07-13-2009, 09:56 PM
1. During the war many buses were melted down and made into tin helmets for our brave soldiers out fighting the hun. After the war these hats were melted down and made back into buses.
2. A scheme was once piloted in which animals were charged the full adult fare. This was soon dropped when it was realised that they wouldn't be able to reach the money slot.
3. If all the buses in Britain were placed end to end there probably wouldn't be enough to reach from Land's End to John O'Groats.
4. Daring stuntman Eddie Kidd once jumped 87 double decker buses on a motor cycle. As yet no bus driver has jumped over a comparable number of motorcycles.
5. If all the buses in Britain were placed on top of each other they'd probably topple over and kill someone.
6. Double decker buses were so named because the resemble "Double Deckers" - the famous Cadbury's chocolate bar.
7. Popular kiddies TV favourite " The Double Deckers" was named thus because it was actually filmed on a double decker - that's the bus and not the chocolate bar.
8. "Milky Way" bars were not named such because they resembled the famous star system but because they contained milk.
9. Some buses are powered by electricity, run on rails and have 1st and 2nd class seats. This variety of bus is sometimes also called a train.
10. The first open top bus was invented by bus driver Derek Tipper when he accidently drove under a ow bridge. His excitement at his discovery wasmarred only by the serious injuries of the 18 people sitting upstairs.
11. Fare dodging is a frequently performed crime in Britain and constitutes a major headache for bus companies. Mr Cyril Cooper of Sheffield claims to have NEVER paid for a bus journey. Then again, he's never been on a bus.
12. In the old days buses used to travel with a conductor on board. However since most people on buses cannot play a musical instrument anyway this idea was soon dropped.
13. Up until 1956 buses never used to stop at all en route. Passengers simply had to jump out whilst it was moving. In 1956 Edward Busstop had the bright idea of placing large poles at periodic intervals along the roadside. The idea was that when passengers wanted to get off, the bus would simply stop alongside one of the poles. To this day they still bear the inventors name.
14. The longest ever serving bus driver was Percival Morris of Brighton. He became a bus driver at the tender age of seven and carried on until he was 96. Mr Morris always said he wanted to die "on the job" - which involved him being on a bus. So, when he was on his deathbed doctors placed him in the drivers sea of his old trusty bus and sure enough the next mourning they found him slumped over his wheel. His ashes were also scattered on his old bus route.
15. During the war even bus journeys were rationed. If your ration ran out whilst you were travelling you simply had to get off.
16. Bus drivers weren't always the grumpy bad tempered lot they are today. In the old days would shake each passenger by the hand and there was always a sweet for their children.
17. Many famous people have started out as bus drivers. Roly poly comedian Les Dawson drove buses for 12 years after the wart. Eventually, however, he became too fat to sit in the drivers cab and had to find another job. Hey presto a star was born.
2. A scheme was once piloted in which animals were charged the full adult fare. This was soon dropped when it was realised that they wouldn't be able to reach the money slot.
3. If all the buses in Britain were placed end to end there probably wouldn't be enough to reach from Land's End to John O'Groats.
4. Daring stuntman Eddie Kidd once jumped 87 double decker buses on a motor cycle. As yet no bus driver has jumped over a comparable number of motorcycles.
5. If all the buses in Britain were placed on top of each other they'd probably topple over and kill someone.
6. Double decker buses were so named because the resemble "Double Deckers" - the famous Cadbury's chocolate bar.
7. Popular kiddies TV favourite " The Double Deckers" was named thus because it was actually filmed on a double decker - that's the bus and not the chocolate bar.
8. "Milky Way" bars were not named such because they resembled the famous star system but because they contained milk.
9. Some buses are powered by electricity, run on rails and have 1st and 2nd class seats. This variety of bus is sometimes also called a train.
10. The first open top bus was invented by bus driver Derek Tipper when he accidently drove under a ow bridge. His excitement at his discovery wasmarred only by the serious injuries of the 18 people sitting upstairs.
11. Fare dodging is a frequently performed crime in Britain and constitutes a major headache for bus companies. Mr Cyril Cooper of Sheffield claims to have NEVER paid for a bus journey. Then again, he's never been on a bus.
12. In the old days buses used to travel with a conductor on board. However since most people on buses cannot play a musical instrument anyway this idea was soon dropped.
13. Up until 1956 buses never used to stop at all en route. Passengers simply had to jump out whilst it was moving. In 1956 Edward Busstop had the bright idea of placing large poles at periodic intervals along the roadside. The idea was that when passengers wanted to get off, the bus would simply stop alongside one of the poles. To this day they still bear the inventors name.
14. The longest ever serving bus driver was Percival Morris of Brighton. He became a bus driver at the tender age of seven and carried on until he was 96. Mr Morris always said he wanted to die "on the job" - which involved him being on a bus. So, when he was on his deathbed doctors placed him in the drivers sea of his old trusty bus and sure enough the next mourning they found him slumped over his wheel. His ashes were also scattered on his old bus route.
15. During the war even bus journeys were rationed. If your ration ran out whilst you were travelling you simply had to get off.
16. Bus drivers weren't always the grumpy bad tempered lot they are today. In the old days would shake each passenger by the hand and there was always a sweet for their children.
17. Many famous people have started out as bus drivers. Roly poly comedian Les Dawson drove buses for 12 years after the wart. Eventually, however, he became too fat to sit in the drivers cab and had to find another job. Hey presto a star was born.