Just don’t get this - waiting for the bus

They're retired. They literally have time to burn. They have less time than you, assuming both you and the hypothetical pensioner have average expected lifespans.

I have loads of twirlies on my bus route! There’s a few brave ones who pretend they can’t hear the driver and make a dash to sit up the back while the driver goes bananas

@MyCosyDuck that's an awful lot of rubbish you've put, in more ways than one!

Because they hope that bus drivers will take pity on them and let them on. They're called Twirlies where I live - tyhey'll flag down the bus anyway (this delatying id for those of us TRYING TO GET TO WORK -and ask "am I too early???".

Bus driver on my regular route takes no end of pleasure in telling them, unless youu're willing to pay, then you'll have to wait.

They're retired. They literally have time to burn. Let those os us working get to work, to pay our taxes, to fund their free bus travel, and stop delaying the buses for us trying to do so.

If I'm that entitled and ignorant when I'm older, I'll end myself.

Hi there. I have a Smart Pass to use in NI. It seems to me that the Smart Pass you will get can be used on all forms of public transport in Ireland. I am not sure if you have to present the card to the reader on bus/Luas, but once you have it on you and have some form of ID with your name on it, all will be fine I'm sure.

The LUAS is free for you too obviously, and its website just says you must have the Smart Pass with you to prove entitlement to All Ireland free travel. Here is some info from the LUAS website which might help you.

Luas | FAQ's

If you are in doubt, I'm sure an email to LUAS customer services will reassure you. Same for the buses, although I'm not sure if you can "ping" the Smart Pass at the reader, or need to present it to the driver.

Enjoy your trips to the shopping megaliths. I think Dundrum is great, but very very very BIG. I prefer Liffey Valley myself, it's all on the flat and there aren't millions of escalators and maps to figure out! All the best my friend from NI.

The whole point of the post is that these are the people who aren't doing any of those things.

You can pretend all you like but it happens a lot.

Everyone thinks their exception is a "good" reason though. Both my current house and my old one are/were next to primary schools and there are loads of cars parked up all over the street the school is on and all the neighbouring ones up to an hour before. It's unlikely that ALL those children have autism and need a car in a specific place. I'm sure all the other early parkers have good reasons for doing it as well, but doesn't mean people living nearby can't find it annoying/odd.

Yes we knew the primary school was there when they bought the house but I thought that would mean twenty minutes of the street being busy c. 8.45-9.05 and 3.10-3.30. Not the street being almost inaccessible with cars parked either side of the road and parents blocking drives for up to three hours every day!

Tbh it doesn't hugely affect me as I wfh so can largely avoid those times but on the rare occasions I do need to drive past its an absolute nightmare!

Bit strange. Maybe they just want to wait and chat to each other.

Always a bit of a mystery though with pensioners. I know some who shop at the weekend and are always complaining how busy it is, even though they could shop in the week when it is empty.

I think the brain gets so used to doing things, we shop on a Friday for example, that the idea of changing it simply does not compute, and the possibility of shopping on any other day is not something the brain can comprehend.

Teenagers do it because they want to smoke dope and shag one another, and because they don’t own/rent their own space. I don’t think it’s anything to do with a magnetic attraction to bus stops as such.

I'd never thought about the people congesting parked along the road by the school 30-40 mins before pick-up as being Twirlies before. The irony is that some of them are parked further away than the walk from the avaliable free car parks.

I live in NI and atm only get free travel here. When 65 I will get it free in the South. Then both dh and I can get the train to Dublin free. Though I do get a discount atm. £10 return. We also can travel free without time restrictions. How do you get it free on the Luas using the ticket machines. Would love to get the Luas out to Dundrum shopping centre sometime.
Will be great when the Enterprise will operate every hour.

The same people who queue outside supermarket doors with their trolleys half an hour before the store opens.

What's the issue here? If they want to hang around the bus stop why shouldn't they? Teenagers do it.

It might be only in England that singles are capped at £2, unless the Scottish and Welsh parliaments have done the same thing?

You sound like you have a big attitude problem about the elderly, in general.

What's it got to do with you how anyone else chooses to live their life or how they spend their time?!

I hope you have a warmer attitude to your own father - because you sound horrible.

@Auburngal why don't MYOB and stop being ageist on all your threads?

You're really very obsessed with "elderly" people.

Yes I have parking issues as well to the point of preferring public transport - but i don't feel I am entitled to park by the gate.
I live opposite a primary school - there are zero parking restrictions in the area apart from a stretch for a few metres each side of school gate most families live within a short walk but there are parents there from 2:30 with some parking on the zigzag lines.

I thought all bus fares were currently capped at £2.

I don't see why it matters to you if they want to have a leisurely stroll to the bus stop, know they'll be there in good time for their bus and have a chat while they wait. Exactly what retirement should be IMO. Time to just be.

I have parking anxiety. I will literally not go places if parking is not guaranteed. It is a genuine fear inducing anxiety for me. I always get places crazy early as it's how I manage my stress.

Perhaps others have similar issues. Don't judge.

I don’t know whether it was pathological earliness or fear of being left behind. Which they wouldn’t - I’ve also been on a holiday where someone hadn't adjusted their watch for the time difference and they went awol during a stop off. After waiting for 30 minutes the tour guide sent the coach to the hotel and stayed behind to find and escort the very sheepish holidaymaker back.

which was amusing in itself because we all gathered at the appointed time in reception for the evening meal but everyone was wringing their hands about whether we could go into the dining room. So I rolled my eyes and went up to reception, and they spoke enough English for me to explain the guide wasn’t there and please could they show us our tables in the dining room. I became the stand in tour guide as everyone, including hotel staff, defaulted to me, eg telling them who the vegetarians were etc. they all thought I was marvellous and brave, I thought they were all a bit wet.

What if the bus comes early? What if you're there by yourself and don't see the bus coming and it whizzes past? What if something happens and you're not there to complain about it??

I don't know - I'm known to be always late so expect I'll never hit this stage.

Yes it's a Yorkshire thing! It's all the old dears who congregate at the bus stop going "are we too early (twirly)!!!