What a 1st week at new job!

[AlexJ]

I dunno, there don't tend to be seatbelts on buses so crash suddenly and you're flung forwards with your head smashing into a wooden panel. In a car you'd be mostly held in place with your head hitting a cushion of air. But the size of the bus means that unless it hits something equally large (like a lorry or a tree) the above scenario is unlikely to happen.

Ooh, lah-di-dah! Wooden panelled buses, how very swish. In London they are all bare metal poles, vomit stained and slashed upholstery. I'd hate to be in an accident on a bus and end up headbutting a thick steel pole.

I say wooden panel, I mean the bit of chipboard they call a seat. Like this style seating (I can't believe I Googled this...)

Where are the wooden panels? The only thing I see directly in front of me is the windscreen, which is some distance away. Unless you mean the wooden panels on the back of the seats on old busses. In which case, my head wouldn't bang into it unless i was alot less tall.

Yeah, but when the bus comes to an abrupt halt from 30-0MPH, you're still going to be traveling forwards at some speed and that windows which was some distance away will soon be behind you.

[Harrison]

I've often wondered who designs the upholstery on coaches and buses? They all seem to be from the 60's and 70's, even the new ones! Look at the picture Alex posted for example. Someone had to think that looks good and given it the go ahead.

You really have to wonder about the human race sometimes. And it seems these patterns are universal. You go on holiday to a distant land, and the patterns are still the same!

OK, some of the patterns in newer vehicles have adopted more subtle blues or greens into the patterns, instead of the horrible browns, yellows and oranges, but they are still the same patterns!

[AlexJ]

From the same website that picture came from:

"As a type of material moquette is extremely durable, however its strength lies not only in being resistant to ‘wear and tear’ but also remaining visibly pleasing when dirty! This is achieved by the optical trick of combining geometric patterns with bright contrasting colours which disrupt and mask the presence of dirt or stains."

"Although the design of patterns used for moquette can be both beautiful and complex, there is a rationale between what types of designs can be used on different modes of public transport. The opportunity to use dazzling and garish patterns is limited to vehicles or railway rolling stock that carries large volumes of passengers over short distances. Design patterns used for long distance travel, such as intercity train journeys have to be toned down due to the greater time spent traveling in the design environment."

So there's your answer, it's so they don't have to clean them. And they wonder why a lot of people don't like public transport.

[Harrison]

The really disturbing thing about that is that someone must have actually spend a lot of time developing those public transport pattern theories. Do they work? The seats always look and smell dirty on most public transport I've been on!

[sarek2k]

I always say that when i get the ****ed / computer / console anything else electronic but i don't drive so at least i don't get bad luck on cars (every silver cloud etc...)

[Harrison]

I couldn't imagine not being able to drive.

[AlexJ]

The really disturbing thing about that is that someone must have actually spend a lot of time developing those public transport pattern theories. Do they work? The seats always look and smell dirty on most public transport I've been on!

Well imagine what they'd be like without the disguise patterns then.

[TiredOfLife]

Time to investigate the wonders of public transport I think

Yes. Busses can probably be safer than cars. I usually feel safer on busses than in cars, although busses have been known to crash. Not always much good when you need it for work though. Or for lots of shopping.

I dunno, there don't tend to be seatbelts on buses so crash suddenly and you're flung forwards with your head smashing into a wooden panel. In a car you'd be mostly held in place with your head hitting a cushion of air. But the size of the bus means that unless it hits something equally large (like a lorry or a tree) the above scenario is unlikely to happen.

A wooden panel?

Do you live in the seventies?

[AlexJ]

A wooden panel?

Do you live in the seventies?

See above. (I meant chipboard, but couldn't remember the name for it)

[J T]

I say wooden panel, I mean the bit of chipboard they call a seat. Like this style seating (I can't believe I Googled this...)

Wow! Check out that borwn-leather look vinyl! Awesome. And the pattern. So retro.

(In fact, reminds me a bit of Life on Mars. What a good series that was).

Also, on the subject of crashes - I was on the bus a few months ago and some dozy bint stepped out right in front of it. Luckily (for her) the bus driver absolutely STOOD on the brakes and she wasn't hit. Everyone on the bus, however, was slung forward with quite some force. I was sitting upstairs at the back - right in the middle seat, reading the Metro. I ended up on the floor (not sprawled, I kind of caught myself and only went down to one knee). Annoyingly, my copy of Metro went whizzing along the floor towards the front where some git picked it up and starting reading it

I'm just glad I had finished eating my pan au raisin breakfast. I would have been mega-pissed if that had ended up on the floor.