<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Vectis" class="extiw" title="en:Southern Vectis">Southern Vectis</a> 314 <i>Wedge Rock</i> (HW54 BUV), a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Dart" class="extiw" title="en:Dennis Dart">Dennis Dart SLF</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaxton_Pointer" class="extiw" title="en:Plaxton Pointer">Plaxton Pointer MPD</a>, in Fountain Quay (Cowes Pontoon to the locals), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowes" class="extiw" title="en:Cowes">Cowes</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Wight" class="extiw" title="en:Isle of Wight">Isle of Wight</a>, on route 1. It is seen after being greeted by an angry mob of passengers waiting for a bus to go via the Park &amp; Ride. Buses on route 1 return to Newport via the opposite routeing on which they arrived at Cowes. This bus went to Cowes via the Park &amp; Ride, so was due to go back to Newport via the Round House, as had been programmed into the destination display. However, it turned out that, for some reason, the bus before this, which was meant go to via the Park &amp; Ride, actually went via the Round House. This meant that, had 314 gone back via the Round House as planned, three route 1s in a row would have gone the Round House way, leaving an hour's gap Newport-bound on the Park &amp; Ride section (the Sunday evening frequency is only every 15 minutes). Therefore, the driver phoned up control and asked whether he should change and go back the Park &amp; Ride way. Control agreed, so he did. However, this was extremely annoying for me, as knowing I'd have to wait another 15 minutes at Newport bus station otherwise, I caught this bus, after working out that it would get to Cowes, turn round and go past the Round House before the next bus from Newport would. However, as it changed to go back via the Park &amp; Ride, I had to walk back instead. This was made even more galling by the fact that 1) had I known I'd have got off at the Park &amp; Ride as it would have been quicker to walk back, and 2) the next bus from Newport <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southern_Vectis_302_HW54_BTV_and_Cowes_Park_Road.JPG" title="File:Southern Vectis 302 HW54 BTV and Cowes Park Road.JPG">drove past me</a> while I was walking back, so in actual fact it would have been quicker to wait 15 minutes in Newport for the next bus. Of course, two wrongs don't make a right, so, while by diverting 314 via the Park &amp; Ride avoided an hour's gap on that section, it actually meant that an hour's wait was created on the Round House section. While I was walking back, I told seven people that because of what had happened, the next bus would actually be in half an hour, so while the change in plans pleased a handful of people down at the Pontoon, it messed up a lot more people spread over other bus stops. This sort of chaos is regular on route 1.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Arriva436" title="User:Arriva436">Arriva436</a>
CC BY 3.0
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>