Aside from being crime-ridden, non-reversing, combustible, poorly-designed eyesores, we can sadly add another category to the list of faults with the bendy bus: potential deathtrap.
21-year old Lee Beckwith was exiting the N25 route in Ilford early on Tuesday morning, when he apparently fell under the wheels of the bus. The driver, who was subsequently arrested, failed to notice the presence of a fully-grown man lodged beneath his vehicle, and drove off with Mr. Beckwith trapped underneath. After more than a mile the body became dislodged and was later found by a passer-by.
A TfL spokesperson noted that bus fatalities are very rare - "one for every 100 million miles operated", apparently - yet according to their own statistics, pedestrians and cyclists are more likely to be hit by a bendy bus than any other type. Perhaps Boris Johnson's lofty promise to bring back Routemaster will be a vote-winner after all.
Image from iwouldstay's Flickrstream
