The Coffin Bus

at

Bus1

‘sup?

This morning

Jimmy the Head writes:

Photo taken at about 7.45am. Dublin Bus from North Dublin to the city centre. Same story every morning, get to bus stop early and there’s already a dozen people there. Bus shows up full, wait half an hour for next bus. Late for work. Oh well, get up earlier tomorrow. Earlier bus is full, late for work again. Shouldn’t take two hours to travel seven kilometers, Google maps says it should take 17 mins in a car. There’s a bus stop right next to my house I can never use because the traffic is so congested on that route it takes over two hours just to reach Busárus.
If I can figure out we need an extra bus for the morning rush then how come Dublin Bus cant get around to it? Been this way for years now. My guess is lack of funding but the driver claims theyre already overstretched and most drivers do more hours than the union allows.
Will be cycling come February….

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88 thoughts on “The Coffin Bus

  1. Paolo

    How would an extra bus help? It would just add to the congestion. Ride a bike or walk, it’s only 7 km!

    1. SOMK

      Ever filled a jug of water rather than a glass?

      If so then congratulations you already conceptually understand the logistical efficiency in higher density transport and so probably somewhere deep down realise how silly you are in thinking more buses would add to congestion.

    2. munkifisht

      How would it add to the congestion? You understand how public transport works don’t you? A bus takes around 80 people. That may be 80 people who won’t be driving if they can get into work by bus. That’s potentially 80 cars off the road.

        1. munkifisht

          Pretty naive if you think there’s no interaction between buses and cars. Buses regularly need to pull into the outer lane to get around parked cars, other buses etc while cars pull into the bus lane temporarily to get around cars turning right. Less traffic = better public transport system

        1. jeremy kyle

          Shur why do we even haven buses?

          They should all be replaced with enormous tandem bikes.

          And when the bikes overrun the streets, we’ll just replace them with roller blades.

    1. Spaghetti Hoop

      Absurd, idiotic response.
      Plenty of bus routes in Dublin are un-resourced and are not meeting demand. Not EVERYONE can or want to cycle….for a number of reasons. Perhaps there is some manner of a “schedule planning officer” in Dublin Bus that can assess the peak-hour demands and supply?

      1. Sidewinder

        You don’t know how lucky you are with Dublin bus tbh, I know this is bad but my local bus route has had much worse problems for much longer.

      2. madouveh on the dole

        oh look, it’s whingers anonymous’ lunchtime circle jerk of bawwww.

        No body cares about you having to have a shi*e experience on Dublin bus. it’s part of living here. work harder and get a car or else just walk.

        Whinging on social media about having to wait for your bus, morto for ya.

        1. Nigel

          Oh look it’s whinging about whinger’s anonymous’ lonely-because-no-one-will-join-them-in-a-circle self-jerk of biiiiiiiiile.

  2. Healy Rae's love child.

    FG and Lab. have been cutting the subvention to Dublin Bus. The subvention was already ridiculously low by EU standards. No proper subvention, fewer buses.

  3. Joe835

    Same craic with Bus Éireann’s joke service from Ashbourne, almost €10 for a return journey ticket (20km from O’Connell St) that can’t be used on any Dublin Bus service. And the buses are often packed, late and non-existent. Started driving in last April and haven’t once regretted it.

    1. Lorcan Nagle

      I used to live in Ashbourne and work in Swords. It took me nearly two hours to get in in the morning – bus to Glasnevin and another back out.

  4. Formerly known as @ireland.com

    Cycling is definitely the best option. You will get fitter, will be in control of your journey times, know when you will arrive. Get good commuter tyres, like Schwable Marathons, good rain gear, good lights.

        1. andyourpointiswhatexactly

          They certainly can. But I’d be far too nervous to risk it. People are bozos: see my “I got knocked down” post below.

          1. Bejayziz

            Sorry to hear that, I know all too well the dangers and can see why many people are turned off cycling in the city, Buses are by far the worse culprits too!

        2. James M.Chimney

          How else do you think they’d get to the tobacconist or the off-licence? Rollerblade? Pogostick?

    1. Gdo

      The Marathon + are super reliable but Specialized Armadillos are good if you want a bit more performance without scraficing too much reliability. Or the Continental gatorskins, which I use.

    2. andyourpointiswhatexactly

      Then get knocked off your bike and quite badly injured. LIKE I DID.
      Cycling is brilliant until some dope who’s totally in the wrong knocks you down. Then you have to park your bike to work scheme bike as you’re too nervous to cycle anymore and have to get the smelly crappy full-of-other-people bus again.

      1. JimmytheHead

        Ah dude, sorry to hear that. Had a nasty accident last year that put me off cycling for ages. Garda called and all. Just get back on the horse! Buy yourself some kevlar gloves and punch the wing mirrors off of any vehicles that dare cross your path :-) Currently im nervous about moron drivers in the rain and frost so holding off til the weathers a little better

      2. Bertie Blenkinsop

        Yep, that’s my problem with cycling….

        even if you’re in the right it’s not much good if you get a smack of a car.

