Public Transport : Dangers or Delights?

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But first ...

Moving In ...

Following a pleasant night in the B&B, and after enjoying a delightful view of the ever changing red and blue of the Summer illuminations (!) ...

... the fbbs have duly settled into their new abode.

The word "settled" is possibly inaccurate; "arrived" might be better; because, although the fbb goods and chattels were expertly delivered and unloaded by Lacey's of Bembridge, the old codgers are left with several months of  unpacking and sorting. But they have, at least, "arrived".

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So, back to the vicissitudes of travel by public transport! A selection of recent news items that deserve a wider audience has been received in the Public Transport Experience blog office.

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exploding train ticket machines!

Warnung vor Explosionen an Fahrkartenautomaten
Die Bundespolizei und das hessische Landeskriminalamt haben vor Explosionen an Fahrkartenautomaten der Deutschen Bahn gewarnt. Unbekannte Täter hätten in den vergangenen Monaten mehrfach Automaten abgedichtet, mit Gas gefüllt und zur Explosion gebracht, hieß es am Mittwoch in einer Mitteilung. Die Bahn bestätigte die Vorfälle und verstärkte ihre Sicherheitsvorkehrungen. 

Police in Germany are urging train passengers to be wary of ticket machines that they say could explode after being tampered with by thieves. Criminals in the central state of Hesse have discovered a way of breaking into the machines and stealing cash. They tape over openings, fill them with gas, and trigger an explosion.

Police investigations

But some of their attempts have failed, leaving gas inside the machines. The authorities warn that passengers could be at risk. A police spokesman said 10 ticket machines had been blown open and cash and blank tickets stolen. But the attempts at robbery have failed in at least six cases.

On Tuesday, a station platform in Karben, near Frankfurt, had to be evacuated and bomb experts called in when a taped-up ticket dispenser was discovered, along with a smell of gas. 

The police are asking passengers to be careful and to call them if they see any suspicious signs. Train operator Deutsche Bahn has confirmed the incidents and strengthened security measures. In a statement, it said a criminal group appeared to be operating. They said the perpetrators had only succeeded in stealing small sums because the machines were emptied frequently. 

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axe attack on a First bus!

Yesterday morning a First South Yorkshire vehicle, Volvo B10BLE, fleet number 60695, registration T877 ODT, ...

... was severely vandalised whilst operating on service 56 - Sheffield to Wybourn.

The incident took place on Manor Oaks Road ...

... at 0730 when a male brandishing an axe smashed the off-side rear window and rear screen; this was after he had vandalised several cars in the same location. There was no obvious motive for these attacks.

Thankfully none of the 8 passengers on board  sustained any injuries. Police were called to the scene straight away and caught the culprit. Driver Gary Barton (also unharmed) has been helping South Yorkshire Police with his account of this terrifying incident.

Thankfully, for most of us, bus and train travel are both exceedingly safe. Despite misplaced fears, we are significantly less likely to be injured on a bus or a train than in our own home.

Hmmm? Does that man that the fbbs should be living in a bus?

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Something much more positive.

Britain's Oldest Bus Passenger?

Bus operator, First Scotland East, has paid tribute to its oldest passenger, 100 year old Agnes Willens, from North Berwick, East Lothian. Agnes, who turned 100 on April 21, is a regular on route X24 travelling from outside her house in North Berwick to the town centre.

First Scotland East bus driver, John Lyall, who is also the company's employee director, said, "Agnes has been catching the X24 Service for as long as anyone can remember. She is definitely our oldest customer, and probably the most popular! We can't find any evidence of there being an older regular customer in the UK. She is a real inspiration."

John, who presented Agnes with a bouquet of flowers, added: "She's very popular amongst our drivers, and we're always keen to give her a helping hand if needs be, but she is extremely independent. Agnes is very much an admired local character and extremely spritely for a centurion!?

fbb comment : is this a joke or does "John" really not know the difference between a centurion (male) ...

... and a centenarian (in this case, female). A joke, surely? Or a misprunt?

Agnes said: "I enjoy my trips in the bus. I'm very well looked after. As long as I'm still fit enough I'll keep using the bus."

 Next Bus Blog : Sunday 2nd June