Come in number 51, your time is up! (Buses in Sheffield)

Member Name: missbrowneyedgirl

Product:	Buses in Sheffield
Date:	21/02/02 (701 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cheap, quick

Disadvantages: impossible to catch, unreliable times, lack of information about them

I'll forgive you for thinking I'm stupid. Actually, I'm not. I'm just ignorant, or maybe uninformed would be more accurate. I also feel a bit of a fraud writing about a service I haven't really used properly but that isn't really my fault either...

You see I guess I have been spoilt. I have always had a car, since the day I emerged into the world. Obviously it wasn't always my car, but I haven't really had much need for public transport. I lived in a small village outside of hull and as the bus service was closer to a joke than a form of getting around, I used to get lifts.

Soon the day came that I had my own car and I drove everywhere, unless I was getting a taxi. Next I moved to Sheffield and lost what limited knowledge I had of buses and the likes due to being in a different city. Now, if you read my previous op, you would know that my poor Clio is at the car doctors so I've been initiated in public transport via the short sharp shock method.

Actually that's not strictly true. I have actually caught the bus in question once before. It was a Friday night and closing time at The Place in Broomhill. Missblueeyedflatmate and I stumbled out of the door, complaining of not having consumed enough alcohol and began to make our way home. As we came to the corner of the Broomhill Tavern, a great white bus approached us fast. For the fun of it, we stuck our arm out, got on it and went to the late licensed Forum. Easy!

Now the major difference from my past experience was that I wanted to go the other way. Home, away from the town. As the tram doesn't go near enough to where I live, and it's cold and rainy at this time of year I decided there was only one option - the bus!

Immediately I hit a problem - I knew nothing about buses in Sheffield! To be honest I knew nothing about buses anywhere except Hull where I could happily rattle off at least 6 buses that would get me somewhere near
home, that is of course if they weren't cancelled, and it wasn't a Sunday! When you grow up somewhere, you seem to just know these things but a new city is like having to learn all over again.

So, how do you find out about buses? And at short notice too as I needed one that evening! Well, as I spend all day on the Internet the most logical place to start seemed right there.

Plan A:
I decided that South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) would be the best place so I surfed onto http://www.sypte.co.uk. Here I found a Timetable Enquiry - just what I was looking for! I chose that I wanted to go from Sheffield Centre to Broomhill at around 17:45 and after an age of waiting for it to process the information, the site told me I needed to catch the number 52 from Woodseats Rail Station. Where is Woodseats Rail Station? Hmm, this isn't as helpful as I thought.

Plan B:
I decided to look on the website of the bus company as they might have maps or something. Alas, here I encountered my next problem. Which bus company did I want and in fact what are the bus companies called? I knew there were at least 3 different types of bus as I had driven past them:
* white ones with pink and navy stripes (I have since found out these are First Mainline buses - http://www.firstgroup.com/firstmainline/index.htm)
* green and yellow ones (apparently these are Yorkshire Terriers!)
* and yellow and red ones, which are usually quite small and I still know nothing about!
Ok, next plan!

Plan C:
Mrblueyedfriend has lived in Sheffield for 6 years, doesn't have a car and often visits my house so he must know about buses!
Missbrowneyedgirl: Hi, I need to get the number 52 home tonight. Where do I catch it?
(Short pause whilst Mrblueyedfriend recovers from the shock of me catching a bus)
Mrblueyedfriend: Well you don't want the 52, the 51 stops right at the end of your street.
Missbrowneye
dgirl: Oh, OK. Where do I catch it?
Mrblueyedfriend: I always get it on Glossop Road but you'll be able to get it from the station.

