Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be livid with this bus driver

195 replies

NeitherNowtNorSummat01 · 11/05/2017 22:05

So, I was on a double decker bus today with my 2 year old son. We sat upstairs at the back. When the time came to get off the bus, we pressed the button, the bus stopped and we started to get off. Half was down the stairs, the drivers pulls off, I lose grip of my son (who was holding my hand) and he falls head first down the steps.
Son screamed (and screamed and screamed). Bus driver said 'is he alright' I said 'no, clearly he's not alright... why didn't you wait' and he says 'you took too long getting off the bus'
After a short conversation (I was a bit cross) he kept repeating, next time get off the bus quicker!
Would I be unreasonable to complain to the bus company
(Son is covered in bruises... and I got off the bus and cried!)

OP posts:
LadyLapsang · 11/05/2017 23:02

An elderly disabled person I know was holding on to the rail ready to exit as the bus was approaching a stop. The bus braked to avoid an accident, throwing the elderly person the length of the bus and the elderly person suffered broken bones and was an in patient in hospital. The driver shouted abuse as they were lying there, telling them to get up. The bus company were sued and paid out but argued the correct form is to stay seated until the bus stops and so they wanted to reduce the pay out. The bus driver should have been instantly dismissed for his abusive behaviour, but actually only received a warning. When travelling by bus I therefore heed this advice when possible, staying seated until the bus has stopped and make the driver wait. Bus drivers always used to wear a badge with their personal number. Any problem, take this number down so the company know the driver.

4sausages · 11/05/2017 23:02

Personally if I had a 2 year old with me (which has happened on several occasions after 3 of my own and childminding for several years), if I couldn't sit downstairs I would carry the child to the bottom of the stairs where I was pretty sure the driver would see them. If I had more than one child and one had to walk down the stairs I always walked in front of them. Having said that, I was pretty used to travelling on buses and knew that many drivers are in a hurry and wasn't prepared to take any chances! If the driver saw you (on our buses the mirrors show upstairs and downstairs but not actually on the stairs) then he was definitely unreasonable. But if he actually asked if the child was ok maybe he hadn't realised? I'd be upset if I was you but would probably put it down to experience rather than complain.

SocksRock · 11/05/2017 23:03

I wouldn't take a child down the steps of a bus while it was moving, nor would I move a buggy out of its spot while moving - how can I have a responsibility to get to the doors as the bus comes to a stop? All the buses here say don't get up until the bus comes to a stop.

4sausages · 11/05/2017 23:03

Having reread your post thought, he was pretty rude. Maybe it is worth a complaint.....

KeiraKnightleyActsWithHerTeeth · 11/05/2017 23:06

Please complain. Bus drivers need to allow for parents with small children, the elderly, people with disabilities and generally just a straggler.
I would drag them up and down social media over this too.

LadyLapsang · 11/05/2017 23:07

Sorry I did not answer your question OP, do complain to the company and make the driver complete an accident report.

Spectre8 · 11/05/2017 23:07

Bus drivers have a timetable to stick to and get intro trouble if their service is not run to time for example Arriva have a policy that the bus must not be too early and no more than 5 mins late otherwise you can complain. So they are stuck between a rock and hard place.

owenjonesismyhero · 11/05/2017 23:08

Sounds like he didn't check the mirrors.

As awful as this was, you have to be prepared to be getting off the bus a lot sooner, not when the bus has stopped.
You sat upstairs at the back, so had to get down the bus to the stairs, and then down the stairs with the whole bus waiting? The bus driver does not have time, neither does the rest of the bus.

Next time, sit near the doors with a toddler.

Harsh, but true.

Gileswithachainsaw · 11/05/2017 23:10

If there's no time then about seats at the back of have stairs...

There are signs saying to remain seated until bus stops.

If the time limits are such that instructions can't be followed if people sit where there are spaces then why out seats that far back...

HappyFlappy · 11/05/2017 23:12

Complain - getting down the stairs is something tat takes as long as it takes.

The driver could have at least apologised rather than throwing the blame onto a toddler. He doesn't have carte blanche to drive off after a certain number of seconds, no matter who is waiting to get off, and fling them from the vehicle.

He could have seriously injured your child. The next person might not get away with just bruises.

Please do complain.

KeiraKnightleyActsWithHerTeeth · 11/05/2017 23:15

Drivers might be stuck between a rock and a hard place but their has to be some understanding that customers are people and many will need time to disembark safety. For example (and I'm sorry OP) the driver might be stuck between a rock and hard place timetable wise but the OP's son's face was stuck between the 5th and 6th step because of the driver trying to stick to a timetable. Which is more important?

