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.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

Buses, Young Parents and Fares

108 replies

RedBlu · 10/08/2015 13:40

Not really an AIBU, but more traffic here!

I catch the bus to and from work each day, occasionally a young woman gets on the bus at the same stop as me, she has a baby in a pram.

I don't know her personally but we have been on the bus together for a few months now.

Anyway, there is one bus driver who is known to be extremely rude and he tends to pick on young women, I have seen him many times shouting at customers. He is the sort that rather than politely explaining something, automatically starts shouting at you.

He was the driver this morning, the young woman asks for a "young person" ticket (so obviously she is under 19) and the driver refuses. Apparently her baby cannot travel for free if she buys a young person ticket, she needs to buy an adult ticket (another 50p). Babies only travel for free with an adult (not sure if this is right). She politely explains she has been getting this bus for months, and always buys a young person ticket and has never had a driver query it. This driver does he usual and explodes with rage, shouting at her saying he is the driver, he is right and that she isn't getting on without buying an adult ticket. She again explains the situation and that she needs to get to work and doesn't have any more money to buy an adult ticket. He continues shouting at her, she starts crying, he says he doesn't care and to get off the bus.

I step in at this point, give her the 50p to buy the adult ticket and tell him he is being rude. He then shouts at me saying he isn't being rude and we get into a bit of an argument before he gives up and starts driving the bus.

I have emailed the bus company to complain about the driver and told the woman to do the same.

HOWEVER, from looking online - the driver may have been correct (however doesn't excuse his disgusting attitude and behaviour). It does seem that if you are travelling with a baby (or any child under five) you have to have an adult ticket? Now, to me - this seems wrong. Surely it is discriminating against young parents? Clearly she is under 19, has a baby (its not unheard of is it!) so should pay the reduced rate young person fare, as she is under 19. How does the fact she has a baby mean she has to pay an adult fare?

Anyone else think this is wrong or is this normal?!

OP posts:

SillyStuffBiting · 10/08/2015 16:53

Passes issued in Scotland cover the whole of Scotland.

MaximiseProductivity · 10/08/2015 16:54

Sorry Mythical, you've been wrongly advised, if that's what you've been told. The English National Concessionary Bus Pass was extended to cover bus travel throughout England in 2008. I was chatting to lots of pensioners in Devon about what a boon it is only last week and I get postcards from one of the couples!

howabout · 10/08/2015 16:55

I did not say I begrudged pensioner discounts or at least that was not what I intended to say. However in some circumstances because most either benefit from pensioner rates or season ticket rates the basic price for those who cannot take advantage of these concessions is disproportionately high.

TenForward82 · 10/08/2015 16:55

I don't understand the logic, hejhej. We can't get it so they shouldn't either, because they're going to die soon? So I guess you expect no help or reward from society after a lifetime of contribution (assuming you contribute)?

TenForward82 · 10/08/2015 16:56

howabout, however, you did say that you don't like giving up your seat for them on the bus. Why is that?

I just don't get the demonising of old people here.

hejhej · 10/08/2015 16:56

It should be given to people that need it as the country has huge debt.

MythicalKings · 10/08/2015 16:57

The poster was talking about Devon, Silly not in Scotland.

If everyone who used buses, including DCs, disabled people and pensioners, paid full fare then they would probably come down. But how would that be fair?

TenForward82 · 10/08/2015 16:59

So hejhej you're in favour of means testing then. As I ask TTWK, what about disabled people, young people?

LurkingHusband · 10/08/2015 16:59

The English National Concessionary Bus Pass was extended to cover bus travel throughout England in 2008

There was a news story about a bunch of pensioners racing to be the first to cover all of England (not sure if the passes cover Scotland) for free. Some had spend weeks combining timetables to come up with the quickest route.

SoozeyHoozey · 10/08/2015 17:00

I've never heard of 19 year olds getting reduced fairs. Around here you pay full whack at 16.

