The reason why so much scum in society travel by bus is because it's convenient and cheap. Despite this, plenty bemoan the cost of their trip to their drug dealer and that they have to walk for 6 minutes to flag a bus down. Trains get a fair dollop of the underclass, mainly in urban areas where stops are located close together and free rides can be had. Far fewer on planes.
Anyway, one element the scum of society possess is their ability to blatantly lie to your face.
A Scottish guy, dressed in a tracksuit with baseball cap, scars on his knuckles and tattoos on his face, flagged me down at a stop outside a supermarket today. He had a 'mini me' with him as his son was stood alongside.
"Can you tell me where the bus to Town B is?" Note the lack of 'excuse me' and 'please'.
"Yes, it doesn't call here for another 40 minutes, so the next one will be at 1110". Nice, clear, concise and answering a second question that was likely to follow.
"So what happened to the one at 1010?" he replied.
Now I knew it ran as I passed it on the way in and it was on time as far as I could remember. I didn't immediately say the latter but told the chap that it would have run, leaving the centre of Town A at 1000.
"Well it never fucking come this way!" he replied, so eloquently.
Oh well, such is life. If you can't physically see a bus go by then really you ought to expect to be left from time to time. I thought I would add that I'd passed it and it was on time, to which the NED replied:
"Oh OK then!"
What a wally. What happened to his firm statement previously? How can a bus that supposedly didn't operate now be greeted with such acceptance of the facts? These wankers are the sorts of people who serious drop drivers into hot water. An allegation like this to a large multi-national bus company will be enough to see the driver hauled before a disciplinary procedure. Yes, the CCTV footage would prove the service operated and the toss pot was not even stood there, but the anguish and nervousness felt by the driver would still exist up until that point.
Similarly, passengers who throw their bus ticket away as they take their seat can cause drivers to be suspended if they're approached by an inspector. Rather than admit they threw their ticket away, they state they weren't given one. This then sets red lights flashing and alarm bells ringing as the company worth billions immediately removes the driver from the bus and suspends him pending an investigation.
Common Sense Solution: The money generated by these low-income neanderthals is just as welcome as monies received from business people in shirts and ties. Consequently, the under-class will always be welcome on buses. But operators need to trust their workforce more. Immediately suspending/issuing allegations of impropriety to the drivers is wrong. It's one of the reasons turnover is so high in the industry. We are, for example, short-staffed in the middle of a recession. Why? Drivers cannot stand working for my company. They despise being assumed guilty until proven innocent. The under-class's fictitious stories are more often than not to blame.
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