Sunday 10 June 2012

Stuck ! Behind A Human Wall

Well, When i set out today i never expected to become stuck behind a human wall, After getting Optare M880 M.A.N Solo 47726 (YN10AGX) into town with massive cooling fan and then hanging around wacthing rail replacements until it was time to catch the 21 (Barnsley-Penistone-Cubley) up to Cubley and after some nice looking B10M Van Hools where seen from Goodyear & J&M Coaches, Barnsley it was reveled to me my 21 this week would be 36180 (YN60FKR) An ADL Dart SLF Enviro 200 vehicle, Most certainly not one of my favorit vehicles around an Enviro 200 but at least this is the best on the bacth at Barnsley. As we got closer to Penistone around Oxspring a group of childen boarded the service and had issues with there passes. After sorting this out we we're about 2 minutes down and when we got to the Top of Green Rd, Penistone there we're crowds at both sides of the road lining the pathments. The driver then annoced that he was confused and hadn't been informed of any disruptions after asking in the depot. As we got closer into Penistone Town Centre and its Church and Market Place where the bus
turns around and heads back towards Cubley the crowds lining the streets got bigger and bigger, This was because of the Majors Parade and unsure of what time it was to start the driver annoced he would try his best but wasn't sure about getting around due to double parking, Most certainly a problem for 21s before you slam an event into the mix. So he said he would try is best but he wasn't magic. So me and another passenger who normally uses the same board allong with another passenger hoped for the best. As the bus pulled off stand and turned the cornor to head towards Cubley there it was... An Wall of people blocking the road completely, So the driver slowed and then stopped but as we did and certain people started to shift the parade started and they all rushed back into the road, We we're going nowhere fast so the driver shut down 36180. 1 passenger left and walked to her destination however after asking the driver if we would get to Cubley, He said he would when he could so i stuck with 36180 and driver as did the other regular passenger. As the three photos above show we were stuck there the last of the three showing the crowd ahead of the bus.

After taking a few snaps of 36180 while i could and was up close i wacthed the parade standing with 36180. After a while a que formed behind the bus, With its hazards on, Mainly older drivers who dare not drive the wrong way down the one way system or dare not get past the rigid Scania truck delivering flowers furter down the road towards the Railway Station. One photo i took was of the townline branding above the windows. Intresting colour choice by Stagecoach but i think its something to do with the line colour on the route list/ network map. After a good 15/20 minutes the parade passed and we we're able to move again, So after talking to the driver and finding out he was going to try and go into the estate i managed to find the other regular passenger and she re-joined the service. As we pulled away i took a photo of the crowds on the roads and lining the kerbs, I was sat towards the back of the bus to Penistone but sat behind the driver when we left Penistone towards Cubley. As we went into the estate all went well until Chaplefield Dr. Where the parade was heading towards us. We we're forced to stop the parade and reverse back to turn around. The driver did this very well and credit to him he was an excerlant driver and delt with the situation very well, After leading the full parade with 36180 (Laughing) we then turned towards Cubley and went down the main road. The driver then said he didn't want to go any faster because it would affect his GreenRoad score, Fair play to him... GreenRoad went live at Barnsley on Wednesday. After arriving at Cubley Top i went for my Sunday dinner. Mmmmmm Dinner, Thanking the driver as i did he then headed back into Penistone and up towards Barnsley, Most likely missing a board on the 22 (Barnsley-Dodworth-Gilroyd). However these things happen and it made for a very intresting trip on the 21. Came home in the car as per normal on Sunday and Penistone was clear by 14:00. The bus been the 12:00 from Penistone to Cubley getting there about 12:28. The Driver was excerlant and did very well to aviod getting in more traffic or stuck again and certainly impressed he didn't quit at Penistone and go back to Barnsley missing Cubley. The Driver knows who he is and creadit to him indeed... Stagecoach should be thankfull to have such a driver, Thats me for now 1 sunday dinner and 4 and half hours after this all took place, I will update some Stagecoach changes tomorrow regarding olympic fleet etc, Thank You.

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