Bus Drivers’ Masonic wave

[Roger Mexico]

Just now, Capt_Mainwaring said:

Why would a bus stop where no one wanted on or off, if it was on time or indeed running a bit late?

Because at one time there was a difference between (scheduled) bus stops and bus request stops.  They would stop automatically at the former but you had to signal for them to stop at request stops, which were often specifically marked as such.  The scheduled ones would also act as time marker where a bus running ahead of timetable would  stop to get back on time[1] and of course they were usually the busier ones, so it would be likely that someone would get on or off  The system probably derives from the railways where trains will automatically stop at most stations, but some lesser-used ones have to be requested.

I suppose the idea with buses was that people  knew that a bus would leave from X at Y time, rather than see it sail past just as you got to the bus stop on time.  However they now seemed to have stopped the convention and are treating all stops as request stops.  Incidentally this will apply to passengers already on the bus who will have to ring the bell rather than assuming that the bus will stop anyway.

[1]  This is why buses sometimes wait several minutes at the Airport, even if no one has got on or off.