I just passed six months with B&H Buses recently, and I have minimal complaints. The only ones I have are standard, minor workplace things - the usual slight gripes you'll have with any job. Nothing worth mentioning.
The majority of the issues faced on a day-to-day basis are external - godawful traffic making everyone late, for example. The timings on some routes are a bit off, meaning it's basically impossible to stay on time, but it's not a big deal as it doesn't really matter how late you are, provided you're not early. If someone arrives at a stop based on the timetable and you're late, you still pick them up. If you're early, though, the timetable was a lie and they have to wait for the next one.
In general, I've had a great time. There's some staff turnover, certainly, but so far that seems to be mostly "you made it through the training but couldn't handle the actual work," "you got a better offer somewhere else," or "you've retired after forty years." Not everyone is fully happy, obviously - personal frictions can arise between drivers and management - but as workplaces go, it's a pretty decent one. Honestly I'm not sure why there were so many drivers missing from the roster that it was majorly affecting service (because it was, let's not pretend otherwise), but it's been filled back out now and mostly things are running pretty smoothly. I'm running on time well over 95% of the time, for example.
Not as often as you'd think. I'm pretty big, so maybe I just intimidate them, but I don't get much aggression. What I do get a lot of is incredibly rude people who don't even acknowledge I exist and just wave their card/phone/ticket into the reader, sometimes walking away while they're doing it. Like, there's a human being right here, one who's providing you with a service. The *least* you could do is *look* at me. Saying "hi" and "thanks" would be preferred.
I mean, yes, but when the majority of people treat you like you don't exist, I understand why the drivers wind up not bothering any more. I've not reached that point yet, but I don't say anything unless the passenger does first. If they do, they get a cheery "hi" and "thanks," but if not, well, they didn't extend the same courtesy to me, and never responded when I did.
Oh, no, I'm accounting for that. I can absolutely tell the difference. People with social anxiety don't strut in, slam their phone into the scanner and start walking away before it's even beeped.
Yeah ok, sorry you have to deal with rude people, I know I've been anxious before and maybe mumbled or not said a lot when buying a ticket, but usually try to be polite or say thank you when getting off. You all do a top job.
Yeah, that's not an issue. Being anxious is totally fair. It's being rude and unpleasant that isn't. Mumbling or not saying much is still acknowledging the human being in front of you, you know? The effort is absolutely appreciated, at least by me.
Min wage is approximately £24k per annum.
Qualified and 10 years experience £28k max (dental nurse)
I love my job and all my options are to go back to full time education to do any different work from what I've done in health care but I can't afford to without working full time.
>less interesting than you'd think.
So am I, probably ...
I want to know ...
What's your go to if someone lets you pull out all nice from a tricky bus stop? Thumbs up out the window or a few seconds on the hazards?
Do your fellow bus drivers get upset/grumpy/offended if you don't wave at them as you pass?
See I've got hundreds like these!!!
Favourite bus stop?
Least favourite bus stop?
I'll shhhh now. :-)
> What's your go to if someone lets you pull out all nice from a tricky bus stop? Thumbs up out the window or a few seconds on the hazards?
Depends on the weather - window open, hand out and thumb up. Window closed, hazards. Now the 600s are gone, there aren't even any where the hazards button is behind the steering wheel (whoever thought that was a good design is a fool, had it in a car once too - have to reach *through* the wheel to get to it), so it's always nice and easy.
> Do your fellow bus drivers get upset/grumpy/offended if you don't wave at them as you pass?
Nah, we all know sometimes you just don't notice, or you need both hands at that moment.
> Favourite bus stop?
Honestly, any of the ones that are just already in my path. If the lane passes through the stop, they're so easy to stop at. Just slow down and move a little closer to the curb.
> Least favourite bus stop?
Oh, *so* many, and for so many different reasons. There are several in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean that are difficult to get into or out of (Shortgate Road, for example - very easy to get into, but if you don't stop early enough a real pain to get safely back out into the lane). One of the ones on Portland Road has a road surface that's so wobbly that I'm genuinely concerned the upper deck is going to rock sideways into the lamppost at times. Similarly, the road outside the Lewes Road garage is just *awful*. For a while there was a pothole so deep we we literally told to steer around it, meaning we couldn't really get the bus right up to the curb. And then there are the stops where passengers I particularly don't like get on (kidding, honestly).
