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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think school children have as much right to board the bus as 'workers'?

32 replies

FranSanDisco · 08/10/2012 21:22

DD (Year 7) rang this morning to say the bus driver was refusing to let any school children on the bus and would only take 'workers'. The bus already had some school children on but only a few seats were left. The driver yelled 'get off my bus' to any brave children to tried to get on (DD is not brave). Has this happened to any of your children and is this common practice?

OP posts:
MrsPresley · 08/10/2012 21:31

I've never heard of this Confused

TBH I would complain to the bus company if my DD wasnt let on in favour of workers, unless of course the workers were in the queue before her.

First in the queue, first on the bus, regardless of schoolchildren, workers, shoppers etc

Anyway, how would the driver know who's going to work and who's having a day out shopping/appointment?

Salmotrutta · 08/10/2012 21:32

Seems a bit heavy-handed to say the least - I take it there are no actual school buses?
Is it possible that a few badly-behaved youngsters have spoiled things for the majority?
I'm only familiar with the system up here where if your child has to get a bus for the school in your catchment area then they normally get a proper school bus.

5madthings · 08/10/2012 21:35

I have never heard of this but my ds1 moves high school after oct half term and will be getting an 8am bus to school. Ee are paying £400 for a yearly bus pass so if it happened to mine there would be hell.to pay!

Childrem need to get to school.on time. Complain to.the bus company!

PinkFairyDust · 08/10/2012 21:35

It's not fair

But I hate getting a bus with secondary school children, I went to college and went past two schools, always packed, children screaming, shouting, hitting windows and so so rude.

If the bus gets to full - maybe see if the bus company can do the route but only accept school children and another one at the same time for everyone else? If the bus is too full to take both school children and workers

Xx

Original poster
FranSanDisco · 08/10/2012 21:37

It was a TfL bus and so far DD has never complained of troublesome school children. It seemed to be simply due to lack of space so the 'workers' jumped the queue. I told DD to try and get a driver number if this happens again to complain.

OP posts:
Nancy66 · 08/10/2012 21:38

if they're travelling to and from school it's fair enough.

However, I do get pissed off with school parties attempting to board tube trains in rush hour.

TheFogsGettingThicker · 08/10/2012 21:43

Don't know what time your DS rang up, but when I had to get the bus for work, it would be full of school children, who must have been arriving at 8.10 am and 8.30, going on what time we passed their respective schools. God knows what they were going to do, being so early...

Once the driver wouldn't let a lady (who worked by/near my workplace) or myself on because the bus was full of schoolkids. We had to go get a taxi, which I couldn't afford, already having a prepaid bus/train ticket.

I can tell you we were mighty pissed off.

It's not that we minded them being there, but there were school bus services, and this bus wasn't!

ExitPursuedByAaaaaarGhoul · 08/10/2012 21:45

Workers? They might have been people on benefits! Really, there should be a hierarchy as to who can get on a bus don't you think.

Salmotrutta · 08/10/2012 21:48

What's a TfL bus?

poorbuthappy · 08/10/2012 21:50

Transport for London.
I'm trying to articuate a response to this, but can't.

No school kids in school, no workers in work. Not sure the French would stand for it.

that is all. I can't get things out of my head and onto the screen tonight! Smile

5madthings · 08/10/2012 21:51

Only those in catchmemt can use council bus services. We arr out of catchment, hence paying £400 for a yearly pass. ds1 will be catching the 8:04am.bus and that will get him to school for 8:20-25. he has to be there for for 8:35. lots of high schools require children to be there for 8:30-40 for registration etc and lessons start at pam. If they are.not there for registration they get a late mark and are punished. the next bus isnt for anither 15-20mins and ds would be late. if they are paying/they have a bus pass they have ebery right to use the bus!

Salmotrutta · 08/10/2012 21:52

Having helped out on school trips years ago when DCs were little I used to get the school bus home at the end of them. Shock

The racket would have woken the dead - and they were all primary age! Grin

littleducks · 08/10/2012 21:53

It used to be the rule that schoolchildren had to pay adult fare before 9 am when I was at school.

