[Anonymous]

[DavidGordon10]

To pre-empt the snooty comments that will come from those who pretend they don’t know what a bus is, it is a useful mode of transport, by road, taking a large number of passengers, often reaching places that are exactly where you want to go. It is cheap, free in the UK if you are of a certain age, and can be very convenient.

All that being said, I have used the Heathrow Central Bus Station twice in the last few months, and have been underwhelmed. On both occasions I was flying in from Copenhagen, and my next meeting was in West London, a few stops on a TFL bus route.

However, access is not easy. There is only one lift, a small one, from the underground pedestrian network (and no stairs that I could find). Completely inadequate: as I emerged from the lift last Friday, there was a long queue across the interior of the bus station, just waiting for space in the lift to get down to passageway level.

Secondly, the signage within the bus terminal building, to find the bus stop you want, is zero. Where did the 111 bus go from? You have to go outside and find a map showing the bus stops, or wander round until you find the right stop.

Compare that with the bus facilities at my home airport at CPH, or PRG, or TXL, or most capital city airports in Europe, and it is just pathetic.

[SergeantMajor]

I love buses.

So easy to find, with their orange lights blazing, and I find a modest tip for the driver and a knowing wink, and they’ll often convey you to within staggering distance of one’s London pad.

What is this “large number of passengers” you speak of? One of those Records Breakers stunts, was it?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/mini/9680859/One-Mini-28-people-and-a-new-Guinness-World-Record.html

[capetonianm]

I agree. I try to use public transport wherever possible. The Heathrow bus station is as described above. There are stairs/escalators but hard to find as not properly indicated and the queue for the single small lift is horrendous. Also it opens from both sides which, unbeknown to me, meant I got smacked in the face by some jet lagged drunken dickhead who accused me of jumping the queue. I had him hauled off by the police as there were several witnesses, and I had resisted the temptation to hammer him back.

The local buses (I usually take the 555) are a joke, Unreliable, dirty, and stop at every lamp-post on the route. True though, the drivers will stop at the end of my road.

[DavidGordon10]

Come now SM, a “large number of passengers” means more then 60, seated in comfort, if you are on an old long Routemaster (RML) or a new NB4L, vulgarly known as a “Boris Bus”. I understand that first class cabins on those modern aeroplane things have fewer passengers, is that correct?

Some of my local buses in Copenhagen are fitted with “love seats” but you older people will not understand that.

I forbore from commenting on the bus service itself, but Capetonian is spot on. Joking apart, large numbers of LHR ground staff, flight attendants, and others use the local bus service and they deserve better.

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

capetonianm,

I am looking for a bodyguard and I think you fit the bill.

[capetonianm]

I don’t think so! I’m not exactly a 6 foot muscle bound strong man. People have picked on me because I’m small and they think I can’t look after myself. Unfortunately for them, they’ve been proved wrong.

[Author]

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