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.