Bus driver rude over £10 note

Buzzybee90

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

I really don't buy stuff, except on pay day! :rotfl: my food is delivered so its just not something I have! I have a piggy bank but I think the driver would be more annoyed if I paid in 5ps!

JIL wrote: »

I used to drop my daughter off at school and catch the bus from a street across the road.

I did this most days, one day I got on and for some reason I only had a £10 note. :eek:

The bus driver bluntly told me, he had no change and I would have to get off!! Another mum from the school insisted on lending me the money. I was very grateful.

I thought he would get his comeuppance one day. Not long ago I saw his face in the local paper, having won a share of £38 million on the lottery. :rotfl:

How kind

Pffffft!!! Although I don't think I'd want to win much on the lottery, I'd crack under the pressure (and my fifties wouldn't be accepted in the bus!!! )

paulineb_2

I have to say that in my area its actually a very nice surprise if you get a nice bus driver. A couple have wished me a good day recently and I nearly fell over in shock. My mum has said that since she got a bus pass, drivers generally treat her like rubbish, she was getting on the bus one day and someone was struggling with the route, if they were on the right bus and my mum was trying to help them as the driver wasnt, the driver said to her, just you sit down and shut up. There have been massive issues with drivers fiddling the fares for people over 60 and other concessions, one of the big Scottish newspapers did an investigation into it not so long ago, for some companies if people get a concession ticket the end destination isnt shown on the screen and it only flashes up on the drivers screen for a second, but my mum makes certain local journeys twice a day from Monday to Friday, she was charged a Glasgow fare every day, because the longer the fare stage, the more subsidy the company can claim back from the Scottish Govt. More than one company does it, but the biggest company in the area is really bad for it.

However, the general feeling is that the company treat their drivers like rubbish, I was on the bus one day and a driver was saying a colleague was disciplined because a driver had to brake and woman in a car also had to and she complained her eggs in her shopping bag got smashed. Another driver was put on a final written warning for being 40 seconds early and the inspector who caught him was off shift and decided to report him.

There used to be one driver who took a massive dislike to me, he used to wait until I was halfway up the bus, shout me back and demand to see my ticket to check if it was out of date (it wasnt and he knew it wasnt), I was also running for a bus one day and the girl who was getting on before me got on slowly so i wouldnt miss the bus and he shouted in her face "dog breath"

There was a driver from another company who shut my arm in the door of a bus when I was getting off, also used to demand to see my ticket and make a song and dance of it (and I never have an out of date one) and he then got to the point where he used to refuse to stop at stops, he used to see me, swerve into the bus stop and then run on and one day I was going into Glasgow, it was the last express bus that only takes 40 mins, he drove past the stop and then a bit further down the road, obviously wanting me to run up to the bus and then he would have driven off. I just left him to it.

There are a few really horrible drivers around here and sad to say most of the awful ones have been awful to me, but there are nice drivers, there are also drivers who are beyond cheery. Im just happy if someone looks at my card without behaving like an idiot. Its common knowledge that one big company treats their drivers really badly but as a paying customer boy don't you know it.

There were also massive rows here not so long ago as they changed the fare structure and even a 3 mile journey ended up being twice the price it should have been. My mum was on the bus one day and a group got on with a letter from first confirming that they had to pay x amount in fares ie the lesser amount as they had queried it, the driver still wouldnt let them on the bus at the lower fare.

Unhappy as some of them must be, there are a few that are jobsworths of the highest order.

OrkneyStar

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

Overreaction much?

I'd say you probably win in the over-reacting states for reasons already stated.

Buzzybee90

paulineb wrote: »

I have to say that in my area its actually a very nice surprise if you get a nice bus driver. A couple have wished me a good day recently and I nearly fell over in shock. My mum has said that since she got a bus pass, drivers generally treat her like rubbish, she was getting on the bus one day and someone was struggling with the route, if they were on the right bus and my mum was trying to help them as the driver wasnt, the driver said to her, just you sit down and shut up. There have been massive issues with drivers fiddling the fares for people over 60 and other concessions, one of the big Scottish newspapers did an investigation into it not so long ago, for some companies if people get a concession ticket the end destination isnt shown on the screen and it only flashes up on the drivers screen for a second, but my mum makes certain local journeys twice a day from Monday to Friday, she was charged a Glasgow fare every day, because the longer the fare stage, the more subsidy the company can claim back from the Scottish Govt. More than one company does it, but the biggest company in the area is really bad for it.

