London's Worst Night Bus Route

I always liked the N22, from Piccadilly Circus to Richmond. It goes through various parts of Kensington, Fulham and Chelsea and is actually quite scenic in the darkness.

I really hate the N18! Whenever I use it I really worry that I'm going to die! Someone had a knife out last time I was on it! So much so, I use the 0200 Euston to Harrow & Wealdstone train to get home-even if it means leaving town a little earlier!

To be fair, all the driver should do (esp in the areas that these buses run through) is summon assistance from the Police. Only nice people will leave when asked nicely!

You will probably find that their contract doesnt cover them for any assualt that occurs outside of their cab.

This does show the difference in how buses and the private train companies deal with crime and anti-social behaviour, compared to LU, where such people are removed and detained to await police.

As to Alex's original question! I have used the N159 a number of times and "suprisingly" have never found any trouble on it.
The murder recently was near the end of the route in Addington.
What is more worrying is when attacks/assualts/murders are as part of a mugging/theft or someone with mental issues on a person just going about their business. As opposed to someone that is out looking for trouble.

At least I don't live in London anymore!

It all depends on the circumstances. If it is a full bus on a busy road and the driver is quite tough then they may be happy to do that. Another driver may have been threatend or assualted before and may be far more reluctant to intervene, in what is not their job.

As to leaving the cab to operate the ramp, unless there are dangerous/threatening circumstances that stop them from doing so, then what's the problem? it is very different to intervening in an affray.

The issue of Assualt Screens has mixed issues. Some in the Bus Industry say that, when there is a delay or gap in the bus service, the presence of an Assault Screen can cause more confrontation than if it was not there (plus the issue of bluring the driver's left side view!).

As Rob has alluded too, this isn't a problem in London. And the thread is about London's worst night bus route.

I've only ever used about three night bus routes (N7, N207, and the one from Kilburn Park into town). Can't really complain about any of them, except the dope smokers on the top deck of the N7 between Ealing and Northolt.

I'm not a regular night bus user, but have used the N15 and N86 before, and found them to be fine. Night buses don't have the stigma they once had. Also, there are far more of them now than 15 years ago, and tend to be much more frequent. Back in the 70s and 80s, only key trunk routes had nighr buses, and an hourly service was just about the norm! In addition, more and more day routes are becoming 24 hour services. Of course, these routes do not have an N prefix, so do they count as night buses?

Night busses would be much better if they extended out as far as the tube does. As they don't reach Loughton/Debden (although apparently there used to be an N20?) I've only used them once - getting back from New Cross Gate to near Canada Water.
It would have been so much simpler if the hourly Nsomethingorother hadn't gone past Elephant and Castle with the wrong destination on the front (we waved it past and then thought "oh b***er").

I drove the N15 & N50 once upon a time - never had any bother at all; a close relation was/is the (N)25.....now that's a different beast!

I've used the N11/N14/N15/N22/N74 & N97 when I was based at Earls Court and had parked the car at Tower Hill and never had any bother either (and if you've used staff taxis, you'll what the 'service' can be like sometimes ).

That said, and as I've mentioned, I've driven night buses - well buses in general - and I've seen what can happen. It's well & good to comment from yer computer chair on how things should happen (ie, driver sorts it out) - but lets get real!! People these days do carry knives and other weapons......buses are cheaper & easier to access than the tube........drivers are on their own.....the scum and dregs of society know all this & see buses as an easier target than the tube.

The lone driver has to safely drive an 8' x 30' (ish) top heavy 9 ton (again, ish) vehicle, sometimes collect cash, ensure they stay on time (and on route - yep it happens to the best of us ;D ;D).........and is then expected to wade into trouble? Come off it!

I don't doubt that things are done differently in Edinburgh, but, TomC, you acknowledge that Doncaster is more like London - and that's more the point really; certain places are less desirable than others and it's as true for buses as it is for the police or social services or any other part of society.

The job of bus driver is a damm hard one, especially in London, and those that knock them really ought to think twice - yeah there's bad apples.....show me a job which doesn't have 'em - but almost all the drivers I knew where thorough professionals.

One last point - assault screens - it's generally management that don't like 'em. They are a definite must within London, but are not so necessary once you get into the countryside. Also they're not a hindrance to vision unless they've been shattered or are very old (to the point that the perspex has discoloured in the sun).

I heard that the 25 (a 24 hour bus) has the highest rate of the driver hitting the "panic" button to call the police.

There are a couple of problems with the N25 Fright Bus in my experience:

First is that in the early hours of Saturday/Sunday morning it is already crush loaded by the time it reaches Tottenham Court Road so you can't get on, waiting 10 minutes for the next one doesn't help - because it's also crush loaded. It's faster to walk back to the bus stand next to John Lewis and pick it up there, and then you can usually bag the single seat at the front next to the driver which is quieter and darker for the long journey east.

Second is that at least 25% of the time I use it, I've seen a fight break out or you see someone jump off and run at full pelt down the road - just as somebody realises their phone/wallet/bags are missing.

I've never seen a problem on the N8 even though it goes through similar areas to the N25. Likewise when I lived near Dog Kennel Hill I used to take the N176 home at the same time 2-3 times a week, and never saw a single incident on board the bus. So I don't think there is anything wrong with night buses in general, just that route N25 is a special case.

Indeed that is the 20 I was referring to!