I'm not sure how I feel about situation you describe and wonder what the back story is. Since TFL buses became free for schoolchildren it does seem the pile on in large groups for fun, whereas before they would have walked. If there were schoolkids onboard already being rowdy and the driver was worried the situation might escalate I can see why they might say 'workers only' it saves the whole drama of stoppping the bus and kicking people off, that makes everybody late.

5madthings · 08/10/2012 21:54

And my ds will often be getting a 'rush hour' bus back as he will be staying for.music lessons, science club etc. Again we have paid for the pass he is entitlef to use the bus! Regardless of it beingbrush hour or not.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 08/10/2012 21:55

I get the bus alot on the school run and it amazes me how many secondary school kids get the sane bus to go five mins down the road. Easily walk able in less time than it takes to wait for the bus. I get equally annoyed at having to stand or collapse my push chair on the way back as the bus is full of old people arguing with the bus driver over what time the bass pass activates.

However these people have as much right to be in the bus as I do and I have no right to say who gets on the bus and the bus driver your talking about doesn't either. They are all
Paying customers and as long as they aren't causing trouble I don't see a problem. Bit mean to single out school kids who he knows have to be there at a certain time.

LivvyPsMum · 08/10/2012 21:57

I would complain. I would be furious if it were my child.

Tuttutitlookslikerain · 08/10/2012 21:57

That's not fair, is it? Just because they are adults doesn't mean they are 'workers'.

My DS doesn't use service bus, he has a school bus to catch, so we wouldn't have this problem.

Thefogs, DS2's school day starts at 8.30, lots of schools start early now.

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 08/10/2012 22:06

The DSs have to get into school before 8.30am. I'm sure they can't be the only school that starts that early (in fact I think in the interest of staggering school starts/finishes around here, we have one that starts at 8am up the hill)

Secondary school kids can be a colossal pain, true, but they have as much right to use the buses as everyone else.

ihearsounds · 08/10/2012 22:08

Complain. You don't need the bus driver number, just the bus number, direction heading to, bus stop and the time. Tfl can trace the driver from there. Happens quite a lot, including my favorite of kicking school kids off the bus for no reason other than the bus is getting full of adults.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 08/10/2012 22:16

And if the buses r getting to full then perhaps they should start sending double deckers!! I've seen it many a time where the bus is empty at one time but a known busy time is provided with a single decker that's full before its half way to its destination.

TheFogsGettingThicker · 08/10/2012 22:17

Yes, maybe they do now. These schools didn't then. I knew kids who went there and they didn't start til 8.55. This was some time ago - in the 90's.

However, I really didn't want to imply that children had less right to use the buses - I was more concerned with the fact there were other buses they could use. I didn't have that option.

And I don't like the bus driver telling the kids to stay off either. (I'm now imagining parents dashing off to work and sending their DC off to the bus stop so they can lock upBlush)

TheFogsGettingThicker · 08/10/2012 23:00

I'm thinking (ver---rrry slowly) that they really need to put on more buses for sure! The demand is clearly exceeding supply.

And if it was my dc, I'd be hopping mad too!

Sorry, realised I've come over all nasty and unsympathetic, and it's really not the case, honest.

Woozley · 08/10/2012 23:15

What a horrible situation, especially for little 11 year olds, but even older...in winter it can be dark before they get home, and dark when they are setting off in the morning. I don't think I could send my kids out in the morning if I was worried about them getting chucked off the bus half way home or something.

madbadanddangerous · 08/10/2012 23:38

Complain. DD had this happen to her recently- they accepted adults, but not kids. It was a 7:15 bus, and takes an hour to get there, and the next bus would be in twenty minutes, so she would be late (needs to be there at 8:25). Luckily I was waiting there for the lights to change and saw them being refused when other adults climbed on- this was in the first two weeks of secondary school, so she was still a bit confused about getting to school, which made it worse- and I gave her and her friends a lift, but I'm sure a lot of people were late and had to stand for ages in the rain waiting for another bus.

I noted down the number, called tfl and they said they'd arrange a 'disciplinary hearing'. I don't know what (if anything) will happen though.

OhTheConfusion · 09/10/2012 08:49

Contatct TFL and complain. Explain in a calm and clear manner that should this happen again following your complaint you will have no choice but to alert the press. They have no room for bad press!

Surely if that bus is over run each day then those who are first deserve a place regardless of age, gender, destination etc. TFL really need to look at increasing the service at peak times all over the city.