• Germany edition
Photo: DPA

Police seize 'ancient' bus after 1.8 million kilometres

Published: 28 Jul 10 10:35 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20100728-28787.html

Berlin police have impounded an “ancient” Latvian tour bus they found creaking along the streets of the capital with a whopping 1.8 million kilometres on the odometer, they announced Wednesday.

Officers pulled over the double-decker bus at about 3 pm Tuesday in the southwestern district of Wilmersdorf, the police said in a statement. They quickly established it had driven 1.8 million kilometres – enough to circle the earth 45 times or drive to the moon and back - twice.

Even on a cursory examination, they found numerous defects with the old vehicle, including faulty brakes, tyres worn down to the fabric, a cracked windscreen and major rusting to load-bearing parts of the chassis. They also found a spare fuel tank mounted in the luggage compartment.

The driver was the only person in the bus at the time it was pulled over. He was relieved of responsibility of the vehicle, which was immediately impounded.

The Local (news@thelocal.de)

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11:15 July 28, 2010 by MonkeyMania
Yet again the Local does not give us enough information to go on. Was the bus in service as a tour bus, public transport in any way? Or was it driven privately and converted into a "Wohnwagon"?
11:40 July 28, 2010 by William Thirteen
well the police didn't specify exactly how the bus was being used, though they did refer to it as a Tour bus

http://www.berlin.de/polizei/presse-fahndung/archiv/304343/index.html
11:49 July 28, 2010 by Nathaniel
I marvel at how much time the German police have to chase down these vehicles.
12:14 July 28, 2010 by Alofat
@Nathaniel: You would be amazed what you can do when you don't drive over woman while chasing someone with an "open container", or beat someone up for taking a picture of you and electrocuting an autistic kid because you can't handle him must also be a real time-consuming feat. Believe it or not but checking cars, buses or trucks is was actual police does.
14:50 July 28, 2010 by cklb
absolutely agreed with hoare-spitall! My dads Volkswagen had 340.000km when he sold it and I bet it was much safer than other cars with just 150.000km, as it was maintained well. Mileage doesn't really matter for safety, as long as it is taken care of the vehicle.
16:07 July 28, 2010 by Bushdiver
You all are missing the point. Practically 2 million kilometers is a feat in it's own. I doubt most of the newer vehicles built today would last near as long, even with replacing the engine and drive train. To even make it as far as it did and survived any major accidents.
16:31 July 28, 2010 by JohnnesKönig
Yes not enough information! Not even pictures... Good story still.
17:19 July 28, 2010 by marimay
Should have let him try to make it to 2 million. Party-poopers!
17:25 July 28, 2010 by Canadianhaggis
Wow my ford truck gave up after 12 years and 230,000 kilometers
18:08 July 28, 2010 by snorge
All they had to say was "Latvian Bus" and the rest of the story would have been obvious lol....
23:41 July 28, 2010 by malinens
Guys, please find some pictures. We Latvians also want to see this bus. Many even want this bus to be put in our biggest motormuseum :D
14:15 July 29, 2010 by martveid
Bilder: http://www.bz-berlin.de/bezirk/wilmersdorf/polizei-stoppt-schrott-auf-raedern-article933409.html
21:02 July 29, 2010 by ReaderX
Well I'm not sure how they do it in Latvia but the odometer is tied to the engine, or transmission on automatics. So technically new engine/transmission, new odometer.

So the motor (and every other part) could very well been replaced several times in the course of this bus' life.

But it is somewhat sad to see something like that put to a junkyard. Maybe it does deserver a "retirement" spot in the Latvian museum.
04:16 July 30, 2010 by DavidtheNorseman
Thank you for the link to the pics, martvied!

From the look of those pictures the Police saved lives. Whatever the odometer read that thing was unsafe from those pictures.
00:07 August 1, 2010 by OmaBird
hech54, get a life, OK?

My husband's 1992 Chevy pickup truck has nearly 350,000 miles on it. He has NEVER replaced the engine, and has only had the transmission overhauled once, and that was because he knowingly abused it once, by towing too heavy a load.

They truly don't make them like they used to.
03:47 August 1, 2010 by wenddiver
I never sell or trade my vehicles, just buy new ones. One of my favorites is a 1997 Ford Ranger Pick-Up whose Odometer broke at 400,000 Miles! I do replace break pads, Oil Filters and Spark Plugs though! An excellent vehicle, I drive it through muddy fields hunting, cross small creeks and tow small boats with it. It is truely a friend for life, and if you say Ford Truck my Dog will jump in it. I imagine you have made an enemy of the Latvian for taking away such a Loyal Friend. I will not drive near any German Police. Maybe we can get a German Police Charity to fix it up and return it???????
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