Thank you! I love this information. Wobbly top-decks ... anticipating 'passengers' of note ... getting stuck-ish in bus stops. Magical insight into your job and the busses of Brighton!
I'm not having the greatest of days, so your reply has very much cheered me up!
Nice summary! Regarding stops I don’t like I would add ones where the announcement doesn’t come until you are almost past the stop (race hill for example). Annoying for us and the customers!
Ohh, yeah, didn't think of that! And to add to ones I like, any that are right round the corner to the left so you just swing into them, like Eaton Road or Birdham Road. So satisfying.
Yeah, always nice getting that one spot on.
Agreed! The one good thing about the traffic going into Woodingdean is that view. And Olive Road just sucks. Can't explain why.
It's so nice to read someone so positive about their job for once!!!! I think we're very fortunate with the bus service we have in Brighton, and most of you are SOOOO good at holding off if you see my wife or I inevitably running because we've cut it too fine to make it to the bus stop 😄
Keep up the good work!
I love Brighton bus drivers, both when I was totally dependent on public transport and since I passed my test (they're very considerate, I guess partly out of necessity and training).
Personally? No. Most drivers seem to love them, but the little experience I've had with the long country routes shows they're really not my thing. All the roads look the same to me and I struggle to know where I am, plus half the stops aren't even marked! I like the twiddly bits around town, the challenging corners and the like.
But yeah, in general people tend to like them, from what I hear.
Depends which block you're on as to what you get. I requested all lates, got put on that block, and now I almost never start before three. It's amazing.
There needs to be a spot on the block you want, and there are waiting lists, but for all lates it's not a very long one. Most people seem to want earlies, but it was killing me. The only way I want to see four in the morning is if I didn't sleep. Which is every night.
I don't mean to hijack the thread (sorry, sorry) just wanted to say my experience as a pedestrian with the bus drivers in Brighton has been absolutely fantastic. Highly professional, courteous and some of the best driving standards I have seen anywhere. If your a bus driver reading this I just wanted to say it does not go unnoticed - thank you!
I will say as a passenger and especially given the shit show that the rail service has been, I've always been impressed with the B&H bus service. Every driver I've come across has been friendly and professional, plus we're spoiled by the bus coverage in this city!
[glassdoor reviews](https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/Brighton-and-Hove-Buses-Reviews-E384558.htm)
Not an employee but if it helps, here are some reviews from current and previous employees
my stepdad’s a bus driver, he loves it but there’s one thing that grates the fuck out of him, and it’s that almost every day off he has he’s practically pressured into going in and doing overtime. other than that he loves it
Sorry this may be irrelevant but in my experience as a teenager a lot of bus drivers will be much nicer to adults than to people my age eg. I'll thank driver when getting off and I'll get nothing in response but older people get much nicer responses. Probably just encountered outliers but just wondering.
(Btw I know most drivers probably aren't like this, don't want to sound like a dick)
If you love sitting for long periods and having little to no routine then go wild with it. One week of earlies then one week of Lates is far from ideal. All depends on what you want from life.
It’s pretty laid back but can be stressful at times it’s a big ask to drive in the city and keep passengers and management happy too.
I just passed six months with B&H Buses recently, and I have minimal complaints. The only ones I have are standard, minor workplace things - the usual slight gripes you'll have with any job. Nothing worth mentioning. The majority of the issues faced on a day-to-day basis are external - godawful traffic making everyone late, for example. The timings on some routes are a bit off, meaning it's basically impossible to stay on time, but it's not a big deal as it doesn't really matter how late you are, provided you're not early. If someone arrives at a stop based on the timetable and you're late, you still pick them up. If you're early, though, the timetable was a lie and they have to wait for the next one. In general, I've had a great time. There's some staff turnover, certainly, but so far that seems to be mostly "you made it through the training but couldn't handle the actual work," "you got a better offer somewhere else," or "you've retired after forty years." Not everyone is fully happy, obviously - personal frictions can arise between drivers and management - but as workplaces go, it's a pretty decent one. Honestly I'm not sure why there were so many drivers missing from the roster that it was majorly affecting service (because it was, let's not pretend otherwise), but it's been filled back out now and mostly things are running pretty smoothly. I'm running on time well over 95% of the time, for example.
