It's not just the passengers that can cause your blood to boil. As a bus driver you have idiots on the road to contend with. I've not had many accidents in my career as a bus driver, though I've had considerably more near-misses.
Yesterday's was at a traffic light-controlled roundabout. I was in the left-hand lane which is for traffic turning left and continuing straight on. A car was in the middle lane, to my right, which is clearly marked for traffic travelling straight on only. The car was alongside me and I noticed as our light had turned to green that the driver had started to indicate left. He accelerated a little faster than me but was certainly not in front of me when he started drifting into my lane.
Well it's not my bus, is it? It's not my excess or my paintwork. If involved in an accident at work, I do have to declare this on my private car insurance renewal, so there is some incentive to avoid collisions.
Things got very close indeed. The road was now curving right, to negotiate the large central island. Rather than him encroaching on me and my lane, the markings then saw me head in his general direction. It was a very tense moment, though I made the decision not to back off. To allow him to pull in front and then cut across me to make an exit was too dangerous. He could always circum-navigate the island again. Indeed he did, pulling into the right-hand lane with no indication and causing a car to slam its brakes on.
Every single action that driver did from choosing the central lane at the roundabout was categorically wrong and dangerous. Even worse was that I was driving a bus that had recently been repainted and was shining resplendently. A nice scuff mark down the side, despite it not being my fault (we'd have CCTV footage too) I'm sure my name would have been mud at the depot.
Common Sense Solution: It's difficult to say, really. I believe my course of action was safer than braking sharply, to allow a car to make a dangerous manoeuvre and cut across my front. This could have ended in a collision as well as sudden braking for my passengers. As it was, my course of action caused none of these and the collision was avoided.
Sunday 31 July 2011
Saturday 30 July 2011
The Waver
I was 7 minutes late today on a service where a bus operates every 2 hours. It is unusual to be late on this journey as the timings are very slack, but I managed it, sadly. On a street with a bus stop at the start and the end, and a 0.25-mile gap in between, a female Oriental was walking down it, about mid-way. She was on the phone. She had what I describe as a token glance over her shoulder and saw me approaching from behind. She flung out her arm, yet the phone remained glued to her ear.
My foot remained glued to the accelerator pedal.
One of two things would have happened, had I stopped for her. Most likely is that she didn't want my bus, but the more frequent service that ran down this street (every 30 minutes), in which case it would have been a wasted stop. Least likely, but possible, is that she would have calmly boarded, still on her phone, and asked for a ticket to my destination, completely oblivious how lucky she was to have caught my bus. There certainly wouldn't have been a 'thank you' or a 'phew, that was lucky'. She'd have refused to communicate with me, putting me in second place to her phone.
Common Sense Solution: Bus stops are sited where they are for a reason. At 7 minutes late and with many years experience of situations like this, I know that for once I did the right thing.
My foot remained glued to the accelerator pedal.
One of two things would have happened, had I stopped for her. Most likely is that she didn't want my bus, but the more frequent service that ran down this street (every 30 minutes), in which case it would have been a wasted stop. Least likely, but possible, is that she would have calmly boarded, still on her phone, and asked for a ticket to my destination, completely oblivious how lucky she was to have caught my bus. There certainly wouldn't have been a 'thank you' or a 'phew, that was lucky'. She'd have refused to communicate with me, putting me in second place to her phone.
Common Sense Solution: Bus stops are sited where they are for a reason. At 7 minutes late and with many years experience of situations like this, I know that for once I did the right thing.
Friday 29 July 2011
Faceless
I worked a service that ran just after the '0930 phenomonen' had kicked in - the first that those not wanting to pay to travel opt to use as they can use their bus pass. I carried over 60 people on my 40-something seater single decker bus. The passengers got on at various locations and I had over 35 minutes to go when I started to have standing room only.
One of the passengers on board was known to me. I know him purely down to the frequency that he travels. My communication with his extends to about 20 seconds or so when he boards and he may come to the front either 1 or 2 stops before the one he leaves at, but that's about it. Communication is somewhat hampered on our buses thanks to the assault screen, but we've started having ones with movable sections fitted, so I can lift the bottom part up to communicate better with the public (and drop it back down if a chav or someone with a stinking cold gets on).
