Working an early shift '2nd bus' on the 121 route 24th May 2022

[@GuyArab]

A really interesting piece, full of information on how a driver sets out his/her day. Thanks Peter.

[@BristolRE]

Thanks, you're welcome

[@fearless_huseyin]

Good video Peter. Nice to see Enfield Bus Garage and see a overview of your shift

[@BristolRE]

Thanks

[@jeffreyholt1200]

Great video Peter, as a kid who grew up in Ponders End in the 60s I remember Enfield garage very well in those days it was called Ponders End garage, I did a lot of bus spotting there in those days and the fleet was all R\Ts looking at it now the garage and lay out hasn’t changed at all it’s still has that London transport look of it Thanks again for the great video

[@BristolRE]

Thanks, glad that you enjoyed it

[@TheTransportHub17]

Great video Peter. Good to see an early shift video. Along with the inside of the garage and all the buses parked up.

[@BristolRE]

Thanks, made a change

[@jmhale5874]

Another interesting video. I love to hear all the background details - brings back memories (mostly good!) Thanks again.

[@BristolRE]

Thanks, and you are welcome

[@mohibj]

Great garage tour, I like evening drivers because they don't take u to school or work but always further on to real places!

[@BristolRE]

Thanks, and yes indeed

[@atuncel71]

Nice video, I also used to drive the 121's. Although back in the early 90s they used to be based at Palmers Green.

[@BristolRE]

Nice, Palmers Green is a nice garage

[@KarrrRep]

I started my career with first capital London. I was interviewed at Northumberland Park on a Friday and was offered training to start the following Monday. The actual training was outsourced to an independent training school and after completing the boring theory it was time to hit the road in an ex wmpte west Midlands passenger transport executive 1980 mcw metrobus with a glorious Gardner and that distinctive squeal when slowing down. Our instructor said if you can drive this the buses you will drive afterwards will seem like a rolls royce lol. Our training yard was in Edmonton but our actual road training was all the way down in Orpington Kent. Reason being that is where first carried out its tests. I passed first time no pun intended lol. I was then assigned to my chosen depot which was ferry lane rainham and was working around Ilford and Romford areas sometimes going out to Walthamstow and wood green. They wanted me to do the 25 from Ilford to Oxford circus but didn't fancy dealing that schlep and the agro of Central London Our fleet was mainly Dennis's trident deckers and Marshall darts. We also had a couple of old dennis wright handy buses except they weren't really handy for the elderly as had big steps to get up to floor level.

[@BristolRE]

Happy Days with First Capital! Driving in Central London isn't actually as bad as you'd think. The passengers are better behaved to start with!

[@KarrrRep]

Your depot is so much better than the one we had at ferry lane rainham which was an industrial estate with skip trucks going in and out and the road in the estate was full of pot holes and dust. When it rained the pot holes filled with water and it was muddy. The depot itself was basically portable cabins.

[@BristolRE]

@@KarrrRep Sadly that's what privatisation did, costs had to be lowered.

[@SELondoner75]

Like your work videos, when you doing anymore ?

[@BristolRE]

Thanks, I'm off for August so will look at doing another one in September

[@isaywhatilikeandilikewhati1117]

Nice video. I worked out of E in the very early 2000s. Parking my car in the streets opposite just like you did. I forget the route number but I would do trades to get the route that ran between Waltham Cross and Turnpike Lane...simply because there were staff toilets at both ends!

[@davestump520]

Great video Peter - Interesting all the checks you have to do; You would think the Engineers would do all that before they let the bus out for use.

[@BristolRE]

How many engineers would you need to do over 100 buses on a daily basis, lol? As with any vehicle it's always the drivers responsibility to make sure it's roadworthy at the start of the day - you and your car included!

[@Frenzy.64]

3:16 HV178 operates on a local route of mine - route 141 + nice video

[@BristolRE]

Thanks

[@StephenReidsaintofweatherfield]

that’s mad Southbury station is right there i used to work in that station

[@BristolRE]

Nice!

