
Let me set the scene for you. It was a late-December day in 1952. Albert Gunter was casually going about his daily business, driving the number 78 bus between Nunhead and Shoreditch High Street, just like he’d been doing for years. He reached Tower Bridge, began to drive across it, and then suddenly the road in front of him started to rise. Yes, folks – the bascules had started opening, and Gunter needed to think fast.
Now, if it were me in that situation, I’d have probably gone down the route of crying, screaming, shutting my eyes, and – quite honestly – just hoping for best. Luckily, Albert Gunter was slightly less unhinged than me. And so what he did, was nothing short of iconic.
Slamming his foot on the accelerator, Gunter made the snap decision to pick up the pace and attempt to jump the (approximately six-foot) gap between the two rising bascules. With 20 passengers on board, the bus flew across the bridge, like something out of a comic book, and landed safely on the other side – with the bus (and every one board) still in one piece. All in a day’s work, hey?
How did it happen, I hear you ask? Well, back in the 1950s, a watchman was meant to ring a warning bell, to notify oncoming traffic that Tower Bridge was about to open. On December 30, 1952, however, the watchman on duty forgot to ring the bell. And that’s how it came about that Albert Gunter and his number 78 bus (which was moving at just 12mph) ended up mid-air between the two rising bascules of the 143-foot tall bridge.
Everybody on board was taken to hospital as a precaution, and aside from one broken leg (the conductor’s); no harm was done. As a reward for his bravery and quick-thinking, Gunter received a day off and a £10 bonus. On receiving his reward and being asked how he was planning on spending it, Gunter proudly declared: “five for me, and five for the missus”. What a hero.
So, the next time you’re feeling slightly under pressure, remember this story and ask yourself – WWAGD (what would Albert Gunter do)?