176 no longer going to Oxford Circus

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

For anyone else slightly confused, St Giles is behind Centrepoint which is a pretty big landmark.

[Dez]

Bring back the Routemaster

[elizlondon]

The way I tend to favour to get into the West End is by catching the 185 to Oval tube station for the Northern line (to Leicester Sq or Goodge St or what-have-you with a quick change across the platform at Kennington), or continue on the bus for Vauxhall tube station for the Victoria line (to get to Oxford Circus).

The bus route from Camberwell Green to Oval is usually much faster that going up Walworth Rd towards Waterloo, and if I'm at a bus stop on LL I'll catch whichever bus comes first and change at Camberwell Green as all the buses that go up Camberwell Rd stop at Oval and Vauxhall stations (the 436, 36 and 185).

The advantage is also that I can use my Oyster, unlike getting the train in (though I will do that if I need to get somewhere on the Jubilee line). Bring on Oyster pay-as-you-go on the overland!

Annie, there was definitely a sign on the bus stop outside the post office on LL in the last week or so, but I can imagine that if one was rushing to jump on the bus as it was arriving, it could be missed. I think the reason signs aren't put in the buses themselves, which would be handy, as would a route map, is that buses are used for various routes and probably not always the same ones.

E

[Asset]

I usually get train to London Bridge change for ch x and walk the rest. half an hour tops. don't know why I got the effing bus the other day, it took half an hour to get to Camberwell.

[Sue]

elizlondon Wrote:

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> The way I tend to favour to get into the West End

> is by catching the 185 to Oval tube station for

> the Northern line (to Leicester Sq or Goodge St or

> what-have-you with a quick change across the

> platform at Kennington), or continue on the bus

> for Vauxhall tube station for the Victoria line

> (to get to Oxford Circus).

>

xxxxxx

The advantage of the 176 was that although it might have been a longer journey, you didn't have to change, just got on and looked out of the window or read the paper until you got off.

The new arrangements could be improved if the driver told you when you had reached the end of the journey :-S

I was on a 176 recently, it reached St Giles Circus but I had no idea that was the end of its route - I thought it had been diverted due to a demo in Trafalgar Square, as there seemed to be a lot of police vans and people about on the embankment.and there were diversion signs up.

It stopped there for ages but there was a wheelchair getting off and the ramp going up and down, with appropriate announcements over the loudspeaker (wheelchair ramp up, etc) and we thought it was due to that, as the engine was still running.

After about ten minutes the bus moved forward about - oh, a metre - and turned all the lights and engine off.

There were fifteen or so people on the upper deck, including us, all of whom had patiently sat there throughout the wheelchair manoeuvring, with no idea that the bus was actually going no further.

The driver claimed he'd told us - amazing then that not one of the people on the upper deck had heard him.

Had to have a nice sit down in Foyle's Jazz Cafe to recover :))

[elizlondon]

You're right Sue, sometimes it's nice to just jump on, sit down and not have to move til you reach your own stop (esp if you've been out for the night and your feet are sore!).

An announcement when the end of the route had been reached would definitely have been in order, but a little sit in Foyles sounds the perfect response :)

E

[AnnieW]

btw, although the front of the bus shows it stops at Tottenham Court Road, the announcements inside the bus are still saying and displaying "176 to Oxford Circus"! Hmmmm, helpful, huh? :-S

Annie Wigman

Dancing Tree Creativity Coaching - La Sparkletta

Radiates Creative Sparkle

[KalamityKel]

Especially late at night... :-$

The other night I got on at Penge, had the destination saying Tottenham Court Road, pressed me Oyster and the screen read Pawlynes Arms and the voice of God said Oxford Circus. It confused me so much I misjudged my stop (typical zoom zoom zoooooooooooooming of the bus) and ended up walking down some dark road in ED. I obviously made it home in one piece so really I shouldn't complain. :))

[Jeremy]

Dez Wrote:

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> Bring back the Routemaster

I was actually on a routemaster yesterday, from Picadilly to Knightsbridge. They must keep some for standby duty. I can't work out what was supposed to be so great about them - or why boris wants to bring them back!

[Asset]

they get around much more quickly, holding up the traffic less.