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

[FranSanDisco]

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?

[Bosgrove]

As I live in London my children benefit from the free travel on buses and tube,but it seems to me that a lot of secondary school children abuse the system.

We have to walk passed a large secondary school on the way home from the primary and the behaviour of the children is really bad. They push and shove each other, pile in the bus through the exit doors while the driver is trying to let let people out and generally have no regard for other passengers.

As the catchment for this school is less than 1 mile, most if not all of them would probably be walking if their parents had to pay for their fares.

The school has to has senior staff maning the bus stops and there are often community police there as well, and still a teenage girl ended up kicking a bus that she had been refused travel on (tried to get on through the wrong door and wouldn't show her pass - my Mum was on the bus, so I was filled in later).

Complain to the bus company, but be aware that there may have been a reason for the bus drivers position.

[LadySybildeChocolate]

This happened to ds a few weeks ago. There's an express coach which goes into the city centre from here (it misses out loads of stops so is quicker), I tried to get on with him (he's 13), and was told by the driver that children are not allowed as it's a 'commuter bus'. I explained that we were commuting, and wouldn't be getting off until the end of the line, he said it didn't matter and ds wasn't allowed on. I caught a different bus with ds, then went into the customer service office at the bus station and complained. The manager was rather annoyed, and apologised. We caught the express coach home.

Complain, OP.

[DeWe]

If you have a fairly caring school, then I'd get the school to complain, assuming the children ended up late. I suspect that would have more effect.

However, as a bus user, I have some sympathy for the driver. Children pay 2/3rds fare here, so they haven't even got the excuse of a free ride, and there'll always be a few doing 5 minutes up the road on a beautiful summer day.
When they're wanting to get off some of them will continuously press the bell, and they leave huge amounts of litter behind.

This sounds very generalising, which it is, and some of the children were delightful, but I did feel for the people who tidied up after them. We used to say we could always tell the buses that had done school pick up simply because of the mess that was left behind.

[ChaoticismyLife]

Agree with other's, report the incident.

[Tailtwister]

How ridiculous! They are 'workers' in a sense. They have to get to school on time, just like people have to get to work on time.

I would be reporting the incident to the school and bus company.

[mummytime]

For my DCs school most of the scheduled buses are specifically run at that time or routes extended for the school/s. I would complain to the bus company. Their school starts at 8:30 too.

[OhTheConfusion]

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.

[madbadanddangerous]

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.

[Woozley]

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.

[TheFogsGettingThicker]

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.

[TheFogsGettingThicker]

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 up)

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

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.

[ihearsounds]

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.

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

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.

[Tuttutitlookslikerain]

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.

[LivvyPsMum]

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

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

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.

[5madthings]

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.

[littleducks]

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.

[Salmotrutta]

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.

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

[5madthings]

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!

[poorbuthappy]

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!

[Salmotrutta]

What's a TfL bus?

[ExitPursuedByAaaaaarGhoul]

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.