I had reason to complain about a bus recently. Rather than recounting the tale it's probably easier to show you the email I sent to the bus company involved.

Dear sirs

I have to say that in general I find the LRT bus drivers to be much much better than their counterparts at FirstBus and Stagecoach, although whether driving, walking or cycling I find the ‘manoeuvre, signal, mirror’ bus driving method a little disconcerting.

Tonight I encountered an LRT bus with the registration SM52 DGT at around 5.45-5.55pm. He pulled out from a stop at the east end of Princes Street without looking to see that I was about to overtake (I was on a bike, with very bright front and rear lights, and a bright orange jacket). To be honest, you get used to this cycling in the city (and driving really) so I didn’t think much of it and simply pulled in behind as we rolled to the red light at the junction between Princes Street and North Bridge.

The light was already red when the driver pulled from the stop. We were both in the left lane to go straight ahead, and knowing there was time before the lights changed again I pulled into the right lane to move into the ASL at the lights in the left lane. Halfway past the bus I realized he had stopped fully in the ASL (the light being red I’m sure I don’t need to let you know that this is actually an endorsable offence! – Highway Code rule 178). I carried on and pulled in front of the bus as there was traffic behind and it would have been dangerous to turn back, and in the right hand lane it would have been an offence for me to then carry straight on as I intended.

I pulled away as the lights turned green, and moved behind two cars at the next set of lights just as they turned green for us all to move onto Waterloo Place. I moved slightly left in order to allow traffic to pass once we were onto Waterloo Place, but was easily keeping pace with the car in front (20-25mph). Your driver clearly wasn’t happy with the car in front and flashed at it (either to speed up or move over). Moving over was the option chosen.