I just wondered.........................
I've seen it lots of times, but finally decided I need to know! I was following a bus this morning, and there was an irregular bright white flash from a pair of lamps mounted adjacent to the rear lamp cluster. The almost looked like camera flash, but not particularly intense. It occurred to me to wonder if the car in front (and no, it wasn't me!!!) was getting close enough to trigger some form of rear facing camera - but that sounds rather improbable, and I don't think the flash was bright enough to act as a camera flash.
Any idea what the purpose is???
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Faulty reversing lights?
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L\'escargot.
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If it is, its a generic fault. I've seen it on most of the local buses I've followed over the last year or two. I can't believe it wouldn't have been fixed if it were a design fault.
I don't think they'd be bright enough to be reversing lights - tho' I could be wrong. I've not walked up to a bus and looked, but from a distance they look to be an LED cluster rather than a filament bulb.
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At this time of the year they could be fairy lights. ;-)
(I've heard it's politically incorrect to call them fairy lights now. How daft can you get.?)
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L\'escargot.
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I drive buses occasionally and the ones we have do not have any different lights to those on a car. Some of the much older Plaxton coaches have a destination board on the front and back of the vehicle which were normally illuminated by a fluorescent tube. I don't think the lights you saw could have been a camera - the only cameras I am aware of on buses are bus lane cameras which I think are the CCTV type rather than those with a flash (I know this because we removed a couple from 2 Routemasters we bought when they were removed from service in London). Maybe someone else will be along shortly who can 'shed some light' on this (sorry) as its going to bug me now!
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Maybe it was an autobox selector going through reverse?
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We used to have this around here, but about 10 years ago, they flashed when changing gear, well before LEDs came along. Not seen it recently.
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Can you be a tad more specific. How old are the buses concerned? How big are the lights in question? I work in the public transport sector and can't say it's ringing any bells.....
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>>I work in the public transport sector and can't say it's ringing anybells.....
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> im not getting on your bus then
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Someone had to didn't they ;-) Believe it or not I originally wrote 'ding ding, no pun intended' but decided not to bother......
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Can you be a tad more specific. ........................
Um! Buses are pretty new, and it appears that all of them do it. I didn't really pay that much attention (but I will now, the next time I see one)! The lights in question on each side above the rear light cluster, a couple of inches in dia., round and without looking closely they appear to be LED arrays. My first thought was that they are reversing lights, but when I was watching this morning there was a period when they flashed every few seconds for about 30 secs. and then stopped for a couple of minutes.
This was on a fairly straight piece of A road where I wouldn't expect it to be constantly changing gear, but I can't think of any other cause. If it was an auto box and for some reason every gear change caused the lights to flash once that would do it, possibly if it was changing up through the box as it accelerated.
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Isn't it illegal to show a white light to the rear, when travelling forward?
Guess somebody will know chapter and verse.
Neil
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No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing any light to the rear, other than a red light, except-
(a) white light from a reversing lamp;
(c) white light from a work lamp;
(d) light to illuminate the interior of a vehicle;
(e) light from an illuminated rear registration plate;
(f) light for the purposes of illuminating a taxi meter;
(g) in the case of a bus, light for the purposes of illuminating a route indicator;
Thats from the Lighting Regs which does not seem to cover what mentiioned.
Who are the operators? Can the Transport Manager be contacted to find out.
We need to know.....................................................
dvd
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See, I knew one would be along in a minute.
Neil
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I'm intrigued (sadly).
Which bus operator are we talking pvmw? Which town / city?
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I'm intrigued (sadly).
Which bus operator are we talking pvmw? Which town / city?....................
Its beginning to bug me as well.
The town is Chelmsford, the company is First. I watched for buses on the way home last night (how sad can one get?). The ones I saw were different in that they didn't have the white rear lights separate from the cluster. The one I followed before - and possibly the only time I've noticed it - was on the Stansted run and I didn't see one of them this morning. It may be the Stansted buses are a different make/model, but I don't claim expertise in bus-spotting.
It might be that its one faulty bus, and its the one I always end up following when I go to work but it seems a bit unlikely. I wish I hadn't asked the question now, I'm not going to be satisfied until I get an answer. Bother!!!!
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Maybe it was an autobox selector going through reverse?
The buses i've driven with autoboxes have a different selector to that found in a car.
They just have buttons which you push i.e. R, N, D, 3, 2, 1 - They don't have P.
A new bus might have 'up' and 'down' arrowed buttons instead of 3, 2 and 1
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>>he only cameras I am aware of on buses>>
Many bus companies have interior cameras fitted to their buses - our local Arriva has them on a large number of its fleet.
They are mostly discreetly situated.
I'm sure I've seen shots from such cameras on London buses on television/crimewatch news programmes showing an individual or a group sought for some reason or another by police or other authority..
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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My guess would be faulty reversing lights, but it shouldn't happen to every bus that you see. Unless it is a common fault.
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On the subject of buses, passed one a few weeks ago where the destination board was reading "Off to Bed Now". Made me chuckle!
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Could it be some of ligtinng or CCTV to take piccies of cars in bus lanes?
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