Brilliant! Armed with the information I needed I headed for the Bus Station, and was promptly overwhelmed by the size of it! After wandering hopelessly looking for the correct stop for a while I spotted a small sweet kiosk. I wandered over and waited in line to ask the man behind the counter.
Missbrowneyedgirl: Excuse me, can you tell me where I catch the number 51?
Mrsweetkioskman: Hang on (produces a laminated A4 sheet)... Oh the 51 doesn't come to the station.
Missbrowneyedgirl: (confused) Sorry?
Mrsweetkioskman: It doesn't stop at the station.
Missbrowneyedgirl: Oh! What about the 52?
Mrsweetkioskman: (consults the sheet) No, that doesn't stop here either.
Missbrowneyedgirl: Do you know where I can catch them from?
Mrsweetkioskman: No, sorry - you'd best ask a bus driver.

Now excuse me for thinking this is strange but don't all buses stop at the bus station? I thought the purpose of the Station was to start and end journeys. The bus starts at the station, goes to its destination, turns around and goes back to the station. Well, apparently not! Or, not in Sheffield at least!

Still in a state of disbelief I boarded a nearby bus to speak to the bus driver. It occurred to me that this was a little perilous as he could easily set off! Luckily he appeared to be waiting a while.
Missbrowneyedgirl: Excuse me, can you tell me where I catch the number 51?
Mrportlybusdriver: Do you know where Church Street is?
Missbrowneyedgirl: (wishing I hadn't taken my A-Z out of my bag to make it lighter this morning) Erm, no...
Mrportlybusdriver: High Street?
Missbrowneyedgirl: Erm, no...
Mrportlybusdriver: West Street?
Missbrowneyedgirl: Yes!
Mrportlybusdriver: You can catch it there.

To my dismay I realised West Street was
quite a walk, and right back past where I had been dropped off. I switched my walkman on and headed back. Some 10 minutes later I arrived on West Street, right at the tram stop. Now, having learned my lesson earlier than day, I knew that trams don't stop at bus stops so that probably applied vice versa.

I decided to head in the direction of Broomhill and soon came across a bus stop. I scoured the information post and signs but there was no mention of a 51 or 52, so I plodded on. This was a pattern I repeated at every bus stop all the way down West Street and soon I was passing Casa on Glossop Road, signifying me being nearly home!

I though about stopping at Casa for a drink but I decided this could be more detrimental to my journey. I was probably right as 10 minutes later I was out of breath, bored of my tape, very cold, very wet and at my front door. Incidentally no buses had passed me on this 25-minute journey!

The next day I called the SYPTE Travel line.
Missbrowneyedgirl: Excuse me, can you tell me where I catch the number 51 in Sheffield Centre?
Mrstravellineoperator: Do you know where the cathedral is?
Missbrowneyedgirl: Yes
Mrstravellineoperator: Just opposite there.
Missbrowneyedgirl: Thank you, and how often do they run in the evening?
Mrstravellineoperator: Every 10 minutes.
Missbrowneyedgirl: Right through the evening?
Mrstravellineoperator: (who appears to have funny misconceptions about evening) Yes right up to 6pm.
Missbrowneyedgirl: And after that?
Mrstravellineoperator: 5 past and 25 past the hour

To top my night off my lift dropped me at the other side of the town at 6:22. I considered running (but knew I wouldn't get there), waiting for the 7:05 one (but knew I would freeze) and decided to catch the tram half way home and walk the rest of the way. At least it would be a good excuse not go to the gym! I spotted the place where the 51 goes from as I passed on the tr
am. At least I know for next time.

In conclusion I have learnt three very important things:
* Only try and catch a bus in Sheffield if you are drunk and one is going past you (OK, maybe this is a little harsh).
* Sheffield is a crazy place where buses don't go to the bus station
* Always carry your A-Z with you so as you can check street names.

Incidentally the bus I did get to town that night was easy to catch, cheap*, quite pleasant, quick and quiet. It was apparently the last one, as some highly bemused passengers pointed out whilst myself and Missblueeyedflatmate drunkenly congratulated ourselves on our streetwiseness and initiative for catching the bus in the first place,
(*about 80p each as far as I recall which is about half the cost of a taxi)

Luckily I have my Clio back now, although it need a touch more tinkering on Friday. Maybe I'll finally be able to catch the bus home.... Watch this space!

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