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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bus stop etiquette... WIBU?

42 replies

GimbleInTheWabe · 23/10/2018 18:19

I just got shouted at by a man for 'standing in front of him' at the bus stop.

Now it was your bog standard London bus stop. Frequenting this urine-tinged vestibule was Shouty Man (SM), a lady with one of those double decker buggies and me. Buggy lady and SM were under the shelter and there was no space for me so I stood beneath the actual bus stop post itself. It's a very narrow pavement and where I stood took up the least amount of passable pavement space (plus it was out of the way of the soggy leaf pile too).

Anyway there I was happily listening to my music and SM comes over and bollocks "why did you just purposely stand right in front of me knowing I won't be able to see the bus coming? I know what kind of person you are!" And some other utter crap that I can't remember. He barely took a a breath so I didn't have a chance to say anything back. Tbh I was totally  (in that order) and he had a totally crazed look in his eye so I didn't want to poke the bear. I kinda of just laughed and the bus appeared literally straight away so I flagged it. He then said as the bus approached 'I'm getting on the bus first because I was here before you! I know what kind of person you are!' Good for you mate, mind the step.

Anyway, on reflection I guess I was standing right in his line of sight for the approaching buses but there wasn't really anywhere else to stand. Did I go against bus stop etiquette? Should I have stood in the soggy leaves and in the way of anyone using the pavement? Or maybe at the other end of the bus stop?

My first AIBU! So go on vipers, WIBU?

OP posts:
MacosieAsunter · 23/10/2018 18:21

WIBU what?

MacosieAsunter · 23/10/2018 18:23

he had a totally crazed look in his eye so I didn't want to poke the bear

And you just know he is a care in the community patient , but hey, mocking the afflicted makes for a great discussion thread

Darkautumn · 23/10/2018 18:24

He sounds like he has a few issues.

museumum · 23/10/2018 18:27

You stand at the end of the shelter furthest from the bus stop sign. Obviously. That’s the end of the queue.

Original poster
GimbleInTheWabe · 23/10/2018 18:28

WIBU to stand where I did @MacosieAsunter.
And how is saying that he had a crazed look in his eye 'mocking the afflicted'? A sane person can have a crazed look in their eye. My baby gets a crazed look in his eye when he poops.

OP posts:
Original poster
GimbleInTheWabe · 23/10/2018 18:29

FWIW about 10 different bus routes go through this one stop and there was hardly a long queue (3 people). Buggy lady didn't get on.

OP posts:
TedAndLola · 23/10/2018 18:30

And how is saying that he had a crazed look in his eye 'mocking the afflicted'?

Oh come on, we can all see why you started the thread and it wasn't because you don't know if you were unreasonable.

I hope people don't fall for it.

MondayImInLove · 23/10/2018 18:30

Haha no YWNBU.
People that choose to enjoy the shelter or sit loose their spot in the queue that usually forms next to the actual stop post.

blackteasplease · 23/10/2018 18:33

Ywnbu . He's not the boss of the bus stop!

There's no queue for a London bus anyway, evidenced by the fact he was not standing in a queue but under the shelter.
I'd also love tonhavw seen him say that to a teenage boy who was doing as you do. Complete knob who thinks he's the boss of women.

florafawna · 23/10/2018 18:33

Bus queues are hellish.

Sparklesocks · 23/10/2018 18:34

Just one of those things I’m afraid, he wasn’t very pleasant which isn’t nice, but he might have had MH issues or a learning disability so I don’t think it’s very nice to mock him either.

Original poster
GimbleInTheWabe · 23/10/2018 18:34

Well @TedAndLola, @museumum is saying that I should have stood at the other end as that is the end of the queue, I hadn't thought of it in that way.
What should people not fall for?

OP posts:
sweeneytoddsrazor · 23/10/2018 18:36

I thought you stand/sit in the shelter, then if that is full then you queue at the end of the shelter furthest from the bus stop

WitsEnding · 23/10/2018 18:38

Agree with @museumum - you don't block people's view of approaching buses, especially if they were there first and there are lots of different buses using that route so they need to see the service number. Totally inconsiderate and therefore bad manners - whether that counts as BU I'm no longer sure.

Biancadelriosback · 23/10/2018 18:44

What is going on on this thread??

cathcath2 · 23/10/2018 20:46

No OP you WNBU. It isn't like you stood infront of a wheelchair user or a blind person (which may have been unreasonable).
That said London has different rules to the rest of England, as evidenced by the shocked looks when I had an entire conversation with a London bus driver! (I might do that again, just for the lols Grin)

SnuggyBuggy · 23/10/2018 20:49

You can't reason with someone like that so it's really not worth trying

CasperGutman · 23/10/2018 20:54

I would stand at the far end of the shelter, away from where the bus will come from. That's the back of the queue to me. Then again, last time I caught a bus (earlier this week) the driver drove right past the queue and stopped AFTER the shelter, at the back of the queue. Nobody knew what to do for the best.

Iputthescrewinthetuna · 23/10/2018 20:55

In Birmingham we all tend to just huddle in a shelter wherever, the person who is 'blocking the line of sight will usually ask 'are you waiting for the 24.' Some will scuttle to the front of shelter whilst the rest complain 'this is the 3rd 24, where is the 23? Tut'

London is a whole different etiquette though!

SnuggyBuggy · 23/10/2018 20:58

Thinking about it how can you queue at a bus stop when a. You don't know where the bus is going to stop and b. What if people at the stop are getting different busses

Sitranced · 23/10/2018 21:00

Im amazed you've given it this much thought already.

Branleuse · 23/10/2018 21:02

im just glad you all got on the right bus and noone got hurt

MakeAHouseAHome · 23/10/2018 21:16

No YANBU. At my bus stops a whole load of people sit down under the shelter. I choose to stand next to the actual bus stop stand. I sometimes get huffs and puffs from people as obviously I am then lined up to get straight on the bus. But if you choose to sit you can't expect to be first on the bus!

ExtraTezza · 23/10/2018 21:26

@GimbleInTheWabe no YWNBU and love your first response

My friend's baby gets more than a crazed look in his eye when he poops 

edwinbear · 23/10/2018 21:32

YADNBU - there is no such thing as a queue at a London bus stop.

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