After 5 minutes, this chap - 'Dave' - realised the bus was going to be completely full, so he gave up his seat to an OAP and for the next few minutes, guided any other frail passenger who boarded to one of the remaining seats. He then came and stood at the front and was head of the standees.
With over 60 on a 40-seater you can't drive like a dick head and the timetable has to go out the window. Such is life. I spoke with 'Dave' for the remainder of the journey, all the time he was stood behind me, but at the front of the aisle. A few stops before the terminus in town, a lady in a pink coat got off. I know her and she knows my name and said that she thought I should be warned that 'an old lady back there is slagging you off something rotten for having him stood at the front chatting to you'.
I thanked her for letting me know so as the people got off my bus in the terminus bus station, I made a point of using psychology to see if the complainant had the bottle to say anything. I did this by facing my public and purposefully saying very clearly and politely "Thanks!" and "Cheers!" and "Thank you!" and "Bye now!" as each and every passenger got off.
And, as I suspected, not a single passenger said a word. Gutless. Faceless.
I find it staggering that some old woman could criticise me for having someone stood at the front when there were almost 20 standees on the bus. What would she prefer? To leave everyone after the first few standees had boarded and to order them all to stand at the back of the bus? These people were carried in accordance with my maximum legal capacity, in a safe and comfortable manner and in a cheery and polite fashion, as ever.
I suspect the faceless wonder knew this and was probably why she stayed quiet.
Common Sense Solution: Sadly, there isn't one. Perhaps the possibility of passengers having a sign on their foreheads that only the driver can see should be looked into by the Department for Transport. A bit like prison, they should be branded with "Trouble" or "OK".
One of the passengers on board was known to me. I know him purely down to the frequency that he travels. My communication with his extends to about 20 seconds or so when he boards and he may come to the front either 1 or 2 stops before the one he leaves at, but that's about it. Communication is somewhat hampered on our buses thanks to the assault screen, but we've started having ones with movable sections fitted, so I can lift the bottom part up to communicate better with the public (and drop it back down if a chav or someone with a stinking cold gets on).
After 5 minutes, this chap - 'Dave' - realised the bus was going to be completely full, so he gave up his seat to an OAP and for the next few minutes, guided any other frail passenger who boarded to one of the remaining seats. He then came and stood at the front and was head of the standees.
With over 60 on a 40-seater you can't drive like a dick head and the timetable has to go out the window. Such is life. I spoke with 'Dave' for the remainder of the journey, all the time he was stood behind me, but at the front of the aisle. A few stops before the terminus in town, a lady in a pink coat got off. I know her and she knows my name and said that she thought I should be warned that 'an old lady back there is slagging you off something rotten for having him stood at the front chatting to you'.
I thanked her for letting me know so as the people got off my bus in the terminus bus station, I made a point of using psychology to see if the complainant had the bottle to say anything. I did this by facing my public and purposefully saying very clearly and politely "Thanks!" and "Cheers!" and "Thank you!" and "Bye now!" as each and every passenger got off.
And, as I suspected, not a single passenger said a word. Gutless. Faceless.
I find it staggering that some old woman could criticise me for having someone stood at the front when there were almost 20 standees on the bus. What would she prefer? To leave everyone after the first few standees had boarded and to order them all to stand at the back of the bus? These people were carried in accordance with my maximum legal capacity, in a safe and comfortable manner and in a cheery and polite fashion, as ever.
I suspect the faceless wonder knew this and was probably why she stayed quiet.
Common Sense Solution: Sadly, there isn't one. Perhaps the possibility of passengers having a sign on their foreheads that only the driver can see should be looked into by the Department for Transport. A bit like prison, they should be branded with "Trouble" or "OK".
Thursday 28 July 2011
Fraud
There could be quite a few entries with this title.
Today's fraudsters were a pair of sixty-somethings. I approached them at their bus stop as one of our competitor's vehicles was leaving. I was a little shocked that they didn't catch this first bus as it serves more stops than mine and is no slower. But, more passengers for my company can't be a bad thing.
A lady and gent were stood on the kerb. The lady boarded first while her husband boarded second, seemingly struggling with his walking stick. The lady opened her purse, showed me her free bus pass and said: "Two to town, please".