However, the general feeling is that the company treat their drivers like rubbish, I was on the bus one day and a driver was saying a colleague was disciplined because a driver had to brake and woman in a car also had to and she complained her eggs in her shopping bag got smashed. Another driver was put on a final written warning for being 40 seconds early and the inspector who caught him was off shift and decided to report him.

There used to be one driver who took a massive dislike to me, he used to wait until I was halfway up the bus, shout me back and demand to see my ticket to check if it was out of date (it wasnt and he knew it wasnt), I was also running for a bus one day and the girl who was getting on before me got on slowly so i wouldnt miss the bus and he shouted in her face "dog breath"

There was a driver from another company who shut my arm in the door of a bus when I was getting off, also used to demand to see my ticket and make a song and dance of it (and I never have an out of date one) and he then got to the point where he used to refuse to stop at stops, he used to see me, swerve into the bus stop and then run on and one day I was going into Glasgow, it was the last express bus that only takes 40 mins, he drove past the stop and then a bit further down the road, obviously wanting me to run up to the bus and then he would have driven off. I just left him to it.

There are a few really horrible drivers around here and sad to say most of the awful ones have been awful to me, but there are nice drivers, there are also drivers who are beyond cheery. Im just happy if someone looks at my card without behaving like an idiot. Its common knowledge that one big company treats their drivers really badly but as a paying customer boy don't you know it.

There were also massive rows here not so long ago as they changed the fare structure and even a 3 mile journey ended up being twice the price it should have been. My mum was on the bus one day and a group got on with a letter from first confirming that they had to pay x amount in fares ie the lesser amount as they had queried it, the driver still wouldnt let them on the bus at the lower fare.

Unhappy as some of them must be, there are a few that are jobsworths of the highest order.

Wow. That's awful, Pauline!

I've found my drivers to be kind on the whole. I do make an effort to wish them a nice evening and of course say please and thank you! Some of them just ignore me but most will say the same back.

One driver accidentally drove past an old lady at a stop because the sun was particularly powerful, he did however notice as he drove past so stopped as soon as it was safe to do so. The driver was foreign and a French lady ran to the bus to explain the (English) lady was just walking up and helped her on the bus. Is was a great display of respect, kindness and different nationalities working together (which is particularly important as quite a few locals like to complain about immigration).

Buzzybee90

OrkneyStar wrote: »

I'd say you probably win in the over-reacting states for reasons already stated.

Ok Orkney.

I find it quite sad that some people's go to response is to be rude and belittling.

I'm comforted by the fact this is just an online forum and you're probably very polite in RL.

OrkneyStar

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

Ok Orkney.

I find it quite sad that some people's go to response is to be rude and belittling.

I'm comforted by the fact this is just an online forum and you're probably very polite in RL.

My response was to point out that there was a perspective other than yours (hence my comment about the world not revolving around you), you suggested I over-reacted and I simply suggested that you had done the same.
It's irrelevant what we think of each other as people in general, I was simply responding to what you posted about your experiences on the bus.

Anyway.....

I used the bus for a few weeks (car warning light coming on and was awaiting it's service)- on the whole they were nice enough. Travelled by bus a lot in Glasgow, again on the whole they were nice enough. It isn't always the easiest job in the world, nor the hardest, but I always adopt the policy of remembering we can all have bad days and it does no harm t smile, say thank you, and try to have the correct change (or close to it). Luckily here the return fare from where I live into the main town is £4.95 (I say lucky, it's not exactly cheap!), so the drivers don't complain too much if folk pay with a note as it's close to £5, even so I tend to have the exact money. TBH 'exact fare only' is the way to go imho, works fine in a lot of places.

And paulineb, you don't seem to have a lot of good experiences with buses, that is horrible!

PS My dad was a bus driver so am also speaking with some experience regarding what they have to put up with some days!

Buzzybee90

OrkneyStar wrote: »

My response was to point out that there was a perspective other than yours (hence my comment about the world not revolving around you), you suggested I over-reacted and I simply suggested that you had done the same.
It's irrelevant what we think of each other as people in general, I was simply responding to what you posted about your experiences on the bus.

Anyway.....

