel3230]

I've never seen white people on a Bus before. interesting......

[@Jefferson1969-u4s]

😂

[@clairegazzillo6775]

That's when riding the bus was nice everybody was respectful not like today with all you people and criminals and none of you people pay neither back then the white people all paid

[@clairegazzillo6775]

That's why the buses were nice all white people riding

[@Jefferson1969-u4s]

@@clairegazzillo6775 🤣

[@annpeerkat2020]

@@clairegazzillo6775 you sound like trailer trash girl. Are you trailer trash?

[@mrpeel3239]

At what corner does he pick the waitress up (3:10)? Couldn't read copyright for the year this made?

[@63bbray]

I believe it is Lincoln and Montana.

[@keric-d7h]

3:39

[@J_Calvin_Hobbes]

👍

[@pj3rtaco]

I still have a SM token ❤

[@thomashill2965]

I remember these and the GM old looks that I rode to and from school. The bus company received a group of five TDH-4517 GM new looks in Sept. 1962. They were revolutionary compared to the many 1953-'57 GM old looks everyone was used to, and more were added over the next 12 or so years. They were very worthy successors to the old look workhorses. This video shows a realistic look at the people and their behavior. The driver was in charge and the passengers respected that. On the rare occasion where a rider would become disruptive, the driver, after one verbal warning would then stop the bus and eject the offender--physically if necessary. That was what I witnessed. In recent years, on the few occasions where I took the bus, I was shocked at passengers running from seat to seat, playing loud music, while yelling and throwing food at each other. I didn't expect that the driver, who resembled a 400-pound bowling ball with limbs would attempt to restore order; in fact she appeared to be amused by the chaos. It all seemed to complement the ugly, soulless bus. Thanks for this video, a reminder of a better time.

[@alslimshady7215]

So true

[@robo6548]

Where is this, I'd like to live there.

[@busman2050]

Santa Mónica, california. There are some pretty nice neighborhoods. Houses are expensive though. Regular 3 bedroom home now over a million dollars easy

[@busman2050]

Good schools, nice beaches, Santa Monica pier. Pleasant weather

[@sadikperez7564]

Well I mean, I usually knew about with this bus for a very long time ago. AND I WILL WANT FOR THAT BUS COMING BACK VERY PERMANENTLY😖☹😭😭

[@jorgefigueroa4437]

Route 4 Santa Monica

[@coreymiller5446]

Mane this was so cool

[@uioned]

Drove lots of these up here in Vancouver BC. Well built loved them.

[@Qaranwadani1993]

Did the Toronto Transit Commission had them as well?

[@MensAsses33]

Wow