Ealing North
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Steve Pound MP Ealing North |
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On the 'busesDecember 2005 - Gazette Article Ten past six on a deep and dark December morning with the mist dimming the streetlights to near invisibility was a suitably sombre time to stand on Westminster Bridge and wait for the last Routemaster to arrive. Right on time the great scarlet double decker – built in Southall – arrived and I jumped on to one of the true symbols of our city. It was many years ago that I stood in front of the messroom mirror and ran down the check list on the wall beside it. Cap straight – yes. Shirt and tie clean – yes. PSV badge on display in the left hand lapel – correct. I’d collect the brown box that contained my Gibson Mk4 Automatic Ticket Issuing Machine and stroll out to the garage to check the destination boards, strap on the ticket machine and slip on my hand knitted fingerless woollen gloves. Like many of London Transport’s finest I’d paid for the creases to be sewn in to my uniform trousers and broken the cap stiffener so it looked as close to that worn by Marlon Brando in “The Wild One” as possible. The ‘bus would be warming up and I’d spring aboard and give my driver a double bell then off into a cold North London morning to get the city off to work. Why am I so upset by the demise of the mighty Routemaster and the end of conductors on London ‘buses? Maybe I’m just sentimental and have happy memories of my years “on the back” before my efforts to gain a driver’s badge at Chiswick Depot? Maybe I miss my salad days when I had hope in my heart and hair on my head? Maybe I see the death of the RM as another example of our society becoming increasingly risk-adverse and all the fun going out of life as we wrap ourselves in cotton-wool and never take a chance anymore. I know the arguments about accessibility but a wheelchair user deserves better than a ghastly bendy bus and I’ve been delighted to support the cab trade which has ensured that wheelchair users can be safely and comfortable transported door to door. I helped thousands of parents with buggies on and off the ‘bus and they certainly don’t seem to find things easier on the new vehicles of today. Children in London learned a lot about themselves and about life as they jumped on and off the ‘bus. You knew that you were on the way to growing up when you hung off the rail and timed the drop perfectly so you arrived in front of your gang with the grace and elegance of Johnny Haynes ghosting past defenders. I knew that my parents appreciated the safety and security that a conductor gave and I just can’t believe that we’re doing away with that familiar figure of reassurance at a time when we have never been so nervous. I rode the last RM on route 159 and felt a real sadness as I hopped off for the last time. A bit of London died last Friday and a bit of my past died at the same time. |
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| Disclaimer | Copyright | Designed by Bassam Mahfouz. Promoted by Julian Bell, The Labour Party, Ruskin Hall, 16 Church Road, W3 8PP on behalf of Steve Pound MP |
