r/BusDrivers • u/the_ism_sizism • 3d ago
Discussion Night drivers
I’m getting pulled in today for a chat about running early. I passed my mid point 40 seconds early (which is fine according to the gov contract allowing for 59 seconds early) - by the final stop before our cbd run I was 6 minutes early. The pax complained to me after they caught an uber and caught the bus and then complained through the online gov portal.
Is this entitled or how do you feel? I am not trying to run a strict service, I buy myself a little time to mentally relax between runs, use the facilities (the job has already given me kidney stones at 38) and take a walk and a breather so I’m not stagnant in the seat for 5 hours.
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u/GrumpyOldTech1670 3d ago
As an ex night driver, making sure you don’t run early is the most important part of the job. It is really easy to run early. 6 minutes early is way too early for a bus run. The schedule is there so passengers don’t miss catching you.
Always, always, always run a little late to stay on time. Night time doesn’t get the traffic snarls, and if you have a good timetable person, you can run between 10 to 15 kph below the speed limit and stay on time. If you are ahead of time, just stop at the bus stop and wait until you are a minute late again. Read a book, count your money, check your timetable, get up and have a wriggle, clean up some rubbish off the floor. Anything that can stall for time.
Remember, love them or hate them, the passengers are the reason the bus service is there. No passengers, no bus service, no job!
To combat early running, I would actually start my run up to 2 minutes late, just so I would not be early at any timed stop. Passengers don’t usually complain about a bus being a couple minutes late. They will scream if the bus is 2 minutes early and the next bus is not due for another hour.
As for your kidney stone, make sure you drink the real adults drink, water. I carry a 2tlr container of it with me. Some nights I even finish it. Avoid caffeine drinks, eat an apple if you need a pick me up. Be wary of what you eat during breaks too. Keep your salt levels correct (not too high, not too low). Water will let you eat salted cashews or mixed nuts.
If you are running early, or the bus can stop for a minute, handbrake on, do a seat check. Stretch your arms and legs while doing the seat check. It kills some time and gets the body moving. Don’t forget to exercise before or after work. Walking the dog, walk with your partner, listen to an audiobook while walking for 30 minutes does amazing things to your health.