London United route 391: Richmond, Bus Station - Fulham, Sands End
Hammersmith Upper Bus Station (F)
Why was seeing
three 27s entering Chiswick Business Park later deemed controversial? Well, I think it was SP162 (YP59 OEX) leading
ADH48 (YX62 FTP) and
ADH50 (YX62 FUT) into Chiswick Business Park. After taking photos of all three (SP162 less successfully, hence not uploaded, because whilst the ADHs drove over the hump in the middle of the roundabout, SP162 unexpectedly went around and my positioning was too close to get the full bus in), I ran out of the Business Park to get to Chiswick Road (S) for ADH40 (YX62 FOA). To spare me wasting energy by running like Usain Bolt, the driver stopped his bus just after exiting Chiswick Business Park for the Chiswick High Road, way before the bus stop. Nice of him.
Aaaannnywaaay, I took it to Hammersmith Upper Bus Station, took some photos there, then saw SP162 pull up, with ADH48 approaching. I wanted to catch the hybrid, but the driver pointed at SP162 ahead, telling me to catch that while she overtook. So I did this. Then, the two 27s started playing cops and robbers down Kensington, SP162 ahead at Notting Hill Gate Station.
The driver of SP162 then said through the mic, 'The 27 is on diversion. Going right down Bayswater Road, Lancaster Gate, Sussex Gardens, and then Marylebone.' I was like, 'Oh cool, diversions are quite an experience.' But then he closed the doors, drove onto the right lane of the one-way road, then said, 'If you want to go to Paddington, catch the 27 behind.' Say whaaaa'? A few passengers wanted to get off, but it was now unsafe cos they would be let out straight onto the road.
At Marylebone, I asked the driver why the bus was on diversion, and he ignored by asking me a question. Man like me demands an answer from a question, not a question from a question. So man like me left the driver without an answer, the same way he didn't answer me, and walked off to see if indeed ADH48 and all other 27s were on diversion. And indeed they were not.
So instead of saying something like, 'This bus is on diversion due to operational reasons', you had to try be clever - why? Were you on a late schedule? Way behind schedule, even, to take such a detour? This assumption makes perfect sense, thus explaining three buses on a seven minute frequency route coming into Chiswick Business Park all at once.
By the way, SP148 (YP59 OEG) above - odd-working?
©London Bus Breh 2013.
