Bus numbers

Off_it

Here's one for you all, something to get you thinking about something less gloomy.

Why is it that single and two digit bus numbers are referred to as a number (e.g. 54 = Fifty-four; 89 = Eighty-nine; 25 = Twenty-five) whereas three digit bus numbers are referred to by individual digits (e.g. 321 = three, two, one; 161 = one, six, one; 521 = Five, two, one)?????

Then, just to prove there's an exception to every rule, why is the 160 that runs from Sidcup to Catford known not as the "one, six, oh" or the "one hundred and sixty", but as the "one-sixty". What's that all about then?

Anyone else got any interesting bus number observations they would like to share with the group?













;o)

ShootersHillGuru

You are on drugs........I just knew it. ;-)

StanmoreAddick

either that or very very very bored......

Stu_of_Kunming

If this it what a few hours with no beer does to a person I'm glad I got them cases of widgeted fosters last night.

BDL

New photo's of Off_it and his secret friends discovered on the web!

Eltham

Erm...,because it's easier to call them that? Odd question.

nth_london_addick

off it you gone mental or are these things going round in your head all the time, people out there can help mate :-p

March51

As an ex-bus spotter who can still remember trams in Woolwich and trolley buses in Bexleyheath & Dartford , neither of which have anything to do with the question, I would say its just a matter of laziness. Why say six hundred and ninety eight (one of the trolley routes) when you can get away with six nine eight.In football terms it is similar, e.g why say Wolverhampton Wanderers when Wolves fits the bill. Its only the T.V results bloke that uses their full name (&on the F.A cup draw) . It's easier to say numbers with two digits which can't easily be shortened. Imagine saying "I'going to catch the one two", the missus will say "the one to where?". It saves confusion. I still have my old bus spotting books so if anyone's interested I'll bring 'em along to Crossbars one day. I'm the bloke in the very old anorack. Keep the faith.

MCS

[cite]Posted By: March51[/cite]As an ex-bus spotter who can still remember trams in Woolwich and trolley buses in Bexleyheath & Dartford

please, for the love of god, edit that part of your post!!!

March51

Just adding a bit of local colour, can hardly wait to start on about the steam powered Woolwich ferries. P.S went to my first Charlton game on a tram in '51 thus.......

Goonerhater

dear lord ------------------------------------how sad.

March51

Sad? You ought to read my brother's book about the M25; you'll find out how many rivets there are in the Dartford bridge, that's sad. Still, he did go to school with Keith Peacock if that helps

Henry Irving

When I was in the hugely influential but criminally ignored SE London Punk band The Proles we had a song with the line "the Seven Samurai drove the 161"

That's all I have to say about buses.

Off_it

I used to go to home games on a 54 (fifty-four)

Stig

[cite]Posted By: March51[/cite] I would say its just a matter of laziness.

Think you've hit the nail on the head. In every example given people choose the way that has the least number of syllables; I know because I've counted. I'll get me coat, its an anorak.

belvedere

Please sink this or it will be bloody trains next!

WhenIwasLittleBoy

Was that one of our operation away games

March51

Thanks Stig, I was beginning to think I was the only one taking this seriously. Talking of trains, who remembers the double decker electric ones that ran through Charlton etc to London Bridge a few years ago ?

Badger

I'll have you for this butler.

Dazzler21

your crahazy

bus one six one fast kill bus two six two but not one sixty.....

suzisausage

you can get a "three eighty" to The Valley as well, which takes you nearer!
weird. never thought about it before, but thanks to off-it for bringing it to everyone's attention!

DA9

Oi....you lot....stop it, and stop it now, your ruining what very little street cred we still had left :-)

(Admittedly, it was a low starting point anyway)

Rothko

The thing is, this has been a big issue at TfL since the introduction of iBus

Chirpy Red

[cite]Posted By: Off_it[/cite]Here's one for you all, something to get you thinking about something less gloomy.

Why is it that single and two digit bus numbers are referred to as a number (e.g. 54 = Fifty-four; 89 = Eighty-nine; 25 = Twenty-five) whereas three digit bus numbers are referred to by individual digits (e.g. 321 = three, two, one; 161 = one, six, one; 521 = Five, two, one)?????

Then, just to prove there's an exception to every rule, why is the 160 that runs from Sidcup to Catford known not as the "one, six, oh" or the "one hundred and sixty", but as the "one-sixty". What's that all about then?

Anyone else got any interesting bus number observations they would like to share with the group?

Well I've always found that old people refer to the 108 as the "Hundred and Eight" as opposed to 1-0-8.

They also tend to say 5 and 20 past the hour rather than 25 past etc, and also call New Years Eve "Old Years Night"

Back to buses, I miss the old 21 route. I used to be able to get all the way home from the City on it before the new 321 was introduced.

Oggy Red

[cite]Posted By: Off_it[/cite]I used to go to home games on a 54 (fifty-four)

Back in the day, I used to get one of the very old type 89 buses from Welling Corner to the Fox under the Hill.

Halfway up Shooters Hill the old bus would start wheezing and spluttering - and on a good day we'd come charging triumphantly over the brow at 5mph and then free rolling unstoppable downhill.

Off_it

[cite]Posted By: Chirpy Red[/cite]
Back to buses, I miss the old 21 route. I used to be able to get all the way home from the City on it before the new 321 was introduced.

Ah yes, the old "Ted Rogers" just isn't the same.

Stig

I can honestly say I've never heard of "Old Years Night" before. What other quaint sayings and phrases to the old folk have?

LoOkOuT

[cite]Posted By: Chirpy Red[/cite]They also tend to say 5 and 20 past the hour rather than 25 past etc,

Fug me, how old are these old people? ;-)

Miserableoldgit

[quote][cite]Posted By: March51[/cite]Sad? You ought to read my brother's book about the M25; you'll find out how many rivets there are in the Dartford bridge, that's sad. Still, he did go to school with Keith Peacock if that helps[/quote]

Sorry,sorry,sorry.
Just gotta know, How Many ?

mid_life_crisis

My favourite bus is the 54, but I also quite like the 161.

Never been a fan of the 75 though.

March51

Sorry for delay oldish-git, had to nip along to the bridge for a recount just to make sure he'd got it right. They are actually high strength tensile bolts and there are 750,000 of them plus 19,054 tonnes of structural steel and 220,000 litres of paint. Each of the four pylons has a 2 man lift in it for maintence purposes. Source of info: M25 Travelling Clockwise published by Pallas Athene (Publishers)Ltd: www.pallasathene.co.uk. An enthralling read along with Bus Spotting for Beginners: See you in Crossbars for a very interesting chat! Next you'll be asking about the London Transport cycle buses.