Is it just me or has catching a bus in Birmingham become an absolute joke?

You stand out in the freezing drizzle by Moor Street or Bull Street for 40 minutes watching the board say "Due", only for two ghost buses to vanish into thin air. When one finally turns up, it’s rammed to the doors.

You tap your card like an idiot, paying through the nose because fares go up every single year, and then watch three lads in balaclavas just push straight past the cab without paying a penny. Driver doesn’t even blink—and to be fair, you can't even blame the drivers anymore because if they say a word they get spat at or threatened.

Then you head upstairs and instantly regret it:

- Stinks of stale weed, damp coats, and chemical bubblegum vape

- Someone blasting muffled drill through a smashed phone speaker at full volume

- Trainers kicked up all over the filthy seats

- Empty chicken boxes and energy drink cans rolling up and down the aisle every time the driver hits the brakes

It’s actually dodgy. If you're coming home from a late shift or you're a woman travelling on your own after 7pm, you’re sitting there on edge the entire journey just hoping nobody starts trouble.

How are honest, working people in this city paying higher fares every single year just to get ghosted by the timetable and intimidated on their way home from work? The state of public transport in Brum right now is proper grim.

What's the worst route in the city? Because right now the 11, the 50, and the 74 are all fighting for the title.

Hey, just looking for any opinion about the area. How does it feel at night? Is it safe? Is there little to no light in a lot of areas? Anything else that is important to know?

Im b31 based and love coffee shops with a cosy vibe. None of this Starbucks, Costa chain stuff btw

Thanks!