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Bus Notes from the Middle East

2nd June 1944, Page 24
2nd June 1944
Page 24
Page 25
Page 24, 2nd June 1944 — Bus Notes from the Middle East
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A Staff Man, Now an Instructor at a Mechanics' School, Offers a Few Overseas Impressions

ONE of the erstwhile members of our 1,.../staff, who is now an instructor at a mechanics' school in the M.E.F., has sent us an interesting letter concerning life in the Middle East.

Previous to being given his present appointment, he was for over two years in Cairo, which, he says, is admittedly the right place for a good time, but to him it brought little else than hard work, bad health, worry and sky-high prices.

He makes some references to the transport of the Egyptian General Omnibus Company of that city, which operates a fleet of Thornycrofts. They are run on a mixture of petrol, paraffin and " numerous _other concoctions," which, he says, give the exhaust a note like that . of a Flying Fortress. Most of the fleet is comprised of models dating from 1932 to 1934. They are 24-seaters, which generally carry 40, including those standing on the bumper' at the back! Only about 70 out of the original ISO are now operating, but this is not surprising in view of the service conditions and the age of the vehicles. He refers also to a Krupp bus belonging to the National Bus Company, this vehicle having a horizontally opposed, four-cylindered oil engine. '

In Palestine, the public transport is a great deal better, most of the vehicles being American makes of much later vintage. The Tel-Aviv City Bus Company possesses a Leyland Titan TD4, painted silver, which be describes as looking very stately beside its American rivals, With his letter was enclosed a cutting from " The Palestine Post," containing a somewhat caustic article concerning bus drivers in that land of promise.

The author classifies them in the following way :—There is the conversational driver, who will not be deterred by distance from capping whatever the bearded man on the back bench. has to say, and often he will emphasize a neat point by relinquishing the wheel tc 'brandish his hands—but that is all part of the innocent amusement of bus travel.

Then there is the confidential

chatterbox, the driver who carries on in a low voice an often tender discourse with the pretty girl leaning forward from the seat behind him.

The disobliging driver is in a class apart. He snatches yOur proffered coins, rips off a ticket, or .viciously punches a hole iu your multiple-trip pasteboard, as though your presence was an intolerable nuisance. He sneers at those who, at the sight of his forbidding demeanour, drop odd coins into inaccessible grooves in the floor, thus holding up the people behind them. Public service with a smile finds no disciple in him.

Another type is the bell-resenting driver. His idea is to pick up his load of passengers at one terminus and deppsit the entire cargo at the other, irrespective of those who wish to alight at legitimate intermediate halts, others who call upon the vehicle to stop, or those imbeciles who lose their hats out of the open windows.

More engaging is the. helpful man who is specially attentive to the pretty h,pusewife returning from shopping laden with her. spoils. He may even get off his seat and offer to carry the numerous bags to her home. To display impatience with him is to cOurt instant displeasure, which may take several forms, but, most Linoying of these is his sudden deafness when you ring at your oWn stop.

Another type is the indifferent driver who allows anyone and anything tobe brought on in unrestricted numbers and volume. There may be crates of chickens and Great Danes, although, as the writer testifies by personal , observation, eVen he has objected to donkeys and goats. Other types are described,but these, we think, will suffice.

We may not have quite such an assortment at the 'wheel of buses in Britaih, but then they do not have the same opportunities, particularly as regards chatting, but from what we see in the course of our daily journeys, quite an interesting list could be compiled from. them and the conductors, both male and female. However; we will leave to another time references to these.

Tags

Organisations: Mechanics' School
Locations: Cairo

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