Public Transport

[true786]

Today I was nearly late for work all becuase of the most ridiculous mistake by the bus driver!


Every Monday I buy myself a weekly bus pass that allows me to get to town and back. This bus pass is valid for North Reading only. Today as I got on the bus, ready for another day in the office, the bus driver pointed out that my bus pass had South Reading on it and he refused to let me travel! So because the bus driver on Monday had given me the wrong bus pass I was not allowed to travel on the bus!

Not only that, the buses only take correct fair, and I only had a fiver in my pocket so I had to walk to work. Even though the 'wrong pass' had the date and time and the driver number on it, the ignorant driver told me that I should have checked the buss pass and it is my fault!

I agree that I should have perhaps checked, but I have been catching that Bus since I was 12 and have been buying buss passes ever since, I didnt expect the driver to make a stupid mistake, and even if he did, would have thought I would be given the benefit of doubt!

To make matters worse, customer services told me that I would have to buy another buss pass, and I could send the wrong buss pass to them, along with a letter of what happend, and they would consider wether to give me a refund!

Its not about the money, its the principal, not only are the buses never on time or just dont turn up, they cant even sort out this problem.

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest! Realy drove me to near murder this morning!

Time to get the Car going again I think..

[Steven W]

I can sympathise. I was booked on a train yesterday at a specific time. I went to the bus stop with plenty of time to spare but the bus was 15 minutes late. I ran to the station and got there at 9.40am. My train was 9.42am.

The guy was fumbling about with my tickets and by the time he gave them to me it was 9.43, train gone and they wouldn't transfer my ticket.

If I would have waited for the next connection I would have missed my link to London so the only option was to jump in a taxi and speed off to Birmingham, costing me £25.

I was absolutely fuming. No wonder everyone drives.

P.S. Buses stink and the passengers, not to mention the threat of being stabbed to death when it's dark.

[superscaper]

Last week on the bus (blackpool area) going back home I timed it quite bad and got the school home time crowd. As I was sitting in the bus, we pulled up at a stop with a load of rowdy kids who were trying to pile on. The bus driver kept shouting at them to ALL get off and he was only allowing one on at a time. Every time someone even made a step on the bus it was the whole "get back, all of you get back, I'm not letting anyone on until you all get back, one at a time". I was getting a bit irritated because this was taking a while but what really annoyed me was "all of you get back, I've got all day to wait". I almost shouted "Well I haven't".

[Fabula]

Bus drivers seem to delight in causing problems for others. Like waiting until a running person is 2m from the door before closing it and driving off. And leaving before the time on the timetable.

[true786]

'Like waiting until a running person is 2m from the door before closing it and driving off'

How often do we see that! Its so obvious that they have seen the person running like crazy but they wait just untill they are within pubic hair reach of the door, then drive off! Crazy.

[Hans Voralberg]

Yeah but to be fair it's a very depressing job and the traffic in the UK doesnt help either. I just walk now, gave up using bus a year ago. At least i got much fitter walking everyday.

[kickstart 1]

He he ..just waiting for "Raves" comments, isnt he a bus driver?

[Rave]

I am indeed- and just got my internet working again after a considerable hiatus.

I daresay there are a lot of drivers who are knobs, as well as plenty like me who do their best to be nice. Even if I'm late I wait for people running for the bus (if I see them- sometimes you don't)- but then that doesn't help people who are already on the bus and hurrying to make a train connection or appointment. You can't please all of the people all of the time.

As for the comments about crappy service- well that's deregulation for you. Mayor Ken may be a complete **** (insert expletive of your choice) but you simply can't deny that he's transformed the bus service in London through TfL's regulation. It's way better now than before he took charge- and I would have said that long before I became a driver. If you want better bus services, you need a transport authority to regulate them- so lobby your MP now.

Bus companies hate the idea of regulation, including mine- but they seem to do fine here in London- so I've concluded that they're just wrong.

[chuckskull]

Yeah theres two companies round here, I was running for one the other day and the driver just waved to me and shrugged, he was still parked up when he saw me. Would of taken him 10 seconds to pick me up.

I have to say most of their drivers are the same. Like insisting to see every OAP's pass(theres a lot on the route that goes nearest me because of the hospital), if the woman is 90 odd can barely see and takes her 5 minutes to open her purse I think you can safely say, she gets free over 65's travel, no?

The other company though, much smaller(does holidays, mainly I think), basically works on a 'it's nice to be nice' policy. The drivers know almost all the customers at least by sight, often by name. If you don't have the right change or even nothing at all, they just tell you to owe it them. They even pick up hitch-hikers for free. They put a lot of pride into everything they do.

It works though, they rake in the money, people will avoid the other bus company and wait longer just to get on theirs.

[atrull]

the busses in reading are indeed **** why not buy a bike ?

[chriswood_7]

I finally had enough one day of busses when I sat next to someone who threw up all over the back of the bus right at the BEGINNING of my 1hr journey. Hence, I moved to another seat and sat in someones urine (yes it was a bad bad day).

Thats for me pushed it over the edge so I went and bought a car. More expensive and bad for the environment, I know, but you cant rely on public transport these days. It really is getting worse!

[Flibb]

Our de regulated bus drivers around here are excellent, they help the pensioners on and off with shopping, stop outside peoples houses to let them off, and are generally on time and helpful.

[badass]

Just thinking about the state of our public transport is enough to get my blood boiling.
Even now, with congestion charges and traffic jams everywhere, probably more often than not you are better driving.

[GeorgeTuk]

My occasional experiments with public transport for meetings in London (I am in the Surrey) and sometimes locally have always resulted in disappointment. They promise so much yet deliver so little.

I hate wearing a suit to London on the train as they are so dirty and smelly it needs dry cleaning afterwards. My girlfriend has sat in urine, and me in chewing gum, its all pretty disgusting and I refuse jobs in London because I couldn't face it every day.

I much prefer my car, its my own space, clean with plenty of storage space, I can set my own temperature, listen to my own music (without headphones) and I also can guarantee the service (even though its a Citroen!).

The best train system I have seen is the Barcelona system, over and under ground. Clean and able to cope with busy periods, also runs until 2am.

[Mike Fishcake]

I have to traverse to work on one of these so called "Buses" (I believe it's the proles' abbreviation of "Omnibus"!) on Thursday morning, as my carriage is booked in for a service.

Should I take a chloroform-soaked handkerchief with me in case any ruffians or scoundrels attempt to indulge me in vulgar conversation, or worse, attempt to relieve me of my posessions?

[Funkstar]

Mike, in a word: yes.