As regular readers will know I don't normally do short, one item posts these days, but there are exceptions to every rule and this is one. I had to go to Norwich today and hoped I might just see freshly painted PURPLE - remember that colour - it's important - Route President 33163, as featured in yesterday's round up out on the road. Luckily I didn't. Yes you read correctly - I did say luckily, because it has emerged that indeed the Ribena (that's the ORIGINAL) bus made it's debut on the streets of Norwich on - drum roll please - the RED Route! I promise you had I seen that you wouldn't be reading this now as I'd have laughed so hard I would have needed serious medical treatment. So here is Steve's guide to the difference between Red and Purple.
This is Purple.
It's a nice colour, related to Royalty and is actually one of my favourite colours. It is the colour that 33163 now sports on its front end.
This is Red
Commonly seen as a sign of danger, the colour of formerly successful football teams, and a route that isn't Purple.
Now when the repainting scheme for Norwich was announced I did predict on these very pages that it would lead to the wrong colour bus on routes but not in my wildest, most negatively pessimistic dreams did I think it would be the very first journey. Oh god that's priceless - NURSE!!
I could understand it,if there were several repainted buses and one slipped through,but,THE first one done,and it's first journey on the wrong route,come on guys what's wrong with you,as Billy Cotton use to say WAKEY WAKEY.
ReplyDeleteThere could have been a whole load of reasons for it... It's better to run a journey with the wrong coloured bus than miss it out altogether, surely?
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Damon, but there would also have been numerous opportunities to swap the bus - even with a less purple one in the City. I will endeavour to find out the facts tomorrow and will duly report them, but for the moment let's just enjoy the laugh!
DeleteSteve, and you asked me if there was a Specsavers in NC! LOL. Seriously though re route branding . . . do it right, or not all.
ReplyDeleteMorning Steve. There was a breakdown yesterday on one of Vulcan Road's carlines, and a bus needed to get out to replace it at around 1800. 33163 was the only bus at Vulcan that evening which wasn't booked into another carline or for maintenance, so it was that or nothing.
ReplyDeleteSo I repeat a hasty swap with something less purple - the Purple Line passes the depot afterv all - surely could have been arranged - or did they think because it was dark it didn't matter?
ReplyDeleteIt really isnt that simple just to "swap" a bus around Steve.
DeleteKieran you are treating me as someone who has never worked in the industry and knows sod all about the workings of a depot. Please don't insult my intelligence.
DeleteThe rumour I heard was that it was done for your pleasure. And to test your eyesight, for the sake of all of us! Com'on it's going to give y'all a new dimension to our bus-spotting hobby. What's to complain about? There's no such thing as bad publicity, after all.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing it's proving so far is my theory that a sense of humour within the enthusiast community is lacking in the extreme. Do we HAVE to be serious all the time?
DeleteI been in norwich since Wednesday and seen 3 breakdwns,including 2 x presidents. Twice I been left waiting for the following bus.first norwich badly need fresh buses,not repaints.
ReplyDeleteI brought that up with management today, my report will be up later in the week.
DeleteExcellent. Well done on your Anglian piece also. Also looking forward to the Galloway news back on my home route.
DeleteTo be fair I suppose it usually is whatever is in the yard gets used so purple,red, sky blue pink probably wouldn't have bothered me if I was in charge the job has to be done but the fact remains that some people will be confused,this is Britain we are always confused lol lol
ReplyDelete