Bus driver rude over £10 note

OrkneyStar

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

Not really seeings as no one else gets on at my stop, ever!

I don't think you're understanding that I did not know it would be a problem. I understand people think it's common sense but to me I'm paying for a service, if I buy a drink in the shop with a tenner - is that not ok? Furthermore it's quite difficult to have the correct change ready when the price changes depending on who is driving, it's been two different prices this week already!

I didn't think "oh I can't be bothered to buy a drink, I will just use my tenner on the bus", it never occurred to me that this wasn't standard behaviour, no one has ever batted an eyelid before. It is a long route and I'm near the end, I'd eat my hat if he didn't have a fiver and a few pound coins.

I really don't think he thought I was trying to get away without buying a ticket - do people really have that mentality?

Just to say I wasn't making another dig at you, I think we sorted our differences already, I was trying to point out to someone else how another posters view could be seen.
(And as for it only ever being you at your stop then fair enough, but am sure many other posters stand at really busy stops and so think of it like that!).

harrys_nan

The bus i was on yesterday had people that either had bus passes or prepaid tickets of some kind or the people that did pay all had a note either £5 or £10, the driver just ran out of change. I changed one £10 note for him, but if people dont pay with coins where does he get the change from on his route?

Tygermoth

I also think, personally, that people accuse bus drivers of being rude just because they have had their nose bent out of shape or caught by surprise.

At work we have a unit that mystery shop drivers for bus companies (friendliness, driving skills and safety) and the only time bus drivers are accused of being 'rude' is when a passenger didn't get something they wanted. You can just drop me off here mate or can you wait a few my friend will be along in a second....

Buzzybee90

Tygermoth wrote: »

I also think, personally, that people accuse bus drivers of being rude just because they have had their nose bent out of shape or caught by surprise.

At work we have a unit that mystery shop drivers for bus companies (friendliness, driving skills and safety) and the only time bus drivers are accused of being 'rude' is when a passenger didn't get something they wanted. You can just drop me off here mate or can you wait a few my friend will be along in a second....

What I described in my first post was rudeness, I've never personally experienced rudeness before on the buses. To scoff and belittle someone is rude - I wasn't trying to get my own way - I was trying to get home!

Georgiegirl256

Tygermoth wrote: »

I also think, personally, that people accuse bus drivers of being rude just because they have had their nose bent out of shape or caught by surprise.

At work we have a unit that mystery shop drivers for bus companies (friendliness, driving skills and safety) and the only time bus drivers are accused of being 'rude' is when a passenger didn't get something they wanted. You can just drop me off here mate or can you wait a few my friend will be along in a second....

Nope, a lot of the bus drivers around here are just rude for the sake of it, they're always like that. Just because they're not happy in their job/!!!!ed off or whatever, there's no need to take it out on everyone else.

It's like any customer facing job, even if a customer is annoying you, you've got to bite your tongue and at least try not to be rude.

Bogof_Babe

I can put up with drivers being a bit curt, after all they might have had a horrid day or a row with someone, but what I can't accept is those who drive off jerkily while you're still making your way to a seat, throwing you around the bus. Same when standing up to get off, they've heard the bell ding and can see in their mirror that people are making their way to the front, yet drive like an idiot and slam the brakes on at the last minute.

Often people are carrying shopping or other baggage, so don't have two hands free to grab the rails (you need two hands to make your way down the bus, as the grab rails are spaced out on alternate sides), and it's quite dangerous - I was nearly flung backwards only yesterday by such a driver :mad:. No excuse, especially as the majority of passengers are usually elderly.

(I know you are supposed to remain seated until the bus stops, but most people are worried that the driver won't stop if he hasn't seen them - especially as some drivers seem to wear earphones while driving, presumably listening to music!.)

paulineb_2

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

Nope, a lot of the bus drivers around here are just rude for the sake of it, they're always like that. Just because they're not happy in their job/!!!!ed off or whatever, there's no need to take it out on everyone else.

It's like any customer facing job, even if a customer is annoying you, you've got to bite your tongue and at least try not to be rude.

Same here, have never been rude to a driver, have had some extreme rudeness in return, people who wont even let you on the bus for gods sake

I know thats probably the exception rather than the rule, but just because drivers are nice in one area and occasionally short tempered, thats not how it is in other places. If only.

Tygermoth

Wow you must have some really nasty drivers. We very rarely have to mark a driver down for rudeness. As they know they are regularly monitored and mystery shopped. Being rude would result in a disciplinary.

Mind you with your snippy response you are just getting back what you put out there?

Buzzybee90

Tygermoth wrote: »

Wow you must have some really nasty drivers. We very rarely have to mark a driver down for rudeness. As they know they are regularly monitored and mystery shopped. Being rude would result in a disciplinary.

Mind you with your snippy response you are just getting back what you put out there?

Are you talking to me? I've never heard the world snippy before.

I understand they may have had a bad day but so might their passengers, who knows what they've had to contend with.

paulineb_2

Tygermoth wrote: »

Wow you must have some really nasty drivers. We very rarely have to mark a driver down for rudeness. As they know they are regularly monitored and mystery shopped. Being rude would result in a disciplinary.

Mind you with your snippy response you are just getting back what you put out there?

Im not sure who you are referring to, but Im polite and decent to all sorts of people, bus drivers, tradesmen, people in shops. I treat people doing their jobs with respect. Whatever that job is.

And yes, if you read some of the stuff Ive posted earlier, I have met some awful drivers in my time.

But that has nothing to do with anything Ive put out to people. I once got bawled out for not pressing a bell in enough time so that a driver could stop at the bus stop, it was snowing, I didnt actually realise there would be a problem (he actually had no problem stopping in time). I was coming back from the hospital where a family member was dying.

Once I was going for a night out and I pressed the bell to get off but the driver didnt hear it. I also stood up well in advance so he would have seen me in the mirror.

I got off the bus to the sounds of "press the effing bell", when I told him I had pressed the bell, he said "no you effing didnt". Loudly.

Now, it might sound like Im always on buses where this happens. Im certainly not, I make around 4 or 5 journeys a day sometimes if Im going into town, going to the gym, coming back. But when I have encountered rudeness like above or like I detailed before it has had nothing to do with me.

I bet there are people who are awful to drivers, who give them abuse, who expect to be let off at traffic lights, who are drunk and obnoxious on night buses. Im not one of them. I do appreciate when a driver is nice to me.

Being rude and being reported would result in a disciplinary, possibly. Being rude when someone is mystery shoping you might result in a disciplinary, but I bet drivers arent mystery shopped every day and people dont report every day.

And my mum, who I mentioned earlier, is one of the nicest people there is, she doesnt give people any cheek, attitude either.

Absolutely no way do people who get rudeness from bus drivers or any other customer service role deserve that and even if someone is provoked, you deal with it without losing your cool.

Ive worked in jobs where I was shouted at on a daily basis, called names. If I had responded, Id have had no job. But anything a driver has done hasnt been responding to something Ive said, its just been rudeness for the sake of it and there's nil excuse for that.

Ive witnessed drivers being rude to other people as well. Not all of them, some people might sit there and make it plain they dont really like their job but they arent rude to you, just not that friendly. I can deal with that. When people cross that line, its really not acceptable.