        Sorry to hear about your accident, I hope you get the confidence back to start again.

  5. Mikeyfex

    The famous Helen is on this thread somewhere. Can YOU spot him/her?

    Note: Not advocating a witch hunt, I quite enjoyed what she brought. Just bragging about my detective abilities.

    1. Spaghetti Hoop

      Really? I’m intrigued. Helen normally disregards punctuation and sometimes capitalisation too.

  6. Paul

    In fairness cycling isn’t for everyone, but I wouldn’t go back to the bus for anything. It’s free exercise, and you know when you’ll arrive.

    If the buses/cars was used only by those who needed them the roads would surely improve.

    For those worried about the danger, I am a relatively quick cyclist and have had 4 minor offs in 8 years cycling 6K in all weather. (1 car pulled out into me, 1 pedestrian stepped in front of me, 1 cyclist pulled out without looking, and 1 spectacular chain-snap on Portobello bridge, in case you’re curious.;)

    1. The Old Boy

      Ah, the old chain snap. It always makes me wonder what class of death wish fixie users have, or at least those who refuse to fit a front brake.

  7. Wait For It

    How do they get away with regularly raising fares so much with absolutely no improvement in the service provided?

    1. Unpredictor

      One word: monopoly

      They are are too busy playing the board game to have to care about the, you know, paying customers ‘n’ all.

  8. Disasta

    Cant stand cycling either. Did it for years. Got knocked off twice in Dublin and luckily got away with both.
    Car drivers who can’t drive, trucks and buses in cycle lanes, cars parked in cycle lanes.

    Took to riding a motorbike, after a few years got t-boned. Didnt walk away from that one as easily.

    Now in a car (motorbike robbed) adding to traffic cause other people are too selfish/incompetent/otherwise occupied to drive safely.

    I will never step on public transport here. I’d go back to cycling 20km each way before doing that.

    1. smoothlikemurphys

      “I will never step on public transport here”

      Because you’re having such good luck using the alternatives? :)

  9. philip

    Dont understand why they cant have more buses from 7am-9:30am and 4:30pm-6pm. And a skeleton service (1 bus an hour) from 9:30- 4:30 and 6pm -11pm.

    Was going into town last week around 12 noon an there had to be no more than 5 people on the a double decker.

      1. Unpredictor

        Union rules wouldn’t count for toffee if there was competition on the route. Unions know that and hence their big red line is route competition.

        Your other option to get a seat that doesn’t involve pretending to be pregnant: move out to the beginning of the route.

    1. ElZilcho

      OR, why won’t the Government ensure that public transport subventions are increased to reach or get nearer EU norms? That way, more buses could be put on at peak times, and people with reason to travel at non-peak times needn’t be penalised.

  10. Joxer

    been cycling to work for the past 3 years and barring Snowfall/heavy frost/client meetings have done it everyday. To be fair though its 15km each way most of which is done on Grand canal (Adamstown to Baggot street bridge) and only enter traffic system at Drimnagh Luas stop. had to use the bus the odd day here and there cause i was dickied up in whistle meeting clients and the bus had moved circa 3km in the time it takes me to get to office. factor in that the bus would be heaving with hacking,coughing,sniffling and generally unhygenic germ carriers and the bike looks more and more attractive

    good luck with the cycle Jimmythehead!

    1. JimmytheHead

      cheers big Jox! Yea Im all set for the frost to F off, still a bit cagey about my route but thinking a slightly longer alternative to the malahide road/amien st might be the answer. Then you get used to it and a meeting pops up and youre like “sher i’ll leave early and get the bus in me new pants” then BAM half an hour late

      1. scottser

        malahide road is a bit of a pain from marino to artane as it’s uphill most of the way. still, great in the mornings tho -you’ll fly in.

    2. Soundings

      Fair dues to you Joxer if you can do 15km in cold weather (when you’ll have a few layers on) and arrive at work without leaving a pool of sweat around you and not have your hair looking like Edward Scissorhands (after helmet and exertion and on, occasion, rain).

  11. MarcoPolo

    7kms is a 15-20min cycle for the average person. Makes no sense to put yourself through that bus waiting craziness, standing around in whatever weather. For the elderly, do people not still offer up there seats? Sorry if this sounds like generalising, but an elderly person getting a packed bus of a morning can’t be a frequent daily trip for them, being a pensioner and all?

    1. andyourpointiswhatexactly

      I’ve been on a bus on crutches and people wouldn’t give up their seats (and I’m talking about people sitting at those “give up your seats for the elderly/disabled” ones). People whip out their phones/eReaders, keep their eyes down and don’t offer. Tis the modern way, mostly.
      Sigh. When I were young, up we’d hop. Always. Youf these days etc etc grumble grumble.

          1. andyourpointiswhatexactly

            I DID waggle me crutches. Thing is, the bus was crazy busy so it was hard to be seen.
            I didn’t try groaning, though. I must mash my foot again and see if that works.

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