Skip to main content

What Drivers Think When a Bus Crashes Into a River

Image
By

You Don’t Need to Be in the Cab to Feel It: A crash like that echoes through every depot. We weren’t there. But we know the weight of the wheel.

I’m not a double deck driver. I wasn’t there. And I won’t claim to know what happened near Eastleigh yesterday, not with investigations still ongoing. But like a lot of us in the seat, I felt that cold drop in my gut.

There’s something about seeing one of ours, uniformed, behind the wheel, doing the job, caught in a headline that starts with “crash” and ends with “students injured.” You feel it. Not because you know the full story (you don’t), but because you know the pressure, the road, the weight of that responsibility.

Most of us go our whole careers without facing anything like that. We hope to keep it that way. But that doesn’t stop your mind from going there. Doesn't stop you wondering, What would I do? Would I have seen it coming? Could I have changed anything?

The truth is, buses are heavy things. We drive them through tight spaces, unpredictable traffic, and distraction everywhere, while carrying lives. And when something goes wrong, it tends to go wrong loudly.

I don’t know what caused that crash. And I won’t speculate. But I do know this: there are a lot of drivers out here today taking that extra pause at the brake check. Clocking a little more caution in the wet. Feeling a little more seen, but also more vulnerable.

To the passengers affected, and their families: I’m sorry. No one boards a bus expecting fear. You deserved a smooth, boring journey.

To the driver: I won’t speak for you. But I hope you're getting the support you need. The rest of us are thinking about you, quietly, respectfully, and more often than we’ll admit aloud.

Because we all felt it.

Further Reading

A cracked black bus steering wheel floats upright in still water, with gentle ripples radiating outward. The image is sparse and sombre.

For those seeking verified updates or official information about the Eastleigh crash, here are some trusted sources:

Meta Description: A driver’s honest reflection after the Eastleigh bus crash, no answers, just empathy and the fear we rarely voice aloud.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rolling Chronicles: Life, Lanes, and Lessons from the Driver’s Seat

By
As a city bus driver, I'm not just steering through traffic, I'm navigating a sea of stories, personalities, and unexpected moments. From heartfelt conversations to the chaos of the commute, every ride is an unscripted adventure. So, join me behind the wheel as we dive into the life and lanes of public transport, where every journey has a tale to tell. Navigating the City Through Stories: The Bus Driver’s Perspective on Life and Lanes Public transit isn’t just about getting from point A to B, it’s a living, breathing network of people, stories, and unexpected moments. This blog is where bus drivers, transport pros, and curious passengers come together, sharing experiences from behind the wheel and beyond. As a city bus driver, I’m more than just a navigator, I’m a storyteller, a streetwise sage, and sometimes even an impromptu therapist. Every shift is an unscripted adventure, filled with colourful characters, urban rhythms, and the occasional bit of chaos. From late-night conf...
Post a Comment
Read more

Route Learning Log: Service 21 – Clovenstone to Royal Infirmary

By
I’ve never driven the 21, but I already know its rhythm: the sharp inhale before a narrow turn, the lull of wide suburban streets, the murmur of students crossing in Sighthill, and the quiet expectation of reaching the Royal Infirmary.  Today, it exists only in my notebook, in imagined brake lights and familiar smells of the city, as I try to memorise six sections of Edinburgh one careful corner at a time. Clovenstone to Sighthill – The Estate Escape Clovenstone’s your starting pistol, low-rise flats, stairwells, and the sound of doors shutting just as you pull up. Wester Hailes Park and Hailesland Place blend into each other with that west Edinburgh rhythm: plenty of crossing points, kids darting across the grass shortcuts, and the odd shopping trolley that’s somehow migrated half a mile from the supermarket. Murrayburn Park brings more of the same before Westside Plaza appears, part shopping centre, part social hub, part clock you can set your watch by. From there, Calder Drive s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Homework Run: Scouting Service 4 from Queen Margaret University to Snowsports Centre

By
From coastline breezes to hilltop views, I’m plotting the perfect route, before I’ve even touched the steering wheel. Crossing Edinburgh without leaving my chair: A homework journey on Service 4. A desk-chair journey across Edinburgh, from campus calm to Pentland peaks, undertaken with nothing but a stop list, an overactive imagination, and the faint hope that the live version won’t involve too much swearing. Section 1: The Academic Warm-Up We start at Queen Margaret University, a place where the roads are wide, the air is fresh, and the biggest hazard is probably a student wandering out mid-scroll on their phone. From Queen Margaret Drive to Milton Link, it’s all fairly civilised, the sort of stretch where you think, I could do this all day. Then comes Corbiewynd and Parrotshot. According to Street View, these are perfectly normal residential turns. But I’ve driven enough “normal” turns to know they can become “hold-my-coffee” moments once real-life Edinburgh drivers get involved. By ...
Post a Comment
Read more