The above expression was coined of course by The Inbetweeners to great comic effect but what follows is at the other end of the spectrum of mirth. A Bristol bus driver has been sentenced to 17 months in prison afer using his bus as a weapon to knock a cyclist off the road. Watch the video and read the full story on the BBC website. Beyond belief. I will use the opportunity of this dreadful story to to mention my own bus w*****. I never mentioned the incident on this blog at the time it happened – two weeks ago tomorrow – as I thought I would give Reading Buses time to take some action. But they have been silent ever since I spoke to their customer relations department on Friday 3rd February and sent the follow-up email below on the 5th February;

“At around 7:10 am I was cycling north through Caversham. I crossed the river using Reading Bridge and turned left at the junction with Gosbrook Road. As I neared the Fox & Hounds pub (just opposite the turning right into Westfield Road), I had been caught up by one of the ‘Vitality’ buses. The road is quite narrow at that point and I needed to turn right to go up Westfield Road. I signalled to turn right and moved into the centre of the road. There was an on-coming vehicle and I was not able to turn right immediately however the bus behind me didn’t appear to be slowing down. I gestured with my hand (politely!) that he should do so but I felt obliged to slightly overshoot the turning. I then turned right and once on Westfield Road made a swirling motion at my right temple to indicate that I thought his actions were crazy. He seemed, from my perspective, to be far too close to me before I had turned. The incident at that point finished and I continued to the top of Westfield Road where as the light was red, I waited opposite the Prince of Wales pub. The same Vitality bus passed the pub heading up Peppard Road after having climbed Prospect Street. He looked at me and ‘gave me the finger’.”