Fighting the bus. “I am not a great lover of the 73. They are hard work for a start. The steering is only part power steering….the old Routemaster you have to work. Anybody who drives a Routemaster earns their money. I took one out the other week and the power steering was so bad you had to fight the bus all day and by the time I finished in the evening I felt like Arnie Swarzenegger. My arms were enormous where I had been pushing and pulling." Mick | Driver | August 15, 2003. Tottenham Garage.

The runners. “When I was driving we used to pick up the office cleaners and they used to get up very early in the morning, 5 o'clock in the morning to go clean the offices in the city in London and we used to pick them up. We called ‘em runners. There was no traffic so it made no difference. But they don’t seem to want to do it today. You miss a bus, you miss a bus. I seen people with these front loaders and drivers shut the door and they won’t bother letting 'em in. They just pull away.”
Barry | Taxi driver and Ex-73 driver | August 1, 2003. Oxford Street.

Accidents. "It’s very easy to have accidents. The worst offenders are taxis, particularly in Oxford Street. I think I have had accidents with about seven or eight taxis. One was possibly my fault, but they just swing in front of you, drive in front of you, do u-turns. They don’t indicate. They just stop. Most taxi drivers don’t like buses and a lot of the drivers don’t like taxis." Barry | Driver | August 6, 2003. Tottenham Garage.

Meeting people. “When you're on a certain shift, the same people get on at the same time. They learn your name. I have two old girls at the moment, and because it’s hot, one gives me a cold drink. And I mean she has to go and buy it. It's a 7UP she gets, at 75pence. To a pensioner that’s a lot of money and the other one gives me a KitKat everytime she sees me." Mick | Driver | August 15, 2003. Tottenham Garage.