I assumed, through the wording she used, that her husband had a free bus pass, too, so issued her ticket and then waited for the man to show me his. But I managed to introduce a very awkward silence. I had no idea what was happening at first, until the man said: "Oh, er, and I'm paying."
The mist began to thin and lift.
He bought a return ticket to town costing £2.50. Too right. His crime was, clearly, defrauding the local authority and tax payers by allowing his wife to give the impression he was in possession of a free bus pass when he was not. He may have lost it; he may have mislaid it; he may have damaged it beyond repair; he may even have been going to pay for a replacement, but chose not to volunteer any of this information.
They both sat down and I drove off, with a smile on my face.
But what made me more annoyed was when I realised that this was a calculated attack on my integrity. They had deliberately let my competitor's bus go as this company has card readers on its ticket machines and there's no way they could even attempt to pull off on that bus what they did on mine.
Absolute complete and utter bastards. Your card is marked. I shall definitely remember you next time.
Common Sense Solution: This is very simple. All drivers should check all free bus passes on all occasions. Familiarity breeds contempt is a very accurate phrase. There are some who I have got to know who never show me their pass. After today, this will change. I'll tell them why, too. Politely, of course. I've seen a few people who used to have free bus passes for a disability no longer in possession of them, so clearly some boundaries are changing.
Today's fraudsters were a pair of sixty-somethings. I approached them at their bus stop as one of our competitor's vehicles was leaving. I was a little shocked that they didn't catch this first bus as it serves more stops than mine and is no slower. But, more passengers for my company can't be a bad thing.
A lady and gent were stood on the kerb. The lady boarded first while her husband boarded second, seemingly struggling with his walking stick. The lady opened her purse, showed me her free bus pass and said: "Two to town, please".
I assumed, through the wording she used, that her husband had a free bus pass, too, so issued her ticket and then waited for the man to show me his. But I managed to introduce a very awkward silence. I had no idea what was happening at first, until the man said: "Oh, er, and I'm paying."
The mist began to thin and lift.
He bought a return ticket to town costing £2.50. Too right. His crime was, clearly, defrauding the local authority and tax payers by allowing his wife to give the impression he was in possession of a free bus pass when he was not. He may have lost it; he may have mislaid it; he may have damaged it beyond repair; he may even have been going to pay for a replacement, but chose not to volunteer any of this information.
They both sat down and I drove off, with a smile on my face.
But what made me more annoyed was when I realised that this was a calculated attack on my integrity. They had deliberately let my competitor's bus go as this company has card readers on its ticket machines and there's no way they could even attempt to pull off on that bus what they did on mine.
Absolute complete and utter bastards. Your card is marked. I shall definitely remember you next time.
Common Sense Solution: This is very simple. All drivers should check all free bus passes on all occasions. Familiarity breeds contempt is a very accurate phrase. There are some who I have got to know who never show me their pass. After today, this will change. I'll tell them why, too. Politely, of course. I've seen a few people who used to have free bus passes for a disability no longer in possession of them, so clearly some boundaries are changing.
Wednesday 27 July 2011
Care in the Community
Since the introduction of the free bus pass for those with an entitlement to a concessionary fare, I've seen an increase in people with learning difficulties travelling on the buses with one of them. Previously - and when local councils had more money - these people would receive dedicated transport and not be allowed to head onto a service bus for a number of reasons. Not so now. Budgets and all.
A lady travels regularly from the town centre to a suburb and has learning difficulties. She is polite enough but I've always wondered what her problem is. I found out today.
I pulled into the terminus bus station and 50+ people started to leave my bus (it was an 'all change!' moment). This lady was stood waiting to get on, with one of our timetables in her hands, unfolded. My cheery passengers were saying 'thanks' and 'cheers' and 'bye' as they left and then she started to force her way on.
"Not yet!" I said, sternly, but politely.
"But I want to ask you something, driver," she said.
"Well just wait til everyone's off!" I said back. Pretty simple really.
This worked while 20 or so alighted, but then it was if something clicked in her head and she lost all sense of reason and came bounding on, like a proverbial bull in a china shop. Well I wasn't having this. Not a chance.
"I've told you once and I won't tell you again, get off and stay off until I say it's OK to come on!" I actually shouted, though not too loudly, as I didn't want to accidentally offend the people leaving my service.
