Driving that huge bus on those tight places looks incredibly hard, and incredibly fun! Amazing machines those buses. Great driving. Love the motor cycle cops.
James, this was awesome! I really enjoy watching your trip videos. Please give a thank you to the other 2 drivers for allowing me to have Jimmy Johns with you guys lol! Be safe.
This is cool. We had a short skinny bus driver for a week in Ireland, he was great, what a positive attitude. He shared the traditional spiel but his extended commentary about how the past events shaped his homeland today. I have pictures, which I won’t share although he looks like a stereotypical “Leprechaun” except he never shared his gold.
Great vid James, loved the humour at the start lol. So nice to see your wife and kids - more importantly they brought you food, always good! How cool was that to have a police escort - but what an honour though! One trip you won't forget!
Thank you for the tribute to Lt. Landers, his job was his life. He was in the pinnacle of his career commanding a new unit that focused on mental health needs that police deal with. He was also the area’s bomb squad commander and all around good guy. Tragically his life was taken by a drunk driver. The impact he had on law enforcement in central Illinois will last for a very long time.
I drove the lead bus of 4 buses filled with the family members of firemen who died in the world trade center collapse. We were taking them to the unveiling of the names on the firefighters memorial. We had state police escorts in each state from the Port Authorities headquarters to the hotel in DC. When we got to Maryland we also had secret service escorts. It was quite the drive. We were able to go 75 to 80 mph going thru the Baltimore tunnel. They escorted us right into the parking lot of the hotel we were all staying in while there for the weekend. It was an honor to be able to be the lead bus for such an occasion.
We do a lot of escort driving as our company is the motorcoach provider for our local NFL team. Yes, it's fun, but you still have to keep your head on a swivel looking out for four-wheelers who might not be paying attention (or just driving like knuckleheads). A HUGE tip of the hat to the CHP motor officers (and all officers everywhere) who do such an awesome job of getting us from point A to point B!!!
I did a 3 bus move once from Nassau ny to coney Island, one of the chaperone's husband was a big shot in the NYPD, and his friends from Nassau have us an Eckert from the school to the baseball stadium. They had us on the bell parkway. to this day, the most fun I've had behind the wheel of a bus.
Fellow Toyota guy here (T4R) beautiful rides(s)! I worked DPS for THE Ohio State University for a while and the bus escorts for events and game days were so fun.
Funny story when Illinois played Nebraska in 22 I had a little paint transfer with that bus when I pulled I. With the Illinois team at memorial stadium. It was either that one or the sleeper Illini wrapped bus
The best of both worlds for me: I spent quite a few miles driving ambulances as well as school busses. Thanks for bringing us along ... would have enjoyed breakfast with you guys, too. ;-)
Just found this channel; I work as a driver on London Buses (in the suburbs, currently), and am surprised you don't have to wear a high-vis vest in the depot? Also - yeah, food and coffee :) Buses run on diesel, drivers run on c o f f e e 🤣 Cheers from south London, UK :)
You really inspiring me James .I’m a bus driver from Sydney .i love my job and you make me more enjoy what I am doing .Thanks James .Please keep upload more vlog about your work .cheers mate
Underrated channel. If I could give you some advice, it would be great if you subtitled the or their bus drivers talking through the radio, because their kinda hard to hear. Other than than that it’s a great vid! You earned a Subscriber 🎉🎉
I just love that your co-workers support you thorught this and I really like the chill about your videos. Well, this is a first for me so you decerve a sub from me. Continue to bring up such good content. I'm loving it!
Hi , I love to drive with the bus , we always go to Lloret de mar with solar tours from holland , is so relaxing, Al I have to do is sit and relax , and enjoy the ride 🥰 greets from holland Fabienne 🌷
Many family members did-W Charles in Champaign and S Vine in Urbana. I spent many memorable summer months as a kid visiting them and the family farm in Mansfield.
Hey James I'm already on your other channel. Didn't know you had this one. Police escorts. Been there done that a few times.When I was running charters in the DC Metro area I would do the "Honor Flights". These were flights that carried WW II veterans free of charge. We would pick them up at National Airport in Arlington VA. We would always get a police escort from there right to the WW II Memorial but once we arrived we were on our own. One time while at the Lincoln Memorial 3 of us were parked on the back side of the block. Everything was fine for almost an hour. Out of nowhere this overweight woman US Park cop. came up to my bus and started going off on the group leader telling him to move the bus. I saw this and asked her why she was yelling. I told her I was the driver and she growled at me to move the bus. I said I couldn't. I had the only coach with a wheelchair lift and that my passengers were WW II Vets that were over 90 years old. That didn't phase her in the least. I could see steam coming off the top of her head.. I asked for her supervisor twice. When she did it 5 minutes later 2 park police ride up on horseback. I told them what was going on and they then told the woman to back off. I highly doubt she ever severed and she showed a total disrespect for those that did. Her sargent was a Marine Vet and was totally understanding. He waited around when the groups were getting ready to load up and just about thanked everyone of them and assented me with loading those in wheelchairs. The other 2 coaches also had wheelchair VETs but they were able to get on under there own power. Those wheelchairs were folded and place in the back of my coach. It was a long day and at the end they all went back to National Airport and flew back home. Delta Airlines flies the vets along with an escort for no charge. DC is a strange city when it comes to police. There is at least a dozen or more from the local MPD to all the different federal agencies.. This was a major snafu when it came to Jan 6 2021. The capitol have their own police and MPD could not respond to the capitol just the surrounding areas. Lots of confusion. .
