You are perfectly correct there David, we have a couple of the bendy buses in Southampton/Eastleigh but they have difficulty in manoevuring the narrow roads so are not used very often. They are used a lot in Europe, especially Germany, Austria and Italy. In the gales the other night a double decker in Bournemouth lost its roof, was a clip on type, the week before a single decker ran into a house, and Monday night a double decker lost its roof going under the railway arch at Swaythling ( a favourite spot for this) despite there being flashing warnings after passing a sensor and the bridge well marked heightwise!! Chris ----- Original Message ----- From: "DAVID PARKER" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 6:44 PM Subject: Re: [HantsLife] Re: Double Deckers > The Red Bus (RouteMaster} is being replaced by the new "bendy", an > articulated single decked vehicle. These can carry up to 120 passengers > (although many will be standing), about 60 more than the old Red Bus, > which > will reduce the number of vehicles on the road. They will be climate > controlled and will have easier access for disabled passengers. They will > however deprive London Commuters of the excitement and convenience of > chasing a bus and jumping off while in motion; the cause, I believe, of > three deaths last year. There have been, I believe, three cases of a fire > on the London Bendies, earning them the title "Chariots of Fire." They > are > in use in many cities throughout the world, I can remember riding one in > Vienna about 30 years ago. Here in Toronto we used them from 1982 - 2003, > but decided that our system of street cars (trams) was preferable. > > David..

I remember the railway bridge over the West Street in Fareham by the Station. The Hants and Dorset Buses because of their unusual design (the upstairs had bench seating and the aisle, on the right, was sunken, making the bus about a foot lower) could go under with little problem, but the Southdown and the Provincial had to navigate with care and travel in the middle of the road. I do not recall any that were decapitated. My father during the Depression was briefly employed by Hants and Dorset - he first noticed my mother one day as she boarded the bus at Coldeast Hospital. He never told me of any decapitation. Now I believe there are many more single deckers so the chances are much lower. David ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris and Caroline" <[email protected]> To: "DAVID PARKER" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 6:54 PM Subject: Re: [HantsLife] Re: Double Deckers > You are perfectly correct there David, we have a couple of the bendy buses > in Southampton/Eastleigh but they have difficulty in manoevuring the narrow > roads so are not used very often. They are used a lot in Europe, especially > Germany, Austria and Italy. > In the gales the other night a double decker in Bournemouth lost its roof, > was a clip on type, the week before a single decker ran into a house, and > Monday night a double decker lost its roof going under the railway arch at > Swaythling ( a favourite spot for this) despite there being flashing > warnings after passing a sensor and the bridge well marked heightwise!! > Chris > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "DAVID PARKER" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 6:44 PM > Subject: Re: [HantsLife] Re: Double Deckers > > > > The Red Bus (RouteMaster} is being replaced by the new "bendy", an > > articulated single decked vehicle. These can carry up to 120 passengers > > (although many will be standing), about 60 more than the old Red Bus, > > which > > will reduce the number of vehicles on the road. They will be climate > > controlled and will have easier access for disabled passengers. They will > > however deprive London Commuters of the excitement and convenience of > > chasing a bus and jumping off while in motion; the cause, I believe, of > > three deaths last year. There have been, I believe, three cases of a fire > > on the London Bendies, earning them the title "Chariots of Fire." They > > are > > in use in many cities throughout the world, I can remember riding one in > > Vienna about 30 years ago. Here in Toronto we used them from 1982 - 2003, > > but decided that our system of street cars (trams) was preferable. > > > > David.. > >

True David, the Wilts and Dorset buses were the same, with the sunken aisle down the offside of the bus. Luckily the double deckers in Bournemouth and Swaythling had no passengers on!! The Bournemouth case there were no cars following and nobody on the pavement as well. They have withdrawn these for tests as it has never happened before, but it was a freak gust of around 90mph that did it. Apparently they can take the tops off for use as sightseeing buses. Single deckers are as you say more popular, I think this is because they have cut so many services over the past five years that hardly anybody uses them these days, despite the government saying we should use them more. They are expensive and most of them dirty. Case yesterday where CCTV actually filmed three teenagers setting fire to the rear seat of a bus full of passengers then getting off and running away. Luckily the drive managed to put it out/ A lot of the buses over here now have CCTV installed and some have armoured glass around the driver as too many of them are getting assaulted by teenagers and late night drunks. Chris ----- Original Message ----- From: "DAVID PARKER" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 12:12 AM Subject: Re: [HantsLife] Re: Double Deckers > I remember the railway bridge over the West Street in Fareham by the > Station. The Hants and Dorset Buses because of their unusual design (the > upstairs had bench seating and the aisle, on the right, was sunken, making > the bus about a foot lower) could go under with little problem, but the > Southdown and the Provincial had to navigate with care and travel in the > middle of the road. I do not recall any that were decapitated. My father > during the Depression was briefly employed by Hants and Dorset - he first > noticed my mother one day as she boarded the bus at Coldeast Hospital. > He > never told me of any decapitation. Now I believe there are many more > single > deckers so the chances are much lower. > > David