The woman, however, had no such qualms. At the top of her voice and on at least 15 consecutive occasions, she bellowed "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!" (you get the rest...)
I thought she was having some kind of fit. Eventually the noise stopped and she went back to her 'normal' self. She then boarded, asked me the question that she already knew the answer to, and left.
I take note of these incidents more than others as anyone could have walked into the ridiculous situation this lady - who must have severe psychological issues - set in motion. We're told in our training that 'everyone is unique' and that we must not be so 'black and white' (surprised they can get away with saying that nowadays!) in how we deal with people.
I will now treat this woman differently to everyone else, that I can be sure of.
Common Sense Solution: The Utopia would be for local authorities to provide transport for people who clearly cannot conduct themselves on buses due to mental disorders. To scream at the top of your voice for as long as this lady did was completely and utterly wrong. I'm not her social worker and so cannot give her the level of attention she is clearly used to receiving. This outcome being a non-starter, I would like all bus stations to have a 'set down' point, which is in a different location to the boarding stands/bays/gates. That way, we could drop our passengers off without fear of being accosted by lunatics and pull onto the boarding point when we are good and ready.
A lady travels regularly from the town centre to a suburb and has learning difficulties. She is polite enough but I've always wondered what her problem is. I found out today.
I pulled into the terminus bus station and 50+ people started to leave my bus (it was an 'all change!' moment). This lady was stood waiting to get on, with one of our timetables in her hands, unfolded. My cheery passengers were saying 'thanks' and 'cheers' and 'bye' as they left and then she started to force her way on.
"Not yet!" I said, sternly, but politely.
"But I want to ask you something, driver," she said.
"Well just wait til everyone's off!" I said back. Pretty simple really.
This worked while 20 or so alighted, but then it was if something clicked in her head and she lost all sense of reason and came bounding on, like a proverbial bull in a china shop. Well I wasn't having this. Not a chance.
"I've told you once and I won't tell you again, get off and stay off until I say it's OK to come on!" I actually shouted, though not too loudly, as I didn't want to accidentally offend the people leaving my service.
The woman, however, had no such qualms. At the top of her voice and on at least 15 consecutive occasions, she bellowed "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!" (you get the rest...)
I thought she was having some kind of fit. Eventually the noise stopped and she went back to her 'normal' self. She then boarded, asked me the question that she already knew the answer to, and left.
I take note of these incidents more than others as anyone could have walked into the ridiculous situation this lady - who must have severe psychological issues - set in motion. We're told in our training that 'everyone is unique' and that we must not be so 'black and white' (surprised they can get away with saying that nowadays!) in how we deal with people.
I will now treat this woman differently to everyone else, that I can be sure of.
Common Sense Solution: The Utopia would be for local authorities to provide transport for people who clearly cannot conduct themselves on buses due to mental disorders. To scream at the top of your voice for as long as this lady did was completely and utterly wrong. I'm not her social worker and so cannot give her the level of attention she is clearly used to receiving. This outcome being a non-starter, I would like all bus stations to have a 'set down' point, which is in a different location to the boarding stands/bays/gates. That way, we could drop our passengers off without fear of being accosted by lunatics and pull onto the boarding point when we are good and ready.
Tuesday 26 July 2011
It's 0929 and all's... CRAP
I had an interesting exchange with a female OAP today at a village where my bus was due to pass at 0928. The local authority here does not allow its concessions free travel on weekdays before 0930, in line with the national legislation, yet the old grannies try it on. 'Ethel' was stood there, arm outstretched (makes a change!) and I could see her pass. I was 1 minute late, though whether she knew this precisely or not is unlikely.
"You can't use your pass until 0930." I politely told her.
"Isn't it already half past?" she said, looking at her watch, as if that would somehow hurry up the passage of time.
We've been told in no uncertain terms by management that if the ticket machine does not yet display 0930, we do not issue a ticket UNLESS we are not due to leave that point until 0930 or after and are loading early. I was due from here at 0928, so anyone with a free bus pass waiting for my departure should be prepared to pay an adult single fare to their destination.
"Some of the drivers wait for it to turn to half past." she said, tellingly.
She's clearly a repeat offender. Well, she had to learn, so rather than argue the toss with her until the ticket machine clock turned to 0930, I issued her a ticket to the town centre - a 15-min journey costing just less than £2. I used this technique to force her to either pay up or piss off.
