Bus driver wouldn't let my dad on bus aibu to think he is a jobsworth?

[oohopo]

My dad is 85.
He has a bus pass.
He was coming to my house last night for tea.
He got on bus and his pass wouldn't work (it has a tiny rip in)
It was valid for two years still.
Normally you tap your pass and they let you on.
Obviously when he was tapping it wasn't registering.
So he had to get off and go home to get his wallet.
He was coming to mine so didn't think he needed anything but his pass.

It made zero difference to that bus driver
Aibu to think it's a shitty thing to do to a elderly man.

Surely if there was a spot check, it would be revealed that the discrepancy was due to a passenger who had a valid pass that couldn’t be counted? The company didn’t lose money from this journey- it’s not like someone being on the bus who didn’t have a pass and didn’t pay a fare.
The welfare of elderly and vulnerable passengers should trump protocol, and drivers and inspectors should be given discretion.

That's bloody awful and completely unreasonable. I'm very cynical about this as I (as a youngish woman) have been let on the bus loads of times if card didn't go through, wrong change etc. So there obviously isn't a huge pressure on them to never use their discretion.

I'd be really upset and actually would right to them. If he has a pass in date, he should have let him on the bus and advised he get a replacement. I'd speak to their customer services and let them know if happened and express your concern. It's bloody cold as well.

That's so shitty I absolutely hate that type of thing.

Maybe it depends where you live I’ve never been let on if my card doesn’t go through even when I’ve had young kids with me/ a pram

Really? That's awful Our service provider is Arriva so maybe it is dependent on that.

OP I would still complain though as he didn't have a card decline or wrong change etc, he had a valid pass.

I'd complain like others have said it was ok then but what if they'd hurt themselves or if it was a child and they didn't know what to do, bloody horrible person and a jobsworth for sure

Take to Twitter at the very least. Local paper even?

yes he’s a jobsworth - not sure if it’s even worth the effort to complain about - they are in need of drivers so doubt anything would happen

If you would consider your dad vulnerable then yes I would complain. If not, I would leave it - he went home and got his wallet so I am assuming he's quite fit and healthy (even though he's 85).

I'd complain, not all 85 year olds are vulnerable, but many are. The weather was awful last night where I am.

Disgusting. Get complaining to the company. Your poor dad.

Thing is, without the card registering by tapping, there is no way the company get paid (the council reimburse the bus companies an absolute pittance for OAP and disabled cards). The company would get nothing for letting your father on without the card being tapped (there is no over-ride available, if there was it would be open to fraud).

It also has the knock on effect on reducing bus services if they let people on without their cards working.

That said, my husband would have let your father on, he does with children and elderly. Drivers have some discretion, but it does lose the company money as they cannot recoup their costs for just 'looking at a card'.

It may very well be that company policy forbids letting them on without paying the fare or a valid pass. The pass doesn't let OAP's on "for free" it gives details to the bus company who then charge the cost of the fare to whoever is paying for the scheme. Scottish government up here.

If a driver was to let a passenger on without valid pass/ payment then they could be considered as acting ultra vires and be personally liable for any compensation claims in the event of an accident.

Complain to the bus company and/or the local press.

I too would contact the company and raise a complaint. He had a valid bus pass, was was obviously elderly at 85 and wasn't let on purely because the machine thingy didn't register his pass. All the driver had to do was inspect it and allow him to travel. If a spot check happened, its not like he let someone on for free is it.

Plenty of elderly people would be left inconvenienced or worse vulnerable for such a rule. Luckily your dad was able to walk home and get his wallet. What if he'd been travelling back to his home though and unable to get there, just because the machine didn't register his pass?

It definitely needs raising. Rules may be rules, but common sense needs to kick in sometimes.

Your poor, poor dad. If I had been on the bus I would have paid for his fare and made sure he had the means to get himself home.
Why are some people so mean to elderly people? I was in a small seaside cafe the other day and they had a cash free policy. This sweet old gentleman on his own was ahead of me and doesn't use a credit card, he only had a 5 note. The girl at the till said sorry, can't serve you then. Fortunately the nice family ahead of him paid for his 1,20 cup of coffee and gave the girl what for.

The amount of passengers on the bus and the amount who paid or used a pass if a revenue inspector gets on.

Really? Have you never travelled by bus when the kids are let out from school. Many have 'forgotten or lost' their passes and give the driver lip if they are questioned about it. I travel a lot by bus and it certainly isn't the older passengers who are difficult. These kids incidentally are often travelling all of two or three stops which they could possibly walk although maybe not last night when it was pissing with rain

No. He was not let on because his pass was damaged and no longer worked. The machine did its job and rejected a faulty pass. It isn't a free service. If your pass is damaged it is your responsibility to get a replacement.

I'd report it and let the company deal with. Probably be tempted for a sad face local paper as well because what on Earth are we coming to when we treat people this way. It's cruel.

The amount of passengers on the bus and the amount who paid or used a pass if a revenue inspector gets on.

Understand that. But I think if I was a bus driver I'd rather feel the need to explain to the inspector on the off chance one actually got on, than leave an elderly person with a valid pass behind on their own.

There's a special name round here for the old people trying to use the bus passes before 9:30, it's that common. Twirlies, as in "Am i too early?"

It's nasty but I'm not surprised
DD and their mate went to the cinema in half term, and their friend had their usual weekly bus pass they use for school.
The bus driver refused to let her use it, saying she was clearly using someone else's pass because it was daytime and she "looked too old" for a school bus pass. She's 15! And it was half term. It hadn't been an issue on the way there. It was pouring with rain and getting dark. Luckily DD had enough money for a single fare for her friend and wouldn't have left her behind.

Their mum did complain and was refunded for the single ticket.

Some of them are just jobsworths. If they can see it's valid then obviously it's at their discretion but seeing an elderly gent have to get off is terrible. I so hope you raise it for him.

Thing is that's not the girl's decision. It was made by whoever owns the business, we're rural and a few places have gone cash free to reduce banking costs. She can't give away free stuff. I suppose she could perhaps pay for it herself and take the cash but it's a complete PITA and is probably against company policy.

£1.20 for a coffee though, where is this cafe located? In the 90's?

The revenue inspector reports you to your garage. Drivers can get in trouble if they do this in front of a revenue inspector. It isn't a black and white matter.