I used the bus for a few weeks (car warning light coming on and was awaiting it's service)- on the whole they were nice enough. Travelled by bus a lot in Glasgow, again on the whole they were nice enough. It isn't always the easiest job in the world, nor the hardest, but I always adopt the policy of remembering we can all have bad days and it does no harm t smile, say thank you, and try to have the correct change (or close to it). Luckily here the return fare from where I live into the main town is £4.95 (I say lucky, it's not exactly cheap!), so the drivers don't complain too much if folk pay with a note as it's close to £5, even so I tend to have the exact money. TBH 'exact fare only' is the way to go imho, works fine in a lot of places.

And paulineb, you don't seem to have a lot of good experiences with buses, that is horrible!

PS My dad was a bus driver so am also speaking with some experience regarding what they have to put up with some days!

I always pay exactly on the P&R, i suppose because its an advertised price whereas people wont know the fare price until they've got on the bus in a lot of cases, my single seems to change in price depending on the driver!

paulineb_2

OrkneyStar wrote: »

My response was to point out that there was a perspective other than yours (hence my comment about the world not revolving around you), you suggested I over-reacted and I simply suggested that you had done the same.
It's irrelevant what we think of each other as people in general, I was simply responding to what you posted about your experiences on the bus.

Anyway.....

I used the bus for a few weeks (car warning light coming on and was awaiting it's service)- on the whole they were nice enough. Travelled by bus a lot in Glasgow, again on the whole they were nice enough. It isn't always the easiest job in the world, nor the hardest, but I always adopt the policy of remembering we can all have bad days and it does no harm t smile, say thank you, and try to have the correct change (or close to it). Luckily here the return fare from where I live into the main town is £4.95 (I say lucky, it's not exactly cheap!), so the drivers don't complain too much if folk pay with a note as it's close to £5, even so I tend to have the exact money. TBH 'exact fare only' is the way to go imho, works fine in a lot of places.

And paulineb, you don't seem to have a lot of good experiences with buses, that is horrible!

PS My dad was a bus driver so am also speaking with some experience regarding what they have to put up with some days!

No, I havent had good experiences a few times, I really have no idea why, Im pretty quiet and polite and the only thing I can think of is that sometimes people take an instant dislike to you and they then develop a "thing" about you where they hate the sight of your face. Its horrible. I actually contacted first glasgow about one of them recently, I made it very clear I did not want the driver disciplined, but I described myself and the driver, I know his first name, he actually lives not far from me and I just said, please tell him to get out of my face and treat me like he treats other customers (some of them anyway, Ive seen him being jovial with other people) and that was after numerous times of me thinking, he'll stop treating me like this, but he didnt.

I do know that some drivers must get a really hard time from passengers. I go out in Glasgow now and then and I make a point of not getting some buses home, because some people are just full of alcohol, I'll tend to get a bus home around 11pm rather than do the night bus for example.

I always say thanks to drivers when I get off a bus, apart from the aforementioned idiots and I do appreciate it when a driver says something like have a nice day, because few of them around here bother.

My mum was telling me the other day that she was getting on the Glasgow express in our town and there were men running for it, the bus was sitting at the stop, the men got to the bus and the driver then shut the door in their face and drove off.

I actually think its a person thing, they'd be like that in any job where they had a wee bit of power, some people just take it to extremes.

OrkneyStar

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

I always pay exactly on the P&R, i suppose because its an advertised price whereas people wont know the fare price until they've got on the bus in a lot of cases, my single seems to change in price depending on the driver!

I have travelled on buses and trains, alone from about 11 or 12, short distances at first then longer as I got older. If I knew the fare I got the correct money (or close to) in advance, if I didn't then I always had £1 of change in 5, 10, 20, 50 pences and £5 of change in £1's and sometimes smaller, to make up what I needed. I just assumed everybody learned to do this, perhaps I was just 'lucky' enough to need to use public transport. It seems you might be learning this the hard-way now! Lifes lessons #325: bus drivers and change- how to do it the safe way . I did use a travel-card/zone-card for a while and that did make life easier, but like you say if it will cost you more then that's no use. Perhaps they do a ticket of say 10 single journeys or something- might be worth asking??

paulineb_2

Some bus companies do a flexi ticket, I know first in my area do, where you can pay for I think its ten journeys at a time.

I find a monthly ticket works best for me, its 52 pounds for 4 weeks unlimited travel and takes me around this area and all over the greater glasgow network, you cant buy those ones on the bus, you buy them at a paypoint and they are better value for money, the weekly ones you buy on the bus are £14 just for the local ticket.