Last week TfL introduced a new ‘Please hold on, the bus is about to move” announcement to help improve safety on their bus services.
According to the powers that be, around 3,000 people are injured on London buses every year because of falls. So this was a great idea, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, this well-meaning gesture has not exactly gone to plan…
Apparently, the automated alerts are set to go off just before the average amount of time a bus waits at a stop. Unsurprisingly, buses sometimes leave earlier than average, and other times, later than average. So basically, announcements are being played on London’s buses at seemingly random intervals throughout the journey.
And it’s fair to say that a great deal of Londoners are rather miffed about it.
This trial has to end. These announcements are making bus journeys unbearable. It’s like water torture
— Barry Craig (@BarryCraig) January 13, 2018
Sorry, did we say miffed? We meant absolutely bloody furious.
Bus for the 88th time: Please hold on the bus is about to move.
Me: say ?? that ?? shit ?? one ?? more ?? time ?? pic.twitter.com/mmme0cTJL3— Vimbai Yolanda (@iamjustvi_) January 15, 2018
Most people felt they were stating the obvious…
Our bus is warning passengers after literally every bus stop that it is about to move. That’s kind of why we got on it in the first place.
— Robert Colvile (@rcolvile) January 13, 2018
Or that they were essentially pointless…
The tfl “please hold on the bus is about to move” announcements going off as the bus is moving is the equivalent of your mum saying, “Can I come in?” whilst opening your bedroom door
— Ruby (@rubyetc) January 16, 2018
Others took to the internet to relentlessly mock TFL:
@tfl If only you had told me to please hold on the bus is about to move on the tube. pic.twitter.com/XXf9k1ObZI
— Nathan Wade (@natewade87) January 14, 2018
Buses are basically a form of natural selection, right?
So TFL buses now (repeatedly) announce “please hold on, the bus is about to move”.
Ngl, if you get into a bus and aren’t anticipating movement, maybe you deserve to fall.
— reubs (@ReubenArthur) January 14, 2018
A moment of silence for the real heroes here…
Let’s all spare a moment for the poor bus drivers who hear ‘please hold on, the bus is about to move’ , every time they drive. #howdoyoucope
— Nicola Jane Barney (@NicolaBarney) January 15, 2018
This musically-minded individual is just trying to think of the positives…
If someone doesn’t make a tune using “please hold on the bus is about to move” before the beat drops then the whole announcement is just a waste of our time
— Grace ? (@EarthToGrace_) January 15, 2018
While others predict revolution…
I have just searched Twitter for the words “please hold on the bus is about to move”.
I estimate bloody revolution within eight days.
— Alix Mortimer (@alixmortimer) January 13, 2018
This is possibly the worst thing that’s ever happened.
when I close my eyes to sleep at night, all I’m gonna hear is “please hold on, the bus is about to move”
— Izi (@iziieva) January 12, 2018
Please make it stop.
TfL’s new ‘please hold on, the bus is about to move’ after it’s already started to move is the most soul-destroying thing ever. Someone make it stop please.
— Hatti Linnell (@HattiLinnell) January 15, 2018
TfL, sort it out.
Featured Image: Phil Beard
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