What did you do during bus spotting?
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Share with us on how you would normally do your bus spotting while on the roads. Points to consider are:
- What preparations did you make prior to your start of bus spotting
- Where did you start off from; where do you like to go to
- What did you take for your bus spotting (e.g. Camera, Water Bottle)
- How do you dress up for a bus spotting
Or any other relevant points which are of significance to you.
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For me, I would always have a system of doing bus spotting in mind. A few days before my actual bus spotting, I would always look at the map and the Transitlink guide so that I know the fastest solution to get to a particular place (with sufficient hot spots that bus photographers would target). Of course I would also ask questions here in this forum.
A few hours/minutes before going out, I prepare my stuff needed for my bus spotting. I carry along a black pouch (which I normally hang it around my neck), with important things such as my camera (for taking photos of buses), my handphone (to contact with other bus fans/my parents should something happens on the road) and a small A6 size notebook, which fits snugly into my pouch. I also bring an umbrella should there be rain, and extra items such as extra batteries and memory cards (will be adding in some first aid kit to my pouch soon). Before I go out, I ensure that I have sufficient water to last me for the whole journey as I do not normally bring a small water bottle - it adds to my load.
I would normally start with a Service 225 bus, if I'm lucky enough I may be on SBS 3721J, or I may be on other buses. I whip out my notebook and pen before the bus comes (if I have time), and I tap my EZ-Link card without having to do the troublesome way of having to take out the EZ-Link card to tap. On my notebook, I would usually write all the three usual bus stuffs such as cameos, new adverts and rides. Sometimes I even record the behaviour of our bus fans or other people who may be hindering the bus operations/saying about our buses. When I reach my desired place, I take out my camera and start taking whatever I can.
Out on the roads, the situations may suddenly change unexpectedly. In handling this, if I miss the bus, I just let it miss and have a go on another day. Sometimes I receive news (say rare cameos) from other people. If I have the time and I am at another place where the particular bus is out of reach of my area, I would call up my parents and request permission from them to go to the particular place. If not, I have to leave it alone and I just let myself regret for not taking picture of that bus. It happens to me most of the time, one example is SBS 8018Z cameo on 58. I was in Tampines when I received the message in the afternoon. I thought of asking my parents to let me go to Pasir Ris to take photos of the rare cameo but they did not allow me to go. In the end I just regretted of not taking the opportunity to have a photo of it (But anyway I'm still young).
When I come back home I take my 225W again, sometimes it can be Service 17. When I come home, I take a rest first before starting to sort out my spottings of the day.
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Different people do different things. What is yours? -
Preparations? At most is plan what service to take or what time at which interchanges/terminals.
Usually I would choose those places with a lot of crossover services, such as Bt Panjang and Woodlands Regional Interchange for SMRT, then for SBS Transit would be interchanges like Clementi and Tampines...
Take for bus spotting? Just normally how I hang out with friends lor... All the standard stuffs which I do not need to say it here ba.... Camera is included of course...
Dress up for bus spotting? Normally is casual attire ba....
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I don't really go out too far from where I live, and further more Svc. 900 plys beside my house so I am able to go down as and when I like. The first time I targeted the rigid cameo on 900, TIB588D, which coincidentially is my first actual bus pic. So I targeted all 4 buses next time and then now I am left with 2 more perms, TIB904A and TIB1222C. Today my plan is to go out and catch TIB1166G which is on 900 today.
Yesterday I actually was aiming for TIB1161U on 900. My plan was to catch it first before moving on to 962 area then 912. In the end I changed the plan; I went to 962's side first, and then when I saw TIB1161U I went to the route of svc. 900. Only then I walked to 912's route and then, unexpectedly, to 901. Its pretty obvious that the 2nd plan was much better because you hit two birds with 1 stone. You can take pictures of 962 buses before the main target comes in.
Since I go to near places for bus spotting I would only take 2 to 4 items along with me. My camera, my wallet, my watch (if I am just going to the bus stop downstairs I wouldn't take it) and my handphone (same as the watch)
Attire? Obviously casual. Don't tell me you are going to where a suit and a tie to go and take pictures?
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Or in UniformOriginally posted by TIB1049L:Attire? Obviously casual. Don't tell me you are going to where a suit and a tie to go and take pictures? -
very simple
1) preperations: where to go. from there, see what buses i want to take
2) start from home
3) bring water bottle, camera, bus guide, umbrella
4) attire: obviously... casual -
I just came up here an hour ago. Without a water bottle its seriously troublesome. My throat is simply too dry and I had to come bac to take a 5 mins water break and go down again
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If i receive news about certain rare or not so rare cameos(on my fav svcs), i will just go to somewhere along the route where i am nearest to and wait if i have much time. If in abit of rush or not so free then i will take a bus of the same svc either in same or opposite dierection of the cameo and try to spot it opposite. If seen opposite, alight from bus and chiong(For small roads) or use timetable to check when its arriving again. If not use MRT to speed up process if can. If bus is only a few bus behind the bus im in, i will just wait.
