I'm a regular user of buses, and very comfortable travelling on them, but I've had a few strange reactions from the drivers recently! 🤔

[Townlife]

It made me wonder if I'm committing some sort of 'faux pas', and wondered if any other regular bus users could shed light on it!

Example 1 -
Finished in town, with some shopping. First bus that turned up eventually finishes at bus stop near my house, but does a loop of nearby outlet first (takes about 10 mins), comes back to where I got on bus, then continues to village I live at.
Rather than wait at bus stop, I got on this one, (I didn't mind doubling back on myself), just nice to get a seat on the bus! As we stopped at place I originally got on, the driver walked to the back of the bus seeming annoyed, asking exactly where I was getting off and asked to see my ticket! Ticket was a Dayrider anyway, so I wasn't getting an extra ride for free, I'd paid for unlimited! He then rolled his eyes and sat back down.

Example 2 -
Coming back from work (I only work in this place once a month) so not as familiar with route. I got on, then realised it was taking the long way round, about 40 mins rather than the normal 20. Tbh this didn't bother me. It had been a long day, and by then was just happy to gaze out of the window, lost in my own thoughts with a coffee. Until about 5 mins before end of journey, when the driver walked to.my seat and asked if I was ok, he'd been watching in the mirror and said I looked 'confused', did I realise the bus stops & ends in 5 mins, and did I need help with directions! 😮 I said I was absolutely fine, knew I was getting off in 5 mins, v near my house and my 'confused' face was me just switching off after work!
Nice that he was concerned (people travelling on their own do sometimes need help), but on both buses there were plenty of other people so I'm surprised both drivers noticed ME! I don't think I really stand out, and I didn't see them speak to anyone else already sat down.
Any ideas on this, please? x

That's so strange!

Could it be that someone who looks like you lives locally and is a bit vulnerable? Only thing I can think of

I suppose that could be the case, DanceBeneath, I can't actually think of another reason! 😮😀
I'm fairly introverted, and actually prefer using buses to taxis as I feel more anonymous, being someone amongst many other people, altogether but in our own 'spaces', if you see what I mean.
I didn't feel anonymous in these instances, though!

This

I remember, a few years ago now, going into a newsagent in an area I am not usually in .
The chap behind the till was adament that I had a twin Sister and he had just seen her not 10 minutes ago. .
Very strange
I have no Sisters, at all.

A bus driver really shouldn’t be eye-rolling when they check someone’s ticket and find that they do indeed have a valid ticket. That’s pretty rude.

In my experience some bus drivers are a bit funny about what bus stop we get on at. I live in a village where the bus goes down the main street, turns at the end and comes back on itself. So in theory, you could get on the bus either side of the road, but wow some of them don't like it. They get really huffy. It is expected that you don't get on the bus until it comes back after the turning circle. Why it makes a difference i do not know.

It makes no difference at all, some of them really do seem to be on a rather silly little power trip! There aren’t any rules about which stops you can get on and off at as long as you’ve paid.

... asking exactly where I was getting off and asked to see my ticket! Ticket was a Dayrider anyway, so I wasn't getting an extra ride for free, I'd paid for unlimited! He then rolled his eyes and sat back down.

I'd point out to him that I'd scanned my ticket when I got on, and was he OK..? I think you've just had a couple of slightly odd drivers there, and normal service will be resumed in due course.

I had an odd bus driver on the city link service, which looped from the train station to the city centre. I had an annual rail ticket, which admittedly is unusual. I showed my ticket when I boarded the bus and he snatched it out of my hand, holding it well away from me and staring fixedly at it. Obviously he suspected it of being a forgery, which was embarrassing for me (as was holding up the queue).

I don't have an issue with his wanting a closer look, but it was the aggressive stance that he took and the subsequent hard stares I got every time I used it. I started avoiding his bus and waiting for the next one - no other driver questioned it at all ever - as I hated the fuss he made and the angry accusing stares.

Was so weird. No idea what his problem was; even if it had been a forgery, it wasn't his problem?!

Thank you all, yes it seems there are a few drivers that behave oddly then! Maybe a 'power' thing? Maybe when their day is going along too smoothly they feel they have to pick on someone, to show authority!

Those are certainly strange experiences. I find that bus drivers, shop assistants etc. get a lot of abuse from certain customers that they feel unable to challenge (the customer being aggressive etc.), which when coupled with often very poor management leads to a great sense of frustration. Therefore some of them, when presented with a polite person who they think won't answer back, take the opportunity to off load their frustrations onto someone who doesn't actually deserve it. It is projecting

The first one makes sense, on the return trip after the 'loop' the driver has to input a new journey, they then have to log all new passengers. If you are already on the bus at that point you have to be logged again. He needs to know what type of ticket you have for that in case and inspector gets on, although he shouldn't have rolled his eyes. You do get people paying for a single to the end of the line sometimes and then overriding.

The second one I'm not sure, maybe he was worried about you if you looked sleepy or something, again not uncommon for people to zone out/fall asleep and miss their stop.

Sometimes worth letting the driver know that's what you're doing when you get on in example 1, that way they can remember which ticket to log and won't have to get out of the cab to come and check

I think the first driver was thinking you'd made a mistake, and having gone to the bother of checking you weren't a confused passenger (having not considered the fact that it's nicer to sit on the bus while it does the loop than stand at the stop) he was irritated. Just sounds like a bit particularly patient person.

Second driver sounds kind, you'd been on the bus a long while, so he's had time to notice you were a bit glazed over and bothered to ask... I think in these hard times that's a really thoughtful thing to do.

I think it's coincidence you've had these things happen close together. Don't think anything of it.

My experience of long years of bus use were far less pleasant typically (where anything of note happened I mean... it was either nothing to write home about or nasty attitude/behaviour/words in my experience)

It's a bit odd, but then I've had similar experiences when travelling locally on my own, and it's even worse outside of London. I seem to get a lot more random people and customer service assistants interfering/stares when not with DP or friends. It's become more noticeable to me now I'm a bit older vs my 20s. If I had kids/a pram with me I'm sure I'd get totally ignored, but it's like a woman of a certain age going around alone is an unusual thing 🙄
Mind you it can sometimes work the other way, I've had some lovely chats with strangers which hardly ever happen unless I'm on my own.
Sorry to derail, I'm projecting here I know!

I agree. They never seem to do this to a six foot grumpy man. It’s lone women and children who get the eye rolling and impatience.

The first one is a bus driver who may have thought you were homeless. But if you have paid the fare so what.
The second one may have been genuinely concerned. Maybe you have resting confused face?

I think I have, Rattymol! 😊

Occasionally friends/neighbours have commented, if bumping into me unexpectedly (supermarket/post office etc), asking if I'm ok, when I'm perfectly fine! My face probably goes into 'rest mode' if it's a routine task I don't have to think about. It seems that people then think something must be wrong!
I'll have to perfect my 'off-duty' expression! As I don't seem to get this reaction when at work/with family & friends etc.

I suppose I'm naturally 'on', at those times, then can look a bit zoned out when lost in my own thoughts. 🤔

Bus routes are being cut or changed left right and centre so drivers get lots of complaints and confused people.

That's likely to be the reason. I doubt it's about you.

1. I assume he wanted to get off at the end of the route for a fag break or similar but couldn’t because you were there, round here they all seem to get 5/10 minutes before turning round and obviously can’t leave you on the bus.

2. I’ve been the confused person the driver thought you were, I think it probably happens more than you’d think now most people drive.

I'd sayb there may have been an "incident" on your bus route involving a woman passenger and its drivers have been warned/trained to watch out for any further problems. They're doing their job.