• Many Londoners worry that public transport is not what
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it used to be, and that more investment is needed in staff and vehicles.
But even the Hawk was astonished when boarding the 127 service from Purley to Mitcham recently to be asked to give the driver directions. In fairness, the bus was crewed by a relief driver. And so it was that the Hawk indicated a left here, a right there, and resisted the temptation to suggest stops at favourite pubs.
More worrying, perhaps, is the tale of a colleague who travelling on the 200 service to Streatham noticed a panel of flooring missing — with the road and chassis clearly visible through the gap. Passengers simply stepped round this potentially dangerous obstacle. Talk about British phlegm.