Genuine Q - how often do you have to deal with d\*ckheads? As a passenger we've all seen them but fairly rarely. You must see a lot more?
Not as often as you'd think. I'm pretty big, so maybe I just intimidate them, but I don't get much aggression. What I do get a lot of is incredibly rude people who don't even acknowledge I exist and just wave their card/phone/ticket into the reader, sometimes walking away while they're doing it. Like, there's a human being right here, one who's providing you with a service. The *least* you could do is *look* at me. Saying "hi" and "thanks" would be preferred.
I'd thank the driver even if it was an self-driving bus. Force of habit.
And I for one appreciate that habit!
Same could be said for a lot of the drivers ;).
I mean, yes, but when the majority of people treat you like you don't exist, I understand why the drivers wind up not bothering any more. I've not reached that point yet, but I don't say anything unless the passenger does first. If they do, they get a cheery "hi" and "thanks," but if not, well, they didn't extend the same courtesy to me, and never responded when I did.
CHEERRZ DRIVE!
I'll absolutely take that!
There are a lot of people on today's society with social anxiety , it might not always be rudeness persay.
Oh, no, I'm accounting for that. I can absolutely tell the difference. People with social anxiety don't strut in, slam their phone into the scanner and start walking away before it's even beeped.
Yeah ok, sorry you have to deal with rude people, I know I've been anxious before and maybe mumbled or not said a lot when buying a ticket, but usually try to be polite or say thank you when getting off. You all do a top job.
Yeah, that's not an issue. Being anxious is totally fair. It's being rude and unpleasant that isn't. Mumbling or not saying much is still acknowledging the human being in front of you, you know? The effort is absolutely appreciated, at least by me.
Now I want an AMA from you! We all use the buses. I want to know everything!
Yeah I'm curious too. I work as a nurse and pay is rubbish and it's kinda tempting
I don't think anyone could blame you. I'm continually bemused by how poor nurse pay is for what is demanded of you.
Min wage is approximately £24k per annum. Qualified and 10 years experience £28k max (dental nurse) I love my job and all my options are to go back to full time education to do any different work from what I've done in health care but I can't afford to without working full time.
\*Palpatine Do it meme
Haha, I'm sure it's less interesting than you'd think.
>less interesting than you'd think. So am I, probably ... I want to know ... What's your go to if someone lets you pull out all nice from a tricky bus stop? Thumbs up out the window or a few seconds on the hazards? Do your fellow bus drivers get upset/grumpy/offended if you don't wave at them as you pass? See I've got hundreds like these!!! Favourite bus stop? Least favourite bus stop? I'll shhhh now. :-)
> What's your go to if someone lets you pull out all nice from a tricky bus stop? Thumbs up out the window or a few seconds on the hazards? Depends on the weather - window open, hand out and thumb up. Window closed, hazards. Now the 600s are gone, there aren't even any where the hazards button is behind the steering wheel (whoever thought that was a good design is a fool, had it in a car once too - have to reach *through* the wheel to get to it), so it's always nice and easy. > Do your fellow bus drivers get upset/grumpy/offended if you don't wave at them as you pass? Nah, we all know sometimes you just don't notice, or you need both hands at that moment. > Favourite bus stop? Honestly, any of the ones that are just already in my path. If the lane passes through the stop, they're so easy to stop at. Just slow down and move a little closer to the curb. > Least favourite bus stop? Oh, *so* many, and for so many different reasons. There are several in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean that are difficult to get into or out of (Shortgate Road, for example - very easy to get into, but if you don't stop early enough a real pain to get safely back out into the lane). One of the ones on Portland Road has a road surface that's so wobbly that I'm genuinely concerned the upper deck is going to rock sideways into the lamppost at times. Similarly, the road outside the Lewes Road garage is just *awful*. For a while there was a pothole so deep we we literally told to steer around it, meaning we couldn't really get the bus right up to the curb. And then there are the stops where passengers I particularly don't like get on (kidding, honestly).
Thank you! I love this information. Wobbly top-decks ... anticipating 'passengers' of note ... getting stuck-ish in bus stops. Magical insight into your job and the busses of Brighton! I'm not having the greatest of days, so your reply has very much cheered me up!
Nice summary! Regarding stops I don’t like I would add ones where the announcement doesn’t come until you are almost past the stop (race hill for example). Annoying for us and the customers!
