this post was submitted on 12 May 2024
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I never liked those busses. They were wannabe busses, so wanting to be a route master of old but none of the practicality of one. All show and no trousers, so to speak. Plus, they probably cost a mint to build and by due the customizations.
They’re certainly striking-looking, and did a reasonable job of echoing the design of the classic Routemaster (similarly to BMW’s Cooper Mini revival), though because of the bespoke nature, were a lot less cost-effective than a standard solution, which had to come from taxes and fares. And then there were the design flaws: the poor cooling (which led some to nickname it the Roastmaster), and the original plan for always-open rear doors which had to be ditched upon colliding with common sense.
You sort of want to collar Johnson and tell him, “for God’s sake, just build a folly in the grounds of your stately home like a normal eccentric toff”
I recall the original routemasters were baking hot and uncomfortable too, so in a way they carried on the tradition.
Yep. Another Boris boondoggle.