To any bus fans....

[Cognizant]

What's your favorite bus maker, and what's your favorite bus? What does your local transit agency use?

My favorite bus maker is either NABI or Gillig, and my favorite bus is either the Gillig Phantom, or the Gillig Advantage (both types). My local transit agency uses Gillig Advantage Diesel and Hybrids, The New Flyer D60LF articulated or "stretchy" buses, dinosaur Gillig Phantoms, and some shitty tiny Eldorado buses for the stupid-ass community bus lines (I despise the buses AND the community bus category with a passion).

Normally VTA gives us these for the school run: (I took the picture myself!)

http://i.imgur.com/UDnTe.jpg

Coach 1011 doing a 88M school-run.

[IAMWILL]

My favorite bus is the big yellow one that picked me up every day from Kindergarten until 8th grade, but I have absolutely no idea what type it was.

Golden Gate Transit recently started running some new buses along a few local lines I had to take last year when I didn't have my license, and I have to say they are quite nice. Again, zero clue as to what they are. Big white ones this time.

[Cognizant]

My favorite bus is the big yellow one that picked me up every day from Kindergarten until 8th grade, but I have absolutely no idea what type it was.

Golden Gate Transit recently started running some new buses along a few local lines I had to take last year when I didn't have my license, and I have to say they are quite nice. Again, zero clue as to what they are. Big white ones this time.
Like this?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/GGT_New_Flyer_DE35LF.jpg

That's the NFI DE35LF (busnerdtalk :P)

[RElk]

I haven't ridden a bus in years. But the local ones are a mix of New Flyer and Gillig.

[Gandalf]

Britain's most built bus (although I would need to verify that) Happens to be the MCW Metrobus, Is my favourite because I have many memories riding on them.... Below is the example of a MK2 and more specifically ROX666Y, and I chose this particular bus not only because I still find the registration number amusing, but because it happens to be well documented and perhaps more importantly, I have definately travelled on it.

Seen here in an ugly livery when relatively new:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5308/5648653043_0cd4575710.jpg

And again with it's current operator: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5219/5535964800_513f62b9ba_z.jpg
It's interesting to note the loss of some original features: 'side' lights, MCW badge, an upper deck opening window and also the nice bare metal interior poles are now orange. (Safety rules or to match livery)

[Hypers]

well, here where i live, there is essentially one type of bus, which is made by volvo and a chinese company.

and here is a picture of what it looks like(from wikipedia):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Shanghai_Bus_route_112.JPG


Now they have a fully electric one, and i really like those.

[Plane And Simple]

Mine would be the Tata Hispano Xerus (European one, I know). Long distance Luxury bus. Can't provide a pic as i'm on my phone, so you'll have to google them yourself :D

[project_icarus]

http://perthbus.info/quickimage.php?image=310D436273
This is a Volgren CR225L, badged and marketed as a Mercedes-Benz O405NH
Also, it is an ex-Transperth bus (hence the rego being TP•1233), 1233, unfortunately there are no pictures of 1233 in Transperth livery. (Here is a Transperth CR225L. (http://perthbus.info/quickimage.php?image=1EA8223B83) If you're wondering about the name similarity, PATH Transit decided to copy the metro operators and rename Kalgoorlie's service with TransGoldfields. This is happening all across WA, TransGeraldton, TransEsperance, TransBusselton...)
Some people think that the above is the 'ugliest bus in the world.' I think it's pretty neat, especially the interior is great.

http://perthbus.info/quickimage.php?image=1EB3D2F0A
This is a Volgren CR228L, a much, much newer bus, in this case, badged and marketed as a Mercedes Benz OC500LE (although, in many cases including other local operators in Perth under the Transperth brand-name, buy these badged and marketed as a Volvo B7RLE)

Also, in correspondence to the below, all of the (Transperth) buses here are in the 3000+ range, where all the new lowfloor, special, and driver training buses are allocated, with the exception of CAT, RAT and refurbished Volvos. CAT buses (a free service provided by Transperth, search 'CAT bus' or 'Perth Central Area Transit') are 1-25, RATs have their own range not actually incorporated in to the Transperth fleet number/callisign range, going from RCCTS/RAT 1-4. The refurbished, older highfloor buses that surpass certain requirements ('new' serving buses in WA must be lowfloor, with these (and buses being transferred to other PT networks across WA) as the exception) go in the 0-100 range. The only free numbers are currently 25-42. As mentioned earlier, anything below 25 is CAT, anything above 42 is a very old Volvo (42 is 33.9 years old).
I very very much like the new buses introduced by Southern Coast, sWAn, Path and Transdev (operating under the Transperth name). These are:
Mercedes Benz OC500LE CNG (Spanish bus, most commonly used in Australia and Singapore) (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/SMB1H_on_300.jpg)
Volvo B7RLE (Another Aussie bus, made in and for Australia and the rest of the UK, originally) (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Transperth-Volvo-B7RLE.JPG)
Volvo B12BLEA (This is an interesting bus, designed and conceptualised in Australia for the STA of Sydney, NSW, but certainly not my favourite :P ) (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Sydney_Buses_%281706%29_-_Custom_Coaches_%22CB60%22_bodied_Volvo_B12BLEA_Euro_3.jpg)
MAN A24 NG313F CNG (*My favourite bus! :D *) (http://perthbus.info/quickimage.php?image=1EA55A2175)
IVECO Citelis 18 GNC (*This is very similar to the above, same performance and characteristics, except... The back of the Iveco is fugly!*) (http://perthbus.info/quickimage.php?image=1EAD2D527E)
Scania L94UA CNG (http://perthbus.info/quickimage.php?image=13242C6487)

Going to the older buses, I like the Wiima K202, and HPorter B45D/Renault PR100.2 amongst others, but these are the only notable fancies :P

Wiima
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Wiima_K202_Lahti.jpg

Renault
http://perthbus.info/quickimage.php?image=132B7FD2EE6E

[IAMWILL]

Like this?
image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/GGT_New_Flyer_DE35LF.jpg)

That's the NFI DE35LF (busnerdtalk :P)

No, those buses run on more local lines, the buses I'm talking about run from Marin to San Francisco. They're the big commuter buses.

Haha yeah your knowledge of public transport is nothing short of completely nerdy, but in a good way.

[Gandalf]

This is a Volgren CR225L, badged and marketed as a Mercedes-Benz O405NH

This is a Volgren CR228L, a much, much newer bus, in this case, badged and marketed as a Mercedes Benz OC500LE (although, in many cases including other local operators in Perth under the Transperth brand-name, buy these badged and marketed as a Volvo B7RLE) Volvo B7RLE (Another Aussie bus, made in and for Australia and the rest of the UK, originally)

All above images were omitted

Matt, two things although you probably realised this, here we have a similar Mercedes (being the integral rigid 0405N and articulated 'bendi' 0405GN)
and we also have the volvo B7RLE chassis and it's very popular I might add: here it can come as an MCV Evolution (similar in appearance to bus 558 which I noted as being in the wrong place in my thread, although that particular operator has MAN chassis on their Evo's), Wright Eclipse, Alexander Dennis Enviro300, or even a Plaxton Centro. I'm meh when it comes to this chassis, I prefer the older Volvo B6LE which is another story....

Sorry for going off topic...