Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

to be really pissed off with this bus driver?

52 replies

CuppaNBicciePlease · 21/01/2011 19:34

This is my first aibu, so please be gentle!

So, I was off into town with dd. She's 21 months. I gave my money to the bus driver and asked for a return. Unfortunately dd had put a 20p coin out of her ELC till into my pocket.

The driver gave it back to me to me and I apoligised, very embarassed. I then got my purse out to give him the correct change, still very red faced.

He then told me to get off the bus as I was trying to underpay and could be liable for a fine!

Ffs, I was so embarassed I could have cried! I am so temted to try and put in a complaint abouy him but I don't know if that would be going too far!

OP posts:

MotherMountainGoat · 21/01/2011 20:10

What a horrible thing to happy - as others have said, he's nothing but a bully. It's a pity when others take out their frustration on people they perceive to have less power (ie women with young children).

This might be difficult, but next time, try saying no. He can't physically kick you off the bus. If something like this happens, turn to the other passengers and explain why the driver is upset, appeal to their better nature - something like this will have happened to everyone at some point, maybe with a bit of foreign currency. By this point the driver should have backed down, and if not, you have plenty of witnesses from the company afterwards about his unreasonableness.

When people are inherently polite and considerate (ie you), it might be difficult to overcome your inhibitions (or just sheer shock and horror) and stand up for yourself. I've kicked myself a number of times for not standing up to arseholes. At least you are morally in the right!

MotherMountainGoat · 21/01/2011 20:11

Duh, not from the company, I meant for the bus company.

Original poster

CuppaNBicciePlease · 21/01/2011 20:13

RevoltingPeasant, I caved. I am normally quite, erm, well, a bit of an outspoken lunatic but I was so shocked I didn't know what to do. I have never come across anything like it! Even when I pulled a sanitary pad out my handbag instead of my purse to show the inspector my ticket on the train!

OP posts:

camerondiazepam · 21/01/2011 20:14

I bet he is short and suffers from Short Man Syndrome. I'm guessing his special favourite thing to do is wait until someone running for the bus just reaches it and then shut the doors. I imagine he has very little power in any other area of his life.

Have some chocolate and feel Glad You're Not Him.

YANBU by the way

trixie123 · 21/01/2011 20:17

cameron I saw a driver do that once, years ago. I was on the bus and he saw this guy running up, waited til he got to the door then snapped the door shut on the guys hand, laughed and drove off. I was only a kid at the time but if I saw it now I'd like to think I would say something or at least report him.

IveStillGotIt · 21/01/2011 20:22

TheDevilAndTheDeepBlueSea- he wiz speaking oot o the hole in his arse!!! How the fuck can a folded pram not be aloud FFS!!! You should have contacted your local newspaper about that one!!!

OP- What a fucking arsehole!!! If I was you, I would have refused to get aff the bus, and let him radio the fuzz, or whatever it is prick faced bus drivers do when folk refuse to get off!!!
YOU DID NOTHING WRONG, it was an innocent mistake! That driver sounds like a right fucking prick!!!
I remember, a few years back now, I was getting on the bus on my way to college, when DS was a baby, I was sleep deprived e.t.c, I pulled a fanny pad out of my bag instead of my bus pass!!!
The bus driver never batted an eyelid!!!

RevoltingPeasant · 21/01/2011 20:29

Poor Cuppa [sympathetic emoticon]

I'm not that outspoken but I tend to be Glacially Middle Class, as in 'I am sorry, of course I have change, if you don't mind waiting one moment, my good man...'

mommmmyof2 · 21/01/2011 20:32

I think some bus drivers think they have some sort of power and let it go to their head!YANBU what an arse! Seeing you struggle anyway with your child, bloody jobs worth!

I also hate drivers who see you run for the bus, just when you get there they pull away.Must be some sort of club for them 'called bus drivers club to being a twat'! sorry hate majority of them

TheDevilAndTheDeepBlueSea · 21/01/2011 20:35

IveStillGotIt I think I said something very similar at the time... only slightly more politely - it was 13 years ago, I was a different person then

onepieceoflollipop · 21/01/2011 20:35

OP I am angry on your behalf.

A few years ago my dd was about 3 and had a habit of asking people their name. (like bus drivers and shopkeepers etc) she was only being friendly and depending on the scenario I would sometimes divert her. Generally the staff member would say their first name and hello etc. (fairly basic manners imo or they could just divert her and say hello or ask her her own names etc)

We were on holiday once in Blackpool and she asked the driver on the bus his name. He sneered at her in a really unpleasant, sarcastic manner and went on and on about his "rights" and so on. dd was really bemused and I was not impressed tbh. He made a real big issue of it, said if we insisted he would give us his id number but we were well out of order. She was 3, ffs and making conversation. He could have just been pleasant and got out of it very easily, but no, he wanted to make a major issue.

