The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-08-06
THE LONDON BUS.
A sLow-GoING HEAVY AND
CUMBERSOME VEHICLE.
They Are Never in a Hurry
Watched by the Police-The Fare
and the Drivers.

number Of miles run annually by III
emuibuses is five and half millions, an
the number Of passengers carried not les
than forty eight millions.
Such heavy, slow going, culnbersom
vehicle as the London omnibus coul,
not he used on our Fough-and- tumbl,
roads. II is poorly ventilated, IL you
can call It ventilated, for the window
are closed and are immovablc. TIL
only means Of ventilation is by the door
In the rear, near which everybody tries
70 get. As fast as the choice seats neal
the door are vacated, they are occupied
~ The less fortunate passengers, and tn,
last conner Is always obliged 70 take thu
worst place, which is nearest the front,
But in fine weather a man never gets in
side while there is vacant seat on top.
And It Is no strange sight to see women
occupying outside seats TO escape the
| sitting air inside.
Nor does wet weather deter nm Eng
hshman from taking an open seat. Most
Englishmen wear a waterproof in
threatening weather; to each seat a
woollen-lined leather apron to protect
the knees is attached, and with an UNI
brella, which is always part OF an Eng
lishmans costume, they manage to keep
perfectly dry.
The omnibuses are so freely used for
advertising purposes; the outside is SO
nearly covered with attractive and gaudy
signs OF business houses that it is ex-
ceedfngly difficult to read or discover
the route or destination Of the vehicle.
The buses do not confine themselves
to the middle Of the roadway and allow
passengers to pick and fight their way
through crowd Of vehicles, New York
like; they pull up to the curb to allow
passengers TO enter or leave without the
least possibility of danger or trouble
Conductors will also leave their perch
approach the sidewalk (Anglice pave
menD to consult or advise with a pros
pective passenger who is in doubt as to
which bus he should take. Time seems
OF no Importance; they are not in such
q rush or whirl of excitement as we are.
Whether from the excessive competition |
or from some other cause know not |
do know that public servants in Eng
land are much more civil and polite than |
they are in this free country.
There are rules which control London
omnibuses, and these it is the duty of
the police to strictly enforce. A bus is
licensed and allowed to carry only 80
many passengers, and this license or
limit must be posted on conspicuous
part of the vehicle. The majority are
licensed to carry twenty-six passengers;
twelve inside and fourteen outside.
In 1890 The London police force num-
bered 1880, not counting the 002 |
officers who form special organization
in what is termed "thc city, A con-
siderable part OF the time and attention
of the city police is devoted TO govern
ing street traffic. Policemen will watch
and follow bus for several blocks if /
they think it contains more passengers
than the law allows. When they are
assured that this is the case they will 90
to magistrate and lay complaint and
then woe bctde the poor driver or con
ductor who disregarded the law.
The buses make special stops at GER
tain points on their route, aud these
seem very long and prove tedious to one
who is in hurry; but il your time is
very valuable you would never take a
bus. They are not allowed to stop when
near or nearing these special stopping
places, not even il passenger expresses
a desire to alight. / remember once,
just for information, asking the driver
10 stop in the middle of Trafalgar square,
just as we were passing Nelson's monu-
nent, on the way to the Strand. city
ward. ''Well, said the polite but un-
educated Jehu, "you can't expect me to
get a four-shilling summons for penny
'are, can your meaning that if he pulled /
lp where indicated be would be sum-
noned the next day on the complaint Of
/ vigIlant "bohby" and be obliged to
,ay four shillings for accommodating I
ne. |
In American street cars or omnibuses /
/ passenger who rides only few blocks {
lelps to pay the fare of the man who I
ides the full length of the road, for the |
'harge to both is the same. 1t is not so
mis)managcd in England. The charge {
here Is by distance, about one penny {
two cents a mile. There are two or /
hrce miles of omnibuses whose only faro G
) half-penny lone cent. One line q
uns between Westminster bridge and q
trafalgar square, and they pick up no q
asscngers between the two points. 4
hey each carry only twelve passengers, 9
nd there are no outside seats. t
There is a great deal of pilfering going n
q among omnibus conductors, aud the b
rivers also, for they divide the spoils;
nd the company wiuks at it, knowing
lat the pay Of these men is too small.
he company is satisfied il it receives a
'ir average return, but in this way It Ii
ats a premium on dishonesty. There =,
no check against the condL.tors-no II
echanical continuance to record fares. a
hey are supposed to enter every fare II
ID the exact amount they receive from st
ch passenger on paper slip placed in al
frame. the frame being fastened to the II
side Of the omnibus door, but il is only 10
Passengers are requested m
see that the amount paid is properly W
tered, but the request is wholly I'M d,
edcd. 1t is to say the least, a very sii
'elcss way Of keeping accounts, and nc
rites dishonesty. 90
The driver is generally a jolly, red ii
ed fellow and very smartly dressed. n,
,ccially On Sunday. He always wears an
top hat" in winter It Is Of black silk. Ia
summer gray felt with a wide mourn lol
7 band to set it of. His cost is often n,
louble-Areasted drab cashmere. and in -;