On the Buses (1971) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Stan worries that hiring women drivers will reduce overtime shifts, which are his main source of extra income. His family relies on overtime pay to cover hire-purchase payments for appliances like a washing machine, and with more drivers available, those extra hours would disappear.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Stan is shown fretting about the company's plan to hire more workers, fearing his overtime will dry up.

• Stan Butler
• women drivers
• overtime
• job security
• bus company

Stan and Jack sabotage the women drivers to protect their carefree lifestyle and prevent the changes that come with a new workforce. They view the women as a threat to their job security and easygoing routine, so they deliberately try to make the women look incompetent.

Foreshadowing: After the rule change is approved, Stan and Jack openly grumble about losing their easygoing lifestyle.

• Stan
• Jack
• sabotage
• women drivers
• prank

Olive loses her job because she discovers she is pregnant, and the company policy at the time apparently terminates pregnant employees. This forces the Butler family to return some of the items they purchased on hire-purchase since they can no longer afford the payments.

Foreshadowing: Olive is encouraged to join the company's canteen to help cover expenses, setting up the pregnancy reveal.

• Olive Rudge
• pregnancy
• job loss
• Butler family

Stan passes by starting the test while Blakey the inspector is still aboard the bus, rather than waiting for him to get off as expected. This cheeky reversal puts Blakey in an awkward position and allows Stan to complete the test successfully, saving his job.

Foreshadowing: Blakey informs Stan he must take the test to keep his job, creating immediate tension.

• Stan
• skid pan test
• Blakey
• driving test

Stan and Jack copy the company's official diversion signs meant for roadworks and plant false ones to send women drivers off course. One false diversion sends a woman driver onto a motorway, drawing police attention with Blakey aboard and creating serious trouble for the women drivers.

Foreshadowing: The company orders diversion signs for roadworks, which Stan and Jack discover and decide to repurpose.

• diversion signs
• false diversions
• Stan
• Jack
• police

Although the company announces it will no longer employ women as drivers due to the sabotage, Blakey rehires them as inspectors. He then splits Stan and Jack onto different routes, effectively neutralizing their partnership while keeping the women employed in the company.

Foreshadowing: The sabotage appears successful when the company says it will stop hiring women drivers.

• women drivers
• inspectors
• Blakey
• rehired

Arthur takes Olive to the hospital on his motorcycle with a sidecar, but the bike and sidecar break down during the journey. Despite the mishap, Olive still reaches the hospital in time and gives birth to a baby son.

Foreshadowing: Arthur asks Stan to help fix the sidecar springs for the hospital trip as Olive nears delivery.

• Olive
• hospital
• birth
• baby
• sidecar

Sandra is a new attractive female clippie (conductor) assigned to Stan's bus route after the reorganization. She becomes Stan's new partner-in-crime, and together they dream up further pranks on Blakey, including knocking down a sign that provokes the inspectors.

Foreshadowing: After the women are rehired as inspectors, Stan is twinned with a new clippie on his route.

• Sandra
• clippie
• Stan
• prank
• Blakey

Stan tries to retrieve something of Jack's from a woman he's been seeing, but when her jealous husband appears, Stan panics and crashes into a telephone kiosk and a bus shelter while trying to escape. The accidental damage draws Blakey's attention and leads to further trouble for Stan.

Foreshadowing: Stan attempts to retrieve an item from the woman, setting up the chaotic chase.

• Stan
• telephone kiosk
• bus shelter
• jealous husband

They start with planting spiders in the women's cabs, exploiting Olive's fear of spiders. Then they lace the women's tea with a diuretic (learned from Olive's pregnancy), causing frequent toilet breaks and route delays. They also plant false diversion signs to send women drivers the wrong way.

Foreshadowing: Olive's fear of spiders and her pregnancy-related issues become sources of information for the pranks.

• spiders
• diuretic tea
• pranks
• sabotage
• Stan
• Jack

Blakey separates Stan and Jack after rehiring the women as inspectors. By splitting them onto different routes, he breaks up their partnership and prevents them from coordinating further sabotage against the women drivers.

Foreshadowing: The company initially seems to stop hiring women, but Blakey finds a way to keep them employed.

• Stan
• Jack
• separated
• routes
• Blakey

The film ends with Stan and Sandra pulling one final prank by knocking down a sign onto Blakey and the inspectors, delivering a cheeky victory. Stan heads off on his shift feeling smug and optimistic, ready for more mischief with his new partner.

Foreshadowing: Stan and Sandra set a tone of playful mischief from the moment they are paired together.

• Stan
• Sandra
• ending
• prank
• finale