to not want to be held hostage by a bus driver?

[LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary]

On the bus this morning. Gridlocked with other buses by the time we get to city centre. We are about 3 feet from the bus stop and stuck. About 15 of us want off. We wait ten mins then I ask the driver to let me off. He refuses as he's not allowed to open doors btween stops. And tells me if I open door he will call police.

Surely he HAS to let me off if I insist otherwise he is holding me hostage? After all I'm a grown up and can choose what risks to take.

I'd have just opened the door and got off.

What are the police going to do? Really?

Don't be daft. I presume you're not serious about being kept hostage?

I had this last year.

In addition, the delay was caused by a diversion the bus company had created to change bus stops in other areas.

I told driver I should have been made away of the diversion before boarding the bus.

YANBU

He's probably just following rules.

You're not being held hostage though, when you have access to the emergency door buttons, even though you can get fined for pressing them in a non emergency.

It is annoying though.

I was actually held hostage in Halifax once.

They were changing the machines and rather than vacate the shop they decided to lock customers in and stand in front of the door refusing to open it. It was just after my breakdown and I had a huge panic attack in front of my little boy who'd I'd made a real effort to not crumble in front of.

Give someone a bunch of keys and their ego goes through the roof...

You're not allowed to get off before the stop. It is against the rules to allow passengers off unless they are at a bus stop.

Stupid, but it happens ridiculously often. You weren't held hostage because you could open the doors by pulling the emergency handle but you can usually be fined for incorrect usage so I wouldn't recommend it.

My DH was once in a London bus when the driver had a breakdown, and drove the route at high speed refusing to stop at any of the bus stops :-/

I imagine the bus driver in this situation wouldn't open the doors between stops because he has been told it's a disciplinary offence and he's afraid of getting sacked.

You can't be serious, surely.

OK, perhaps he was being a jobsworth, but suggesting that he was holding you hostage is being a bit melodramatic, don't you think? He was doing his job, albeit inflexibly.

Were you stroppy to him? Did you threaten to force the doors? Why else would he have considered calling the police?

You weren't being held hostage or imprisoned. In buying a bus ticket and getting on the bus in effect you agreed to travelling with the doors closed between stops.

It's not worth the bus driver losing his job just because some passengers are getting stroppy.

Not that stupid, actually. The rule about not letting passengers out is because of incidents where passengers get out before the bus is fully stopped / pulled in and then, either because they aren't looking, or the bike/vehicle isn't expecting people to get off the bus, passengers get hit by traffic coming up the inside of the bus.

All well and good saying you can choose what risks to take, but bus companies' insurers feel differently, when thinking about personal injury claims.

To be fair to the bus driver, I know a bus driver and they are categorically not allowed to let people off away from bus stops. They get disciplinaries for it because there is a risk of people getting out in front of oncoming traffic. I appreciate it's annoying when you are only a few metres from a stop (I've been in your shoes as well) but it's not the bus drivers fault, he was just following the rules.

Thanks guys.

The "being held hostage" part was really to provoke debate about the legal/ethical situation although I find it infuriating to be confined somewhere. My mum and dad used to lock me in the house sometimes (different story) so maybe I am over-sensitive.

Good points about the fact that in theory I can pull the doors. Also that I have agreed to the T&Cs when buying the ticket.

I should have just said I was going to piss myself or throw up, then I bet he would have let me off.

Yeah, I was stroppy with him because he was loving laying down the law to me.

Cheers again!

He said to me when I got off the bus that he'd "be looking out for me".

I took this to be a bit of a threat, actually!

Don't be ridiculous, it's not an ethical issue at all. You were getting stroppy, he was already having a bad day with the bad traffic, personally (and I work in customer service) I'm FAR more likely to go out of my way to nice unassuming people than people getting stroppy because I'm doing my job and following rules that are beyond my control.

The problem is, NotMe, that "following the rules" can be used to justify all sorts of things!

And I did ask nicely. And I waited for 10mins before even asking.

Sure it wasn't that he was just "looking out for you" I.e. A safety thing?

Make retching noises next time though, he will let you off them. Or a high pitched shriek or gurgle or something dramatic.

I've vommed on a bus before. I begged to be let off, I told the driver I was going to be sick and we were stationary but he still wouldn't.

It wasn't pleasant for anyone involved.

Left - and what if he got caught and disciplined/sacked? Why is your time more important than his job?

No, he was definitely not meaning "looking out for me" as a nice thing!

Snoss - I don't want him sacked. I want the rules changed!

Yeah, I was stroppy with him because he was loving laying down the law to me

I think you will find he was doing his job.

I wouldn't have opened the doors for you in this scenario. However I guess in the situation where you going to be sick, maybe that could be defined as an emergency.

agree snossidge!
They do get in trouble for letting people off before the stops.
I wouldn't risk my job for someone either, it's not being a jobsworth.
I WAS sick and i still couldn't get off the bus.
It's not a threat, he's going to look out for you as you threatened to open the doors.

jellyfrizz similar happened to me when I was pregnant. I warned the driver I was going to be sick and/or fall over and he must've believed me because he did let me off!

The driver the next day didn't though.

I started getting off at the stop earlier after that...

Stop raging at the driving and write to the bus company asking them to change the rules for you then Left.

Yanbu. I've got off in between stops loads of times. Was it in London or a city centre? Maybe the rules are stricter there.
He could have let you off, he was being a jobsworth. You were being a tad dramatic but then so was he talking about calling the police. What a carry on!