She paid up.
While it truly is no skin off my nose whether a free OAP ticket is issued at any time of day, my management claim that the local authorities do not reimburse any ticket issued before 0930 (in areas that do not offer anything other than the basic scheme). Consistency is the name of the game.
Why couldn't the silly woman just get up 10 minutes later and go to catch the next bus into town? She would NEVER, EVER have this argument again and - more importantly for her - have to part with £1.90.
Common Sense Solution: When the free bus pass scheme was implemented, ALL English councils should have been legally obliged to either offer a 24/7 scheme, where free travel is accepted OR offer 0930-2300 on weekdays and free at weekends/bank hols and not be able to improve upon it at their own discretion. That would see national consistency, where every dithering old person would know the score.
"You can't use your pass until 0930." I politely told her.
"Isn't it already half past?" she said, looking at her watch, as if that would somehow hurry up the passage of time.
We've been told in no uncertain terms by management that if the ticket machine does not yet display 0930, we do not issue a ticket UNLESS we are not due to leave that point until 0930 or after and are loading early. I was due from here at 0928, so anyone with a free bus pass waiting for my departure should be prepared to pay an adult single fare to their destination.
"Some of the drivers wait for it to turn to half past." she said, tellingly.
She's clearly a repeat offender. Well, she had to learn, so rather than argue the toss with her until the ticket machine clock turned to 0930, I issued her a ticket to the town centre - a 15-min journey costing just less than £2. I used this technique to force her to either pay up or piss off.
She paid up.
While it truly is no skin off my nose whether a free OAP ticket is issued at any time of day, my management claim that the local authorities do not reimburse any ticket issued before 0930 (in areas that do not offer anything other than the basic scheme). Consistency is the name of the game.
Why couldn't the silly woman just get up 10 minutes later and go to catch the next bus into town? She would NEVER, EVER have this argument again and - more importantly for her - have to part with £1.90.
Common Sense Solution: When the free bus pass scheme was implemented, ALL English councils should have been legally obliged to either offer a 24/7 scheme, where free travel is accepted OR offer 0930-2300 on weekdays and free at weekends/bank hols and not be able to improve upon it at their own discretion. That would see national consistency, where every dithering old person would know the score.
Monday 25 July 2011
Think before you open your mouth
Old lady got on today and saw some timetables on display near the ticket machine. They were bound loosely in an elastic band and a few passengers had helped themselves to a timetable throughout my time at the helm so far.
'Cynthia' decided to be critical for no apparent reason when she spied them:
"Oh, these look rather ominous!" she exhaled. "Are the bus times changing AGAIN?"
No they weren't. It was me being conscientious and placing timetables in the racks provided for your bloody convenience you dozy woman. Why didn't she simply ask if there'd been any changes to the bus times? Some people like to make their arrival felt and she was one of them - dressed in a tweed jacket and a silver spoon rammed down her gullet.
Course, in her desire to show how critical she was of further timetable alterations (there's usually one per year around September to reflect alterations to accommodate changes to journeys at school/college times) she pulled a great handful out of the display case and their elastic band.
To reply to her statement as she boarded, I just said: "No!" The sooner these sort of people know that you're having none of their verbal diarrhoea, they shut up. Try and converse sensibly and in a measured manner and they'll screw you over.
Equipped with the knowledge that, actually, she had no need for another timetable as nothing had changed, she then attempted to put them back in the slot and within their elastic band. Be it crippling arthritis or sheer incompetence, it took her an eternity.
I just waited and watched her grappling with senility. As did everyone else on the bus. I just hope they all thought the same as me.
Common Sense Solution: Rather than try and be cocky and create some kind of whirlwind entrance, choose to politely ask the driver whether there have been/is likely to be changes to the timetable, to which an equally polite response will be given.
'Cynthia' decided to be critical for no apparent reason when she spied them:
"Oh, these look rather ominous!" she exhaled. "Are the bus times changing AGAIN?"
No they weren't. It was me being conscientious and placing timetables in the racks provided for your bloody convenience you dozy woman. Why didn't she simply ask if there'd been any changes to the bus times? Some people like to make their arrival felt and she was one of them - dressed in a tweed jacket and a silver spoon rammed down her gullet.