MaximiseProductivity · 10/08/2015 17:00

But the English scheme is the same MythicalKings. Essex here - valid in all other LAs in England The people I met merrily using their passes in Devon were from the Midlands and the NW

SillyStuffBiting · 10/08/2015 17:00

There was discussion about whether or not a pass was county or country wide. I was explaining the set up here.

LurkingHusband · 10/08/2015 17:03

If everyone who used buses, including DCs, disabled people and pensioners, paid full fare then they would probably come down

I doubt it. Bus company profits might go up though.

SuburbanRhonda · 10/08/2015 17:12

It should be given to people that need it as the country has huge debt.

I'm sure pensioners will be more than happy to give up their free bus passes to get rid of our multi-billion-pound budget deficit

MaximiseProductivity · 10/08/2015 17:19

The thread's taken a very strange turn.

It just seems odd to me, in these times of sweeping benefits cuts that we're still handing out this benefit to people who don't need it.

Absolutely, poor pensioners should be able to get to the shops/doctors, but my parents don't need it to avoid taking the car to town when they go for lunch and I don't see why anyone should be covering the cost of travel for their friends' annual holiday(s)

LavenderLeigh · 10/08/2015 17:22

If you believe pensioners should not automatically get free bus passes, the surely there should only be free/discounted fares only for those who truly require them?
So children under five would not automatically go free, school children should not automatically get half fare etc as it would depend on their parents income.

Because it would be hypocritical to apply one set of standards to older people and not to the rest of the population.

Btw - the bus driver behaved appallingly, but if the rule is you can get a discount under 19 and children under five go free when accompanied by a full fare paying passenger (that is the rule here) then she isn't being prejudiced against, in the same way a 16 year old taking a four year old sibling to the park on the bus wouldn't be prejudiced against either.

I do feel very sorry for her situation though and glad you helped and complained

SuburbanRhonda · 10/08/2015 17:23

So what's the solution, maximum?

Bearing in mind that the cost of means testing would probably wipe out any savings.

LurkingHusband · 10/08/2015 17:23

It just seems odd to me, in these times of sweeping benefits cuts that we're still handing out this benefit to people who don't need it.

The problem is that means-testing, no matter how fair it makes things (and that's a debate in itself ), costs money. Which invariably will lead to someone discovering that it costs £2 for every pound saved.

It's the reason the winter fuel allowance isn't means tested. You might save a few million. But it would cost more.

Of course the real question in the face of that, is why is the UK civil service so incompetent, despite being showered with some of the most expensive useless IT in the developed world ? But we're unlikely to ever have a serious debate about that since a headline today is Jeremy Vine dancing-

MaximiseProductivity · 10/08/2015 17:25

The cost of means testing argument is always dragged out, but it really can't be that hard. The Govt knows exactly what we all earn from our tax returns anyway (I know, apart from the tax evaders)

SuburbanRhonda · 10/08/2015 17:29

What about people who don't pay tax, maximise?

MaximiseProductivity · 10/08/2015 17:31

Well, if they don't pay tax they have a taxable income of less than £10k (or thereabouts) pa....Unless they're cheats in which case the bus pass is the least if the problem.

Lightbulbon · 10/08/2015 17:31

Even worse- in some places where kids travel free with an adult this excludes adults with a disability pass.

Horrible that they assume disabled people aren't parents!

MythicalKings · 10/08/2015 17:53

But the English scheme is the same MythicalKings. Essex here - valid in all other LAs in England The people I met merrily using their passes in Devon were from the Midlands and the NW

Thanks for that. I wonder why it says not on mine. I'll ask the council.

SuburbanRhonda · 10/08/2015 17:54

Maybe if the means-testing argument comes up a lot on these threads, it would be good to have someone on here who actually knows how much it might cost and what the savings might be.

Otherwise we're all just guessing.

That is shocking lightbulbon.

LavenderLeigh · 10/08/2015 18:44

The civil service has been systematically downsized over the last ten years. They've got rid of all the experienced staff and outsourced. I applied to leave early and was told "it is people of your age and experience we want rid of." I was 49, with 28 years service.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5