Sydney bus drivers are crazy

Posted on May 27, 2008
Filed Under Travel |

It is true. Sydney bus drivers are crazy. However, let me elaborate on the kind of crazy they are. The basic idea here is that most, if not all, of them probably believe that they are actually F1 drivers. I don’t know if this is some kind of mass delusion among this particular group of people or if they are just bored with their jobs and try to make it a bit more exciting clearly on the expense of the passengers.

What does this mean for you and me who may require to take a bus daily or just every now and then?

First of all, if you have requested that the bus stops to let you off at the next possible location, then don’t get up from your seat until the bus has come to a complete stop. If you do get up, then you will regret it. Why is this? Drivers seem to ignore the fact that they are driving a massive vehicle with a lot of inertia and that the passengers are not strapped on the seats securely with a seatbelt on. A bus driver will gladly continue to drive at full speed until he/she gets to within a couple of meters of the bus stop and then slam on the brakes. If you happen to be standing, you will go flying. I think Sydney commuters have figured this out long ago so nobody stands up until the bus has come to a complete stop. In North America it is usual for passengers to make their way towards the rear door a block before the bus stop is reached to make it easier and faster to exit the vehicle. Don’t try this in Sydney.

Once a bus has stopped and allowed passengers off and on, it is time to start moving again. If you are one of the people getting on, hold on because you are in for a surprise. Sydney bus drivers essentially ignore the well being of their passengers just as much when accelerating as decelerating. Drivers will simply step on the gas pedal with all their might rocketing the bus forward at speeds known previously only to NASCAR drivers. If you are not holding onto something solid expect to be thrown backwards thanks to a beautiful (but annoying) thing called inertia. I think the reason why bus drivers do this is not so much because they want to hurt passengers (obviously) but because of the other car drivers on the road. Basically, few drivers will give the right of way to a bus. As a result, the bus drivers have to muscle their way into traffic which often means that given the opportunity to merge, they have to do so swiftly or else they will be stuck at the bus stop for the rest of the day.

At any rate and whatever the reasons, if you are visiting or just moving to Sydney be advised that bus drivers can be rather crazy in their driving habits. Once you get used to their driving behavior, riding a Sydney bus can be fun.

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