Police escorts are cool! I was part of one a few years ago in Jacksonville FL. My son’s marching band was part of the halftime performance at the Taxslayer bowl. There were about 30-40 coaches as well as myself driving the band equipment truck. We met at a local high school for rehearsal and then we were escorted to the stadium on local streets and the interstate. Pretty cool to be a part of it
An escort really wasn't needed for most of these trips. What's wrong with the coaches just making their way to wherever they need to be without police having to stop traffic? They shouldn't really need their sirens on, this is not an emergency. As a driver myself in the U.K., we just drive where we need to go. If that means sitting at a junction and waiting our turn, so be it. We are no more important than other road users. Other than that, I do love the coaches, they look incredible and very comfy to drive.
How much does a brand new MCI j4500 Prevost h3-45 and Vanhool Cx-45 cost. Looking to start my own motor coach company. Have been trying to ever since I was 5.
I can't believe they didn't like the Vito! It's such an awesome sandwich. The Vito and the Bootlegger are the only two I every really get from JJ's. Also you are spot on about the bread. I've had several people tell me they don't like the bread there. I say they don't know what they are missing. Also nice production quality. Good use of camera angles and what not. It almost feels like a live video when you are driving and a bit of a 3D experience. Peace.
I had a few trips with Police Escorts. Some of them were fun such as the trip with a high school girls basketball team. One of the players sister was a State Trooper who got me to the game in record time. I've never gone that fast in a bus!! My favorite was when I got to transport the visiting teams who were playing the Red Sox's. Spent some quality time parked inside Fenway, got to see some pretty good games and getting around Boston was a breeze! Others were a bit somber. The last one being a fire fighters funeral. That one hit hard as the city has experienced the same tragedy not that many years previous.
Did a few police escorts back in the day. One time was one of the vehicles coming across a rolled over coach with numerous injuries. My bus was 1/2 full. My passengers were put in the back and the front half became a triage area. Then got an escorted to a trauma centre. Another occasion, drove flat out from Niagara Falls to Toronto Airport to evacuate a 747 plane with a bomb threat. No police escorted, but dispatcher told me I wouldn't see any police. Got to the airport just as the plane landed, then the fun began for the next 4 hours. Did several other police related work incidents and no matter what you did, nothing negative would happen. Just following the direction of a police officer - lol
Hey James, amazing video both the production and content. And great respects to Lt. Landers! Does Peoria operate the two Illinois buses for the university? Or how does that deal work? Beautiful coaches btw!
Hi Mark. Thanks for your kind words. We have four buses painted in that livery. Two orange two Blue. We typically use them for U of I Athletics. But when they're not being used for the University, we put them on other trips.
Nice video, I have never driven a coach certainly a twin axel, but I have driven long artic trailers, I was an Class One HGV driver in the UK. But I must express my concern over parts of your driving, using the palms of your hands to steer at times and adjusting the height of the steering wheel while the coach is in motion.
I miss driving my coach bus here in Atlanta. They just paid too low. I was making $16.48/HR. I'm definitely looking again. Drove a city bus 2 years as well
I once drove, at the request of police, under police direction, with a police escort and without the proper licence, a 1938 London double decker bus. The police wanted it moved and I was willing to drive it “under police direction” even though I didn’t have a bus endorsement on My commercial heavy vehicle licence. In the passenger area behind Me I had 4 police officers, upstairs I had 8 police officers and surrounding Me I had 8 police officers on motorcycles escorting Me. Two weeks after My drive, the Department of Motor Vehicles requested I bring My commercial heavy vehicle licence into their office so that an endorsement for double decker bendy buses could be added to My drivers licence, following a request from police. At the time We didn’t even have double decker bendy buses in Our state.
I would really love some more POV. I have driven MTA buses, but never a express or coach bus, and would love to know the experience. Right now, I operate trains, but I would love to see your POV. Thanks!
Hey Gaming lounge. Thanks for the comment. I actually made a video that goes into the dash layout and what every button does in my other channel. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WeiPjISgpgg.html
When you asked have you ever seen a skinny bus driver? I said yes. 2 ppl In fact. Tho both had two different issues going on in that particular bus yard in my city. One woman who had moderate hip dysplasia she can’t afford to gain weight so to not cause injury to her hips she took very good care of herself and another was an older woman who was very lean with a very athletic body type she was an avid long distance runner who enjoyed cycling and long distance endurance running as a hobby when she’s not driving. So yes, the rest of the drivers are sadly overweight I’m on that path myself so I need to take care of myself. Bus driver weight gain is real. Best shape I ever was in I was working at some dead end warehouse unloading trucks in the middle of a hot summer and for 10 hours straight I had to lift boxes and sweat like hell but it didn’t pay very well sadly. The work was good but pay was horrible.