Dressing wise casual loh, unless attended some formal event and want to spot cameo.
I bring camera along and sometimes water. No need bring notebook/bus guide but rather timetables of svc with long long frequencies
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I got one question for you all: How do you guys spot a xover? I'm talking those perm ones and not the ad-hoc/emergency ones. Or you guys havent spot a xover before?
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See BC. (Filters out those unable to drive the X over route)Originally posted by service_238:I got one question for you all: How do you guys spot a xover? I'm talking those perm ones and not the ad-hoc/emergency ones. Or you guys havent spot a xover before?
See Rego.
See Timing. -
School Uniform?Originally posted by Volvo Olympian:Or in Uniform Army?.....
If I know that B9 has 119, I will quickly come down in my sch uniform with slippers. This will only happen if I have not changed my attire -
Whats wrong with spotting while wearing your uniform ? lols..Originally posted by Volvo Olympian:Or in Uniform -
I ever did chase after the Dart on Service 58 in my formal wear, but never wear tie and suit at that time....Originally posted by TIB1049L:Don't tell me you are going to where a suit and a tie to go and take pictures? -
1 - Joyride
2 - Photography
3 - Spotting Advertisments and taking photo of them
4 - Looking out for good food -
my case i hunt bus by rego.. for now.
prepare/plan ; decide want to do what kind of spotting?
1) picture taking mode only
2) cameo running after mode
3) normal trips / joyride
4) new service try out
5) whack targets in list mode.
then...
think where want go whack the bus.
place selected must have many possible cameos can appear. after that think cheapest and fastest way there. map it down n save it into brain. then proceed out at some certain time .
armed with good knowledge of which bus are cameo which r perm. bus come i just scan the rego can tell. info will appear suprimposed on bus . (i watch too much CSI)
for particular rego target. know what perm service. know shift type. if S shift no point i come out at 11am go out spot he bus. if know timing is best.. always awared of school holiday timings n other factors like possible downroute use for bus that can affect bus shifts.
For example 1158 on 106 is a downroute bus. hard to catching but i got it during its perm timing. lucky it was not late that day.
bring: umbrella, bottle water, camera, HP. no need bus guide or maps. use brain. (come on lah 20 years spotting bus already still dunno the routes got problem right?)
records: dun give a crap to my own rides. just care cameo. record in phone.
plan B: a cameo pop up.
got cameo message come via SMS. decided if feasible to chase. if not suck thumb. If so and brain say YES go! open the "target locking system" in brain. lock target. count/estimate run time n then intercept with a error of 5 mins.
(one time i intercept about 45 sec before bus come. i dun usually like these close shaves but i simple hate waiting for cameo buses to come ...sometimes...)
camp (wait for target, suck thumb n camp coz want this target badly ) ; for hard targets...camp like mad until target come. if any cameo appear b4 targets come. whack.
ads; i dun care ads now. but just note the ad and log it into brain for some buses.that i like. the Ad system now also form part of my tracking system. suppose SBS127T has Prison break new season ads. and i want that bus. obviously i would look out for a bus with prison break new season ads on that service and track them. (account for meal breaks n jump bus duties)
some services run bus in depot blocks. for eg on 169 i noticed a AMKDEp big block then the WLDEp block appear. so if my bus is ia WLDEp bus obviously i would whack the 169 where the WLDEp buses are appear. this is helpful in deciding which side of 169 route i wish to camp.
ZYX -
now also becoz of adult fares high high,, i will only insist on taking buses that i like. which i feel make my money is worth.
i am a very fussy person as u can tell.
ZYX -
My most precious pic to date is 364H on 854.
That was pure luck. I camped at hougang taking as many pics as I can when suddenly I saw the U31 in my face.
Typically if I went on a trip like this to take pics, it is usually with a theme. My last mission was to capture images of the HG training buses, as well as 854 buses, as well as the 0405s.
To get all that, I walked approximately 6km the entire Saturday afternoon because I didn't want the same background for my pics. In the end though, it was worth it, but rather tiring. -
Usually I will copy down using a piece of rough paper then do bus spotting along the SMRT territory first and on various occasions the SBST areas. IMO, the SMRT is simpler to jot down cameos than SBST.
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For me, I got very detailed plan on copying timesheets. I usually predict 1 or 2 weeks in advance, which bus to copy timesheets from. I usually target the Standby BCs, because I think the perm 179 BCs recognize me too much already...
There are 4 empty timeslots on 179. They are taken by Standby BCs everyday. SBST not enough BCs already.
Then must plan very well too, because there are actually 2 timesheets for each duty, they are used on alternate days.
99% of the time, the timings printed are the same on each day, but got some special ones, like some 255 buses using Weekday timetable one day, then Special1 timetable the next. Then alternate everyday. -
I just remember the fixed timing like 465A, 525K and 1139K.Originally posted by service_238:I got one question for you all: How do you guys spot a xover? I'm talking those perm ones and not the ad-hoc/emergency ones. Or you guys havent spot a xover before?
It would be 1139K, 465A, 525K. Thats why I always catch 465A