Course, in her desire to show how critical she was of further timetable alterations (there's usually one per year around September to reflect alterations to accommodate changes to journeys at school/college times) she pulled a great handful out of the display case and their elastic band.
To reply to her statement as she boarded, I just said: "No!" The sooner these sort of people know that you're having none of their verbal diarrhoea, they shut up. Try and converse sensibly and in a measured manner and they'll screw you over.
Equipped with the knowledge that, actually, she had no need for another timetable as nothing had changed, she then attempted to put them back in the slot and within their elastic band. Be it crippling arthritis or sheer incompetence, it took her an eternity.
I just waited and watched her grappling with senility. As did everyone else on the bus. I just hope they all thought the same as me.
Common Sense Solution: Rather than try and be cocky and create some kind of whirlwind entrance, choose to politely ask the driver whether there have been/is likely to be changes to the timetable, to which an equally polite response will be given.
Friday 22 July 2011
Chocolate Legs
Today's incident has sparked this blog, if I'm honest.
An elderly woman with shit running down her legs as she got off my bus is too much for me. I felt physically sick and the very wrong smell that I had been sniffing for the past minute or two revealed itself.
The lady in question, thankfully, only travels one stop (about 0.3 miles). She has a free bus pass and a moustache. She walks like she is in a permanent state of intoxication, though it is never intoxicating liquor she smells of. Also in my favour is that she chooses to stand for the one-stop journey into town.
She got off my bus today while I was stood at some red traffic lights. I chose to let her off as the niff today was worse than usual. She left and crossed the road in front of me. As she walked away, the vision of diarrhoea running down her legs was clear for all to see.
I spoke to my manager about this and he said that he will 'look into banning her', though he wasn't as enthusiastic as he should have been. Perhaps I ought to ask her to take a seat the next time she travels and wait for the complaints to come in when passengers literally soil their garments.
I have decided to take unilateral action the next time I see her - if, as she boards, Mars Bars appear to be tricking down her smelly, lilly white legs, she will be refused travel. If not, she will be allowed travel provided she stands to her stop, and that she is travelling no further.
Common Sense Solution: Management with the balls to say no to a passenger. There are a number of reasons why my boss didn't say to bar her outright. She travels 0.3 miles yet we receive in reimbursement rate the same amount for that journey as we would for someone who travelled the full length of the route. Also, banning someone could end up with a story in the local paper. He would then have to respond and say why she was banned and a story about a shit-stained bus does the company image no favours at all. Regardless of all this, there is a minimum standard to which all bus passengers must meet. This woman falls short by a considerable amount and should be banned *without question*.
An elderly woman with shit running down her legs as she got off my bus is too much for me. I felt physically sick and the very wrong smell that I had been sniffing for the past minute or two revealed itself.
The lady in question, thankfully, only travels one stop (about 0.3 miles). She has a free bus pass and a moustache. She walks like she is in a permanent state of intoxication, though it is never intoxicating liquor she smells of. Also in my favour is that she chooses to stand for the one-stop journey into town.
She got off my bus today while I was stood at some red traffic lights. I chose to let her off as the niff today was worse than usual. She left and crossed the road in front of me. As she walked away, the vision of diarrhoea running down her legs was clear for all to see.
I spoke to my manager about this and he said that he will 'look into banning her', though he wasn't as enthusiastic as he should have been. Perhaps I ought to ask her to take a seat the next time she travels and wait for the complaints to come in when passengers literally soil their garments.
I have decided to take unilateral action the next time I see her - if, as she boards, Mars Bars appear to be tricking down her smelly, lilly white legs, she will be refused travel. If not, she will be allowed travel provided she stands to her stop, and that she is travelling no further.
Common Sense Solution: Management with the balls to say no to a passenger. There are a number of reasons why my boss didn't say to bar her outright. She travels 0.3 miles yet we receive in reimbursement rate the same amount for that journey as we would for someone who travelled the full length of the route. Also, banning someone could end up with a story in the local paper. He would then have to respond and say why she was banned and a story about a shit-stained bus does the company image no favours at all. Regardless of all this, there is a minimum standard to which all bus passengers must meet. This woman falls short by a considerable amount and should be banned *without question*.
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