TheDevilAndTheDeepBlueSea · 21/01/2011 20:38

Ha onepieceoflollipop, what an utter twat!

onepieceoflollipop · 21/01/2011 20:42

It was the sneer that did it. Ooh I was cross. What a miserable man, no doubt it made his day trying to embarrass a tiny 3 year old little girl who was enjoying a holiday.

onepieceoflollipop · 21/01/2011 20:43

without dismissing the op's experience, some of our local bus drivers are lovely. :)

cumfy · 21/01/2011 20:49

Did you get off the bus ?

solomanswife · 21/01/2011 20:55

What is it about bus drivers? I think the problem is whenever people are put in uniform, they think become officious and forget that they are there to serve the public, not control them.

I once tried to verify the route with a driver who refused to even look at me, just stared straight ahead. So I asked him to look at me while I was speaking to him and told him off for being rude.

He was lucky not get "my look".

NJE · 21/01/2011 21:07

YANBU.

Something similiar happened to me in Summer. I did not have enough money and my oyster card (I knew that but couldn't find a shop to top up). I got on a bus, wanted to pay with a £10 note but the driver refused saying that he does not have enough change. I told him that it wasn't my fault and that I was in a hurry (I was already running late for an appointment). NO! He said that was a well-known trick bla bla bla and I had to get off the bus, after a 5 minutes arguement. I was soooo angry and embarrased.

KittyLit · 21/01/2011 21:16

I usually drive but DS likes to go on the bus sometimes, so just before Christmas I took him into town on the bus to do the last bit of Xmas shopping. On the way back I gave the driver £2 to pay my fare of £1.95. He immediately said 'I haven't got 5p, you can't get any change. I'm sick of people giving me £2 for a £1.95 fare.' 'Mardy twat' I thought, but smiled sweetly and proceeded to count out £1.95 in 10/5/2 and 1ps.

I bet some passengers ended up paying £2 and not getting any change because he waspocketingalltheextra5ps didn't have any.

Bus drivers like him, fellow mumsnetters, are the reason I drive.

mitziw · 21/01/2011 21:21

what a knob! defo complain

Liv77 · 21/01/2011 21:51

There are definately some idiotic bus drivers around. Last week on the way to work our driver sailed past a stop where a regular passenger was waiting with her buggy. She had the misfortune to be bending down over the buggy attending to her child so he sailed straight past her.

Several people hit the stop button and I shouted out "That lady is waiting for the bus"

He did stop further down the road and waited for her but the bus stop she was waiting at was the opposite side of the road to the pavement and in the middle of country type lanes, she was clearly visible. - what exactly did he think she was doing there if not waiting for the bus - FFS

I also once asked a driver to wait for my husband who he could see was legging it to the bus as I got on to which he replied "people wait for buses, we don't wait for them" - don't think he'll be getting any customer service awards anytime soon but i definately would have nominated him for a miserable fucker one if that was available.

Liv77 · 21/01/2011 21:55

Forgot to add YANBU I would definately complain, keep your bus ticket if you still have it as they often ask for the details on it so they can verify who was driving.

mitochondria · 21/01/2011 21:59

I still remember getting the bus home from school, aged 11, my mum had given me my 20p bus fare in 2ps.

Bus driver told me he wouldn't accept it and I'd have to get off.

It was 3 miles home.

I cried, he relented.

Might not work for an adult though.

I must admit, driving the school run can't be fun. One driver once stopped the bus and refused to go any further as kids were mucking about upstairs, the company had to send out a replacement to take the bus on.

Ladyofthehousespeaking · 21/01/2011 22:07

Urgh I feel your pain-
I had to run for the bus a few weeks ago, horribley slushy and snowy, pissing down with rain, I got to the bus and was stood a foot front of it and signalled to him that I wanted to get on, drover shook his head and revved his engine at me!!!

Normally I wouldn't have been too pissed off but the weather was atrocious, it was 9 at night, i'd just come off an awful 12 hour shift with crazy Xmas shoppers and he watched me leg it up the road. Fucker.

Very embarrassed to say I just burst into tears!

mommmmyof2 · 21/01/2011 23:57

lady never run for a bus, they do it on purpose.
All bus drivers are evil

edam · 22/01/2011 00:03

They aren't all evil. The day I decided to run for the bus to my midwife appointment there was a very lovely driver who waited for me. And waited. And waited...

I was in such a panic about being late for the appointment I had failed to remember I was 40 weeks and six days and could barely waddle, much less run! A busload of people all sat patiently waiting for me to lumber down the road. Driver gave me a lovely smile - and then the passengers applauded. This was in inner London, btw, not a friendly little village.

I shall never know whether it was the sweep or the running for the bus that started labour off...

mommmmyof2 · 22/01/2011 00:05

Ok I take it back all of them I have encountered are evil edam your driver sounds lovely

Flip

1 2 3