An Exceptional Bus Ride.
Page 17
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A Record of and a Protest Against a Case of Reckless Driving.
We do not wish to allow any reader to think that the following communication is typical of experiences which -befall passengers in London motorbuses. We know that it concerns one of the exceptions, but we think that it calls for some notice. Its style appeals to US as proof of correctness, and we know that the gentleman who, unasked, sent it to us is independent and disintereSted. He is a well-known and experienced motorist, and he writes, under date the 26th November :--- " A. year or so ago I wrote you a letter—[We passed thi.s to the National Steam -Bus Co., Ltd. •-.En.]--describing an adventurous trip which I had undertaken in a steam bus, and also complaining about the reckless way in which these same buses were driven between Wimbledon and New Malden. This letter you sent to one of the directors, and later you forwarded me the reply you had received, in which all my statements were controverted in true official style. But I have remarked that, though I have frequently traversed the came road since then, I have not noticed any recurrence of the habitual recklessness of which 1 had complained.
"iii the hope that this was more than a coincidence, I write to you again to describe a trip from Hampstead Road to South Kensington. Yesterday (Tuesday), the 25th November, at about 8.30 p.m., I stood outside Maple's waiting for any of the five buses which would take me home, The first one that offered was a steamer, which I entered and took the seat just behind the driver, whence everything can be seen.So far HS Portland Road Station the journey was uneventful, brit just as we were passing the Bakerioo station the conductor opened the little window over the fare board .ind called to the driver that a No. 65 ' was behind. Then the fun began.
" I remember that when I wrote to you before the management indignantly replied that their drivers were very skilful. This I had never denied, and on the present occasion it is the driver's skill which I desire to emphasize. There seemed to be no trick of obstruction with which he was not acquainted, and which he did not brilliantly execute. When any passenger wished to get on or off he not only stopped as far out from the pavement as he reasonably could, but he also Mewed the bus round diagonally so that it was almost impossible for any overtaking rival to pass. "After the stop for Baker Street Station, we whisked round the corner into York Place, and for a moment I thought that we were going to run into a bus that, Was standing there. There was no room to stop,. brit the driver turned . the front. wheels, at, the last moment and came to a standstill slightly overlapping the bus in front. On this. occasion, I thought that this was. due to an error of judgment, but later on I found that it was the driver's normal method. The obvious advantage to the bus is that it can get off whenever it is ready, without waiting for the vehicle in front, but the disadvantage to the general traffic, from the obstruction thus caused, is so great that 1 really think the police ought to have their attention called to it.
" Baker Street was clear, and we made. good time to the end of Orchard Street, where we made a momentary pause before plunging into Oxford Street. We made a rather long halt at Marble Arch, but the sight of a No. 30 sent us off again, and, as it hung on to us all the way to Piccadilly, we did not attempt to stop at SL George's Hospital. But an inconsiderate inside passenger wanted to get out there, so the conductor had to ring his bell. The driver pulled in abruptly across the bows of a No. 33, which had great difficulty in avoiding a collision. Another bus also had to stop abruptly, but, as it was one of those which disappear down Sloane Street and are of no Use to me, I did notin a sense—mind what happened to it. A short stop at Sloane Street, and then we rushed along Brompton Road. A No. 5 and No. 14 were in front to spur us on, but it was impossible to overtake them at Harrod's on account of the tunnel hoarding. As soon as this was passed, we put on a spurt, but at this critical moment. the No. 5 checked and the No. 14 had to pull out. We pulled out further still, but found that the wretched road authority had most. inconsiderately placed a refuge at that spot. The brakes were in good order, and we just missed bagging a lamp-post.
" The No. 5 did not give much trouble, but the No. 14 was made of sterner stuff, and tried to steal a march on us by not stopping at the Bell and Horns. So we dashed past, too, and a. splendid race ensued along Thurloe Square. Just before crossing Exhibition Road, we might have got past if a bus had not been coming the other way, and that proved to be the last chance, for, I was interested to note, there was a limit to our driver's daring, and even he would not attempt to overtake another bus on the sharp curve in Thurloe Place.
" We pulled up at South Kensington, diagonally again, and I alighted and consulted my watch. The time was 8.50. I then retired. within a doorway and waited for the No. 65. It came along in 1 min, 45 secs. As it must have taken me quite 15 sees, to alight and get out my watch, we must have gained quite 2 mins. "It was a most interesting trip, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The driver was really skilful, the springing of the bus most delightful, the smooth running and power of acceleration very marked, while the maximum speed, to say the least., was fully up to the statutory 12 m.p.h." . . " QUEEN'S GATE."