| The near low bridge accident
on the school bus from Eastleigh was far from
unique. Some drivers were a lot less lucky. |
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| Woolston
Hants & Dorset depot closed before the
Itchen Bridge was opened. As a result we ran
the 81 and 81A between Woolston and Hamble
from Southampton. Normally the service ran
as a 71 from Southampton to Hamble then an
81 to Woolston and back before returning to
Southampton as a 71 again. Some journeys starting
from Woolston, particularly first thing in
the morning, meant running empty from the
city centre via Bitterne. Just before Woolston
all buses had to turn left to avoid a low
bridge. |
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| Early one dark morning
I was sitting on the back seat writing the
day's journeys on my waybill. I looked up
just in time to see the turning pass our nearside
and the bridge heading right for us. There
was a loud 'crump' sound from above and I
looked back expecting to see pieces of bus
falling to the road. None did. When we got
to the terminal at the floating bridge I went
upstairs on the bus next door. From there
I could see all the roof ventilators were
flattened and the strips between the roof
panels had no paint. I suppose it's too late
to report the incident now! |
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| One City Transport driver
became a sort of hero after taking a wrong
turning and the top off his bus under Central
Bridge. At least to the two school children
sitting upstairs who apparently thought it
highly exciting and got themselves in the
local paper. The envy of their classmates
too I would imagine. |
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| Not content with getting
stuck under bridges, some people have to go
over the top. One driver, running late at
Woolston, was told by an inspector to take
his bus directly to the city centre for his
next journey. He promptly tried to drive onto
one of the two floating bridges and became
wedged, putting the bridge out of action in
the middle of the evening rush hour. |
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| It was quite common
to find this particular sign altered
with parts of the lettering scratched
off to change PLEASE LOWER YOUR HEAD
to FLEAS LOVE YOUR HEAD. I wonder how
many people thought they were the first
one to think of that? |
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