With a title like today's you'd perhaps think that it will be a rant about other road users not using their indicators. Actually, it's not. It is a humerous observation about passengers hailing a bus.
Don't get me wrong, hailing a bus is NEVER a bad thing - even if you're stood at a bus stop where only 1 bus calls and there are 30 of you stood there - it's just sometimes passengers cannot correlate the gesture of outstretching their arm and what to do with it after that.
What generally happens is that a driver will see a person shove their arm out long before the bus pulls up at the stop. I generally indicate left to show the passenger that I'm aware of their hand gesture and that I will be pulling over. But the majority of people do not put their hand away until the bus is about to hit it.
You'd have thought that, once it was clear the bus was pulling over (the bus indicator is clearly flashing) the passenger would put their arm down, safe in the knowledge that the bus was pulling over. They don't.
I refuse to believe that this is because drivers have driven straight past. This doesn't happen anywhere nearly as often as people would have you believe - especially when the bus driver has indicated to pull over.
Common Sense Solution: I don't think there is the need for one as the passenger is doing the right thing but hailing a bus.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Thursday 10 November 2011
Impatience
An old man boarded today, pushing a buggy. He asked for his stop and said he had a pass and that he would get it out in a minute. I dutifully keyed in the details and awaited his pass to be shown before it hit the 'issue' button. He just stood there, motionless.
Well I'm all for awkward silences. He eventually gave in. He asked for his destination again. I said "Do you have your bus pass handy now?"
"Bloody hell, I said I'd get you it in a minute!"
"All I need to do is see the expiry date," I said, choosing to omit "so I can make sure you're not a robbing git. Often OAPs from other parts of the Kingdom try and use their passes here and it is not allowed. A little silly I know, but them's the rules!
"For goodness sake!" the old man exclaimed, rummaging in his pocket for his bus pass, which he brought out within 5 seconds.
"Satisfied?"
"Yes, thank you. If I could ask you to have it ready every time you board, it will help speed up the service!" I ended with. I couldn't help it.
He didn't say anything other than a tut and a shake of the head.
One - nil.
Common Sense Solution: Clearly there was always going to be an exchange of words here, unless the driver was prepared to issue the guy a free ticket without first seeing his pass. The old git reached for his pass within 5 seconds, so what prevented him from doing so while in the queue to board. I was polite throughout and it was all very clinical. The old guy had absolutely no grounds on which to complain.
Well I'm all for awkward silences. He eventually gave in. He asked for his destination again. I said "Do you have your bus pass handy now?"
"Bloody hell, I said I'd get you it in a minute!"
"All I need to do is see the expiry date," I said, choosing to omit "so I can make sure you're not a robbing git. Often OAPs from other parts of the Kingdom try and use their passes here and it is not allowed. A little silly I know, but them's the rules!
"For goodness sake!" the old man exclaimed, rummaging in his pocket for his bus pass, which he brought out within 5 seconds.
"Satisfied?"
"Yes, thank you. If I could ask you to have it ready every time you board, it will help speed up the service!" I ended with. I couldn't help it.
He didn't say anything other than a tut and a shake of the head.
One - nil.
Common Sense Solution: Clearly there was always going to be an exchange of words here, unless the driver was prepared to issue the guy a free ticket without first seeing his pass. The old git reached for his pass within 5 seconds, so what prevented him from doing so while in the queue to board. I was polite throughout and it was all very clinical. The old guy had absolutely no grounds on which to complain.
Tuesday 8 November 2011
Hassle
We've not had a fare increase (or 'revision') but some of the fare stages have changed, which has resulted in some passengers now paying more from today (I know, nothing like a mid-week change to piss everyone off!) compared to less than 12 hours ago.
Some fares have increased by 20p single and 30p return. If a passenger asks for stop X today, we charge him to stop Y as stop X is no longer a fare stage. The fare to stop Y has remained constant, though as passengers for stop X never wanted stop Y they really couldn't give a fuck.
I'm directing all complaints to the depot, asking passengers to phone rather than write, email or tweet (twat?). Not all passengers are dick heads. Around 2% are likely to spot what the company is doing and won't be happy. If they all phoned up, very little work would get done back at base.
Common Sense Solution: Firstly, you should always charge the correct fare, no matter how outraged the passenger is likely to be. Consistency is key, as ever. Any problems, direct them to the depot or even head office. Or both. Provided you've got an assault screen you could add something like: "Well we have to pay for our pay rise some how!" though you really need to be sure you don't say this to a crow bar-wielding black lad!
Some fares have increased by 20p single and 30p return. If a passenger asks for stop X today, we charge him to stop Y as stop X is no longer a fare stage. The fare to stop Y has remained constant, though as passengers for stop X never wanted stop Y they really couldn't give a fuck.
I'm directing all complaints to the depot, asking passengers to phone rather than write, email or tweet (twat?). Not all passengers are dick heads. Around 2% are likely to spot what the company is doing and won't be happy. If they all phoned up, very little work would get done back at base.
Common Sense Solution: Firstly, you should always charge the correct fare, no matter how outraged the passenger is likely to be. Consistency is key, as ever. Any problems, direct them to the depot or even head office. Or both. Provided you've got an assault screen you could add something like: "Well we have to pay for our pay rise some how!" though you really need to be sure you don't say this to a crow bar-wielding black lad!
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