Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

The end of the 29

Is it gone finally, irrevocably
am I the only mourner?
Bring back the bend bus
it always had a bad press...well
there were a few little things
like the time I nearly got stabbed
by a 6 inch blade
wielded by a gang of kids
in Seven Sisters Rd.
I never sat at the back again.
It is mourned by the poor
those on benefits
known to them as
the Free Bus.
Why do I miss it then?
It was part of our local landscape
it was such a familiar sight
if you ran for the bus
you'd catch it at the back
just before the doors closed.
It was great for wheelchairs and prams
Yesterday I saw a young woman with a pram
get off the crowded double decker
because the ONE bay
was filled by another pram
and a man with a large suitcase -
this would never happen
with the bendy bus...
Today at the bus stop
looking up the road
I could not see which bus was the 29.
Now they all look the same.
Shame. I miss it
snaking down Green Lanes.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paulie on December 2, 2011 at 11:08

I agree. Not sure what Stephen's point was but I can confirm that overtaking BBs can get very tricky indeed. Or could..

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Permalink Reply by Alison P on December 1, 2011 at 21:42

I'll miss them too. Totally aware of all the downsides but to me the positives outweighed them.

I've not seen one of the new ones - do they really have open back doors like the old routemasters? That will be fun then, seeing as how cycling has trebled (guess?) since they were last on the roads. How long until someone jumps off straight into the path of a bike?

Agree with you Maggie, seems madly over-indulgent in these difficult times. (Think how many more bibles Michael Gove could have printed to give to all our hard up schools - sorry, pet fury of moment).

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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on December 1, 2011 at 21:58

@Alison - no, no open platforms:

BristolRE2007's Peter's photostream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishbuses/

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Permalink Reply by Sapphireblue on December 3, 2011 at 11:37

Don't understand - open backed buses? new 29s - ordinary red double deckers? Then bibles for schools? What about Korans? Dharmas etc Schools are meant to be secular and reflect diversity. Are u suggesting they should promote Christianity?
Hmmm ... let's get back to the 29 shall we?

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Permalink Reply by Alison P on December 3, 2011 at 17:22

Sorry for confusing things SB. I was being sarcastic about the new initiative to give every school in England a new edition of the King James Bible with a special foreward by Mr Gove, which seems to me as urgent a priority as replacing the bendy buses with souped up double deckers. (I totally agree that schools should be secular, reflect diversity etc).

I went on one of the new 29s yesterday. I couldn't see the difference between it and every other London double decker - am I missing something or are they just exactly the same?

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Permalink Reply by Liz on December 3, 2011 at 17:26

I don't think they are running the new Routemasters yet.

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Permalink Reply by John D on December 3, 2011 at 17:41

Some people suggested schools should promote homosexuality.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on December 3, 2011 at 17:44

Eh? Which 'some people'?

btw, speaking as someone who taught sex ed (both during section 28 and after), state schools do not 'promote' any form of sexuality or behaviour. They teach the facts, challenge dangerous misconceptions and encourage respect and safety in any form of sexual relations with impartiality and without prejudice.