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AIBU?

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Original poster

My son has just paid for bus ticket with a twenty pound note...

281 replies

Miserylovescompany2 · 17/09/2017 08:54

The driver issued a ticket and stated he didn't have enough change - he told my son that he (my son) would have to go to the depot for his change.

All my son has is the issued ticked - it doesn't state how he paid? The depot won't refund him.

Surely it's the drivers responsibility to have change in the first instance.

What would you do?

He is still on the bus as I type...

OP posts:
Dizzybintess · 18/09/2017 22:17

In Cardiff its exact change only and no cards

Dawnedlightly · 18/09/2017 22:21

⛈ ☕️

orlantina · 18/09/2017 22:26

id he get his change? Curious to know

The bus driver got some change about 150 posts ago Grin

In the meantime, we've found out that some buses are contactless, others aren't, some give change, others want the exact money, some drivers can't get to the money, some give credit notes, quite a few people know bus drivers, drivers should carry loads of change, drivers don't get attacked for money, drivers do get attacked for money and we've found out about breasts.

A great thread Grin

hks · 18/09/2017 22:33

our stagecoach bus has notice driver would prefer correct change but clearly states that if driver does not have enough change they have to issue a voucher which can betajken to teh depot / travel centre / or try another driver to see if tehy have chane this has happend a few times in last week vouchers being issued as change or driver giving change of £20 in £1 coins , 50p 10p 20p ( this was for a 12yr old girl going out with friends) fare was 80p and gave driver £20 note My daughter says on the service bus the school kids get a free ride if the drivers dont have enough change to give them back

Wholovesorangesoda · 18/09/2017 22:48

Reading this thread has got me feeling like I must be the only person in the world to not know bus drivers can't usually give a lot of change. Admittedly, I haven't been a regular bus catcher for about 12 years, but I still have learnt something from today Grin

BackforGood · 18/09/2017 23:02

Thanks for the summary Orlantina - save wading through 10 pages Wink

Ontheboardwalk · 18/09/2017 23:05

I got the bus in the first time in ages today. It was £1.50 I only had two pound coins. There was a notice in front of the driver saying 'please have exact fare only' I was really worried after this thread thinking I'd be sent to far away lands to get my 50p back or have to walk home. How happy was I to get my ticket and 50p change. No way would I have onto a bus with a note tho!

pollymere · 18/09/2017 23:22

Usually a driver will wait why you grab change if they're nice enough. Using more than a £10 note has never really been acceptable and many drivers in the past expected exact change or within a pound or two. I think it was an unrealistic expectation. We have contactless now which makes things vastly easier.

PassiveAgressiveQueen · 18/09/2017 23:24

I remember Leeds used to state exact money, change wasn't given.

FloControl · 18/09/2017 23:30

Passive. FirstBus in Leeds do give change. However, I remember once a driver being offered a tenner for a 50p fare by a little girl who couldn't reasonably have been expected to know better. Fortunately, a kindly elderly gentleman in the queue paid her fare for her, making the driver's job a little easier for just a few moments.

yrrab · 19/09/2017 01:23

The ticket will have a number on it and the amount tendered will be recorded. They should be able to check this at the office.

It is better to provide the exact money,presenting twenty pounds does put the driver in a very difficult position. If he refuses to take it, and I think he can, the boy would have to get off the bus, and then if anything happened to him as he walked home, or worse still hitch hiked ( Google the Roy Tutill case )people would be quick to call him heartless and contributory to the lads death.It isn’t fair presenting big money for a small fare

JonSnowsWife · 19/09/2017 05:17

I don't get the bus often but as far as I'm aware the buses don't offer change. It has to be exact change only

Depends where you are. Here, there's different bus companies. One company never gives change. All the others do.
I once saw someone from down south try and pay with their card (I couldn't help as literally just had my bus ticket with me). To them, it was normal. The driver laughed at him.

OP. Does the bus have any cctv?