[@Abdul.M.]

Interesting Early Shift all buses parked up. I dunno if you noticed. Arriva HV MK1 parked there

[@BristolRE]

Yes, it was there for a few days

[@andrewsteepan8709]

Great videos Peter

[@BristolRE]

Thanks

[@andrewsteepan8709]

@@BristolRE Tuesday was a really bad weather yesterday it was raining a lot

[@Michael-ok1br]

How comes there is a B5HL Volvo in the Yard, I didn’t think Enfield had them

[@BristolRE]

They don't, but Enfield do refurbs, repaints and accident repairs

[@joe-vl3nd]

Good video Spot on👍

[@BristolRE]

Thanks

[@joshuahalla.k.a.controlla6333]

Great video. ☺️

[@BristolRE]

Thanks

[@joshuahalla.k.a.controlla6333]

@@BristolRE Ur welcome. ☺

[@MrSilverside]

Do not like that buses are parked so close so that your clothes are getting dirty as you try to squeeze through,that sure is an early start,not easy going to bed that early to get up at that early start time.

[@BristolRE]

You're right there, on both counts!

[@leonard1951.]

First time I’ve seen inside the garage interesting

[@BristolRE]

Thanks 👍

[@NextSound170]

It was a main garage after EM closed

[@BristolRE]

👍

[@TrainBoy-tf9gh]

Nice video Peter.

[@BristolRE]

Thanks

[@luisstransport]

Great video

[@BristolRE]

Thanks

[@andrewsteepan8709]

Yesterday was a really bad wheather yesterday it was raining a lot yesterday

[@TawheedRahmanBengali]

Nice video keep it up

[@BristolRE]

Thanks

[@TawheedRahmanBengali]

@@BristolRE you are welcome

[@HampsteadOwl]

Thanks Peter. Interesting as ever. As a matter of interest, when you are running out of service down to Turnpike, do you have to follow the route or can you go the quickest way, which I would imagine is the way that basically the 217 goes down the Cambridge Road?

[@BristolRE]

As you say, follow the 217 route as they only give 20 minutes light running time. All routes have an official light run route, 191 for example from Brimsdown follow the 307 route, or from Edmonton follow the 349 route.

[@mjmax72lit]

Thanks Peter just what I asked for

[@BristolRE]

You're welcome

[@stephenhyland4256]

The amount of drivers who don't do the walkaround. I've some drivers sitting in the canteen ticking the boxes.

[@BristolRE]

They have hidden staff watching (sometimes) and the forecourt controller keeps an eye open. Any issues you get reported and they download the cctv. Not checking the ramp gets you a 6 months caution.

[@stephenhyland4256]

It's mostly drivers on spare to be allocated duties as sometimes the supervisor would ask a driver to check say 10 buses in the yard and the driver wouldn't bother doing it especially if its raining. Dublin Bus actually have a duty where a driver is allocated to just do first use checks from 3 to 7 in the morning considered a very handy duty for drivers to do.

[@BristolRE]

@@stephenhyland4256 Interesting!

[@AJSAN1971]

I understand why you come in early to "get things done" but it's an example of how the job has gone downhill. 30+ years ago we got 10 mins to sign on, check the bus and get on the road and that was a much less stringent walk round and there'd be two of us doing it! I work for the same company that you do at a very small garage (14 buses) out in middle England and we get 20 minutes to get out on the road and 15 to pay in and complete a time sheet at the end of the day. VOSA advises that a first use check should take at least 15 minutes so I don't understand how the firm can expect you to do it 10. 🤔 I am enjoying your channel, it's odd seeing the things that have changed and the things that haven't.

[@Bobbyandmog]

Wow! I never Knew you had a van. What kind of van is it?

[@BristolRE]

It's a car

[@ajutesfay966]

No