TheWitTank · 11/05/2017 23:18

Oh for gods sake. There are no rules saying "slow movers" must sit by the doors to get off as quickly as possible. You pay your money you sit where you choose or where there is space. It is a public service, if you use it you have to be prepared to have patience with other travellers getting on and off and the time this takes. Not everyone is lucky enough to jump up and sprint off immediately, although I'm sure they would like too. My Gran is 84 and uses a frame and would take a few minutes to get up and off the bus even sitting right next to the door. She has as much right to use public transport as anyone else and to do so safely without lots of tutting and eye rolling.

msgrinch · 11/05/2017 23:20

Sorry but yabu. You need to be ready to leave the bus when it stops, not take your time getting off. They have a minute turn around at most. If you have a kid then stand/sit/ask people to move down near a door. It's not hard or difficult to do this. If you have to exit the bus and need more time to do so, you sit/stand closer to the exit. It is common sense.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 11/05/2017 23:21

As others have said you are not supposed to be on the stairs while the bus is moving. Lots of people do but it's not unreasonable for the OP to have done what she did.

If the OPs son or another passenger injured themselves by falling down the stairs when the bus was moving the bus company would waste not time in pointing out they shouldn't have been on them.

OP he should have stopped an filled in an accident form. They don't like to do this because it takes a long time but if you are making a complaint you should raise this as well.

user1481795553 · 11/05/2017 23:25

I hope your Ds feels better soon op.
This issue is very similar to the one where drivers start driving before you've even had a chance to sit down. Not even enough time to walk to your seat. I've seen countless people nearly thrown to the floor, and that isn't even including the elderly, disabled, children ect who clearly need a few extra seconds
Please complain op, its the only way the driver will learn that his behaviour was unreasonable

ArcheryAnnie · 11/05/2017 23:26

msgrinch passengers are told to keep seated while the bus is moving. You are telling everyone that they have to be ready to jump off. Which is it?

OP: complain, complain, complain. Back it up with photos of the bruising.

Gileswithachainsaw · 11/05/2017 23:26

And what if there's no space?

I often ended up sat at the back with both my Dds cos it's safer for the child to sit and it's not always possible to get the buggy on the bus without collapsing. Which of course you have to be prepared to do if someone requires the space.

I've seen elderly people stumble too because drivers take off without letting them.sit down.

Perhaps they shouldn't let wheelchairs on or off either as it takes too long to put the ramp down?

He had time to argue he had time to wait. End of. He was an arse

Original poster
NeitherNowtNorSummat01 · 11/05/2017 23:28

Thank you everyone. I will ring them tomorrow and then follow it up with a letter (and pictures). We didn't have a choice where we sat, as it was a full bus.
In hindsight, I should have come down first. But hindsight is a wonderful thing.
That said, next time i get on the bus, i would still remain seated until the bus stops if I am with my son. His safety comes before making people a few minutes late.

OP posts:
VerySadInside · 11/05/2017 23:28

YABU.

You should have been at the door before the bus stopped. They can't wait an extra two minutes at each stop! If you are slow or can't manage then you need to be downstairs.

crazycatgal · 11/05/2017 23:29

Actually there are signs saying please remain seated until the bus stops, so it's not unreasonable to wait until the bus has stopped to move like a pp has said.

cantbefaffedd · 11/05/2017 23:29

OP pressed the bell. Driver was aware someone wished to alight. Hope your child is ok OP. I would definitely complain by email complete with images of Childs bruises attached

GabsAlot · 11/05/2017 23:30

old peeople always wait till the bus stops round here and the drivers knows it and waits

i cant walk along a moving bus it makes me dizzy

i would complain definitely

SkippyFox · 11/05/2017 23:40

I think you should complain but if you were right at the back and your son was walking first maybe you did appear that you weren't hurrying and were perhaps just coming down for the next stop. Im suprised you went down the stairs after your son if he is only 2. It does sound like it might have not appeared you were trying to hurry off.
There are a lot of elderly people who appear to have mobility issues where I live. They always seem to sit downstairs, I don't know how thst happens when the bus is full though. Maybe they ask people for there seats. I always sit upstairs as I like the view but I'm able to race off the bus.

YesItsMeIDontCare · 11/05/2017 23:40

Most drivers have probably had years of listening to toddlers and teens randomly pressing the bell because it's (apparently) very funny, so the fact that he stopped at all is a bloody miracle!

Definitely complain, but don't expect much of a response. I think bus drivers are screwed whichever they do.

M0stlyBowlingHedgehog · 11/05/2017 23:43

Like a PP, I grew up in an area where the bus drivers expected you to be by the door waiting to get off, and now live in an area where it's quite normal to remain seated till the bus stops. There seem to be regional variations. But surely anyone who isn't a complete bell-end knows that there are groups of people - the elderly, the disabled, people wrangling toddlers - who are going to take longer to get off? After all, if it's someone in a wheelchair, on our buses, the driver has to get out of their seat, put the ramps down, let the wheelchair off, then put the ramps back up!

OP, you were deffo not being unreasonable - I'd complain to the bus company in your situation.

Swipe left for the next trending thread