LaurieF · 19/09/2017 06:16

Haven't read the whole thread so sorry if this has already been suggested... I buy e-tickets for my son that are on his phone with change for backup I'm case he loses battery etc. Really saves a lot of fuss finding the right change for him every morning!

moomoo1967 · 19/09/2017 06:22

It is up to the customer to ensure that they have the correct fare or near enough, bus drivers wouldn't carry a large enough float especially with Smart-cards etc now and mobile tickets. Before now when only having a £5 note my daughter has been given a change voucher to be used for future travel. I now buy the weekly tickets online, cheaper and don't have to worry about having the correct fare

orlantina · 19/09/2017 07:31

I once saw someone from down south try and pay with their card (I couldn't help as literally just had my bus ticket with me). To them, it was normal. The driver laughed at him

I can just picture that Grin

And the conversations on the bus

jessebuni · 19/09/2017 07:35

Yeah my local buses will give change but definitely not from a £20. If I was paying for me and my kids which works out around £7.90 I could is a £10 note or just me which is £4 ish I could use a £5 note but unless I was buying some pass which was around £15 or more I wouldn't pay with a £20 note. They just don't give out large amounts of change. They haven't for years and years. It's not their responsibility, although if he didn't have the change he should have said sorry you're going to have to go and get that changed for something smaller. I think a lot of buses have tickets you can pay for on an app now so you can pay by card in these situations. Unfortunately you can argue with the bus station about it but without evidence there's not much that can be done I don't think. He should've asked the driver how he was going to get change from the depot with not evidence, can he had some sort of credit note. Fingers crossed you manage to sort it.

elfinpre · 19/09/2017 07:41

I wouldn't expect change of £20- however, as buses are pretty expensive these days outside London I'd expect them to offer some change (of up to £10 say) and/or go cashless and have the facility to pay by contactless card instead and/or some Oyster type system.

Fresta · 19/09/2017 07:42

I once tried to pay my bus fare with a £5 note. The driver said he couldn't accept it saying 'I'm not a bloody bank love'. WTF? Neither am I? Surely it's easier for them to get their hands on change than the customer? Other retailers manage it!

Leapfrog44 · 19/09/2017 10:06

fine but he needs to give him a receipt for the £20!

northernshepherdess · 19/09/2017 10:35

We are in Bolton and we have had to go and collect change from the depot. I was uneasy but we did get it. It does depend on the honesty of all involved and I did get the driver details

northernshepherdess · 19/09/2017 10:36

And what hiphopfrog says

WhatALoadOfOldBollocks · 19/09/2017 13:40

There seem to be a variety of "rules" regarding how to pay on buses yet they often aren't outlined, so if you aren't used to using them you have no idea what's right or wrong. No bus stops that I've seen locally have mentioned fares and rules about correct money/change given and it's not always on their website either. It's no good finding this stuff out from the driver, this info should be on the bus stops so passengers are prepared.

I see no reason why drivers can't carry a float of a few notes, and have a fully fitted coin dispenser as I'm sure some bright spark can invent an anti-mugging system. Why can cab crivers and train companies give change yet some bus drivers can't? Saying that I would feel uncomfortable trying to pay a small fare with a £20 note, although OP's son only needed £12 change so surely bus companies can manage 2 x £1 coins and a tenner most of the time.

buses are known for not having much change
But how are people who aren't used to using buses supposed to know stuff like this? Genuine question. When I frequently used them 20 years ago in a big city it was never a problem as the buses had coin dispensing machines for change, but nowadays and living in a new area I have no idea.

Woolyheads · 19/09/2017 15:37

I did once get on a bus expecting change from a £20, but then the fare was £10, so it seemed reasonable. And I got slung off the bus for that.

As a child I was refused a bus ride for being 2p short, so left standing in the street 20 miles from home.

I think we might need a bus thread!

Cameblackbenzleftwhite1 · 19/09/2017 15:45

"I'm not a bank love" does he even understand what a bank is?!

CheshireChat · 19/09/2017 16:05

With Stagecoach you can buy a ticket on your phone so whilst not as convenient as contactless it does work similar.

They also do prepaid cards.

I do believe companies should have contactless or an online ticket at a minimum, but for a wide range of reasons expecting tons of change on the bus isn't IMO. Particularly if you expect the drivers themselves to have to waste their breaks on this.