I have today witnessed the very best of Arriva NE at Bishop Auckland
bus station.  Service 108 (operated by 1527) sitting just off the
stand, driverless, at 1455.  About 20 passengers stood waiting for 1500
departure.

At 1518, a driver (brought into the bus station by private car,
ignoring the "no entry, buses only" signage) goes to 1527, sets the
destination blind to "108 Private" (previously 108 Spennymoor) and
drives the bus from the stand.  Another bus (a 'decker) is prepared by
Bus Station Controller and another driver and pulls around from the
layover bay to the same position that 1527 was stood.  He then sorts
out his ticket machine before pulling onto the stop and eventually
loading passengers, showing "108 Willington" on the blind.

No word of explaination was given to these poor souls, waiting in the
cold at the top bus stand by either the Bus Station Controller (who
knew there was some sort of problem), nor by either of the two drivers.
 Surely the bus could have been removed from the stand by the
Controller, whilst explaining the reason for the missing 1500
departure.

Has anyone else witnessed or experienced such poor customer relations?
Does anyone else who knows the situation in Bishop Auckland think that
things are a lot worse now that Arriva have the monopoly?

Markyboy