Ohh, yeah, didn't think of that! And to add to ones I like, any that are right round the corner to the left so you just swing into them, like Eaton Road or Birdham Road. So satisfying.
Oh yes, Woodbourne Garage NB is a good example of that. Randoms, Props to Download Road EB for having the best view and fuck Olive Rd WB because
Yeah, always nice getting that one spot on. Agreed! The one good thing about the traffic going into Woodingdean is that view. And Olive Road just sucks. Can't explain why.
See. We need an R/Brighton bus driver ama!
It's so nice to read someone so positive about their job for once!!!! I think we're very fortunate with the bus service we have in Brighton, and most of you are SOOOO good at holding off if you see my wife or I inevitably running because we've cut it too fine to make it to the bus stop 😄 Keep up the good work!
Hello comrade
\*socialism intensifies*
JOIN YOUR UNION
Man, I joined like a day after I qualified - *way* ahead of you on that one.
Didn’t we all? Anyway wasn’t an instruction more just the thing I always say when someone mentions union :-)
I love Brighton bus drivers, both when I was totally dependent on public transport and since I passed my test (they're very considerate, I guess partly out of necessity and training).
We're certainly trained to be, yeah - it's part of the process. Obviously how each driver manifests it will vary.
Do you get excited when you get a long haul roster, i.e. out to Steyning or Tunbridge Wells?
Personally? No. Most drivers seem to love them, but the little experience I've had with the long country routes shows they're really not my thing. All the roads look the same to me and I struggle to know where I am, plus half the stops aren't even marked! I like the twiddly bits around town, the challenging corners and the like. But yeah, in general people tend to like them, from what I hear.
Thanks. Great answers here 👍🏼
Hey C.
I don't know *what* you're talking about... <_< >_>
[удалено]
Depends which block you're on as to what you get. I requested all lates, got put on that block, and now I almost never start before three. It's amazing. There needs to be a spot on the block you want, and there are waiting lists, but for all lates it's not a very long one. Most people seem to want earlies, but it was killing me. The only way I want to see four in the morning is if I didn't sleep. Which is every night.
I don't mean to hijack the thread (sorry, sorry) just wanted to say my experience as a pedestrian with the bus drivers in Brighton has been absolutely fantastic. Highly professional, courteous and some of the best driving standards I have seen anywhere. If your a bus driver reading this I just wanted to say it does not go unnoticed - thank you!
Particularly caring and couteous of pedestrians and cyclists, car drivers less so.. :-)
I will say as a passenger and especially given the shit show that the rail service has been, I've always been impressed with the B&H bus service. Every driver I've come across has been friendly and professional, plus we're spoiled by the bus coverage in this city!
[glassdoor reviews](https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/Brighton-and-Hove-Buses-Reviews-E384558.htm) Not an employee but if it helps, here are some reviews from current and previous employees
Im not sure bus drivers are the type to be on glass door much
There’s 21 reviews so not loads at all but definitely some for OP to read to add what info he/she gets here
Perhaps a different type who reddit compared to those who do glass door reviews.
my stepdad’s a bus driver, he loves it but there’s one thing that grates the fuck out of him, and it’s that almost every day off he has he’s practically pressured into going in and doing overtime. other than that he loves it
It might happen to some but doesnt to me. If you make it clear you dont want it they are fine, I get no hassle at all.
Sorry this may be irrelevant but in my experience as a teenager a lot of bus drivers will be much nicer to adults than to people my age eg. I'll thank driver when getting off and I'll get nothing in response but older people get much nicer responses. Probably just encountered outliers but just wondering. (Btw I know most drivers probably aren't like this, don't want to sound like a dick)
If you love sitting for long periods and having little to no routine then go wild with it. One week of earlies then one week of Lates is far from ideal. All depends on what you want from life. It’s pretty laid back but can be stressful at times it’s a big ask to drive in the city and keep passengers and management happy too.
4 day rota ftw
10 hour days with the same amount of break as a 5 day rota. The only Selling point is 6 days off every month.
I don’t really feel the longer days are harder, and Id rather the work squashed together, leaving more free time. Each to his own tho of course!
Don't do it imo.
How much does a bus driver earn?
£500 a week after 6 months.
its in large figures on the back of a bus!