Winter on the Buses.

[Brambles]

I'm a die hard public transport user, have to be, can't drive So what with everyone talking about their car preps, meybe those of us who don't drive could offer some advice to each other.

Now winter is upon us, I thought I would share what I do.
Firstly, wherever I go, I now wear totally naff but winter proof boots. They are warm, waterproof and good on slippery paths. I carry my posh work shoes in my bag.
I always have a £20 note stashed for emergency taxis.
I have a simple first aid kit, woolly hat, thin gloves, decent extra large mylar blanket, bottle of water, some snacky stuff and a couple of packs of disposable handwarmers.
I've also got a wee power bank to keep the phone charged if need be.
if it's really bad and I am working, then I'll put my office gear in the bag and dress according to the weather.

I'm considering adding an escape tool but I'm not sure which one to get.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Most trains now have laminated glass that you wont get through with a glass breaker (apart from those marked with escape and a hammer above)

on a bus i think most windows are still toughened (except the windscreen which is laminated)

usually the windows have a makers mark and "laminated" or toughened etched in there too so you can see whats what on your regular transport

http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/l ... oCa4_w_wcB

[Brambles]

Thanks for that. I didn't know trains now had laminated windows. Will check out the buses.

Not that I think I'll ever need this tool, in 40+years of public transport use I've never been invloved in an incident.

[diamond lil]

Good post I don't drive either - at least not a car, only a m/c, and my days of swanning around in snow on a 250 Yamaha are well and truly over thankugod! Sometimes you read about really long waits and hold ups on public transport and it's very important to be prepared. Warm dry feet, warm dry head, emergency money and plenty of change. I was going to say chocolate or a mars bar - but there's no chance in hell of that lasting longer than an hour in my bag..

[Jamesey1981]

Most of the buses I've seen had toughened glass, and those that had some laminated glass still had some windows marked as an emergency exit with toughened glass and an escape hammer, drivers will check that it's there at the beginning of the day as you get into trouble with the VOSA inspectors if it isn't, (they're not VOSA any more, can't remember the new name of them, not a bus driver any more) but obviously someone could have pinched it that day before you got on.

On all of our buses the kite mark and whether it was toughened or laminated glass was circled in wax pencil, the marks have to be present and it made it easier for the drivers to see them as part of our daily checks and also for the MOT testers so it's worth a glance to see if your local bus company does the same, if they do then it'll make it nice and easy to check what kind of window you're next to.

Most bus windows are only held in by the rubber surround, buses flex a lot, that's why they're so noisy, and the windows aren't held in especially tight, if they were put in more securely they'd shatter as the body flexes.
The reason I mention it is that if you got into real trouble you could kick a window out, there was a video going around in the news a while back, there was a fight on the top deck of a bus in London and a guy got shoved through the window, it came out in one piece then he fell out after it.
You could also cut through the rubber and get out that way if you had a knife and time to do so.

[Brambles]

All good info, thanks Jamesy.

[Brambles]

Good post I don't drive either - at least not a car, only a m/c, and my days of swanning around in snow on a 250 Yamaha are well and truly over thankugod! Sometimes you read about really long waits and hold ups on public transport and it's very important to be prepared. Warm dry feet, warm dry head, emergency money and plenty of change. I was going to say chocolate or a mars bar - but there's no chance in hell of that lasting longer than an hour in my bag..

LOL, my last transport of choice was an XJ650 And no, I don't have chocolate either, for the same reason. I have to replace the damn cereal bars weekly as it is!

[Jamesey1981]

Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention about buses, the main doors are powered by compressed air rather than being electric and will either have buttons to open and close them which will still work with the engine off or they'll have a valve to dump the pressure so you can just pull them open so don't totally discount using the main doors as an exit if it would be faster.

Our Wright Geminis and Scania Omnidekkas both had buttons, they're very common models of low floor double decker bus, same with the Dennis Tridents that are a bit older but there's still loads around, the only ones we had with the valves were Mercedes Citaros so that will be a lot less common.

[Deeps]

As another non driving, public transport using Prol I don't have anything specific for mixing with my fellow oiks. I should maybe take some more antiseptic wipes in case I get infected with 'working class' but I'll either have my GHB or pockets full of 'stuff' depending on how far I'm going but I suppose that's the same anyway.

[pseudonym]

I'd carry a small zip lock bag of grit/salt.

The bus stops are never gritted around my way, and those that are enclosed miss out if they do.