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.

Exactly, drivers should be given the discretion to make these decisions, the ones I know personally are not and they are the ones liable for punishment if they do. And get called jobsworths and arses if they don't, like the way everyone is jumping to calling the bus driver names here and complaining about him personally, without knowing if this was his decision solely or if it's a company policy that means punishment for deviating from.

Of course if the drivers do have discretion then yes, he made the wrong call imo and needs to be spoken to.

I don't agree personally with all the policies or even laws I have to work under and enforce, but that means diddly squat if I'm caught not doing it.

Besides. A damaged pass is not valid.

Aaaahhh...your poor dad, bless him.

That bus driver was a total jobsworth, yes. He could have turned a blind eye and let your dad on the bus. He would've been able to clearly see that he is elderly.

If his manager got on the bus to do a check, the bus driver could have just explained his decision.

I rarely use buses, but on the occasions I have had to use a bus, some of the drivers are abit grumpy.

Exactly.
Just the other day I got on the bus and didn’t have exactly the right change.
Driver waved me through - ( only a few stops til bus station)
Drivers can use their discretion.
It’s obvious that an 80 yr old is going to have free travel ( The rest of us probably will have to be 100 before getting free travel as things stand currently)

Drivers don't get to explain their decision. They don't get to use their own discretion. It doesn't work like that. They are disciplined if they get caught letting people on without paying or a working pass.

They had no business giving the girl what for. Is she supposed to risk her job by giving free stuff away? Social media complain on the business page, but don't verbally abuse staff.

I'm surprised that someone didn't pay him on, that's the norm were I live.

It's cruel to leave people stranded, I'd definitely complain. I remember reading about a girl who was brutally attacked because the bus driver wouldn't let her on as she was 20p short

Rubbish. Drivers can not use their discretion. There are conditions of carriage. Phone a bus garage and ask them. They'll laugh at you.

You 100 percent need to complain with time number of bus bus stop etc if that is their blanket policy that driver has no control over they need to change it. If it is not the driver needs to be told. Totally unacceptable to treat an elderly person like that same goes for anyone to be honest but vulnerable disabled and young should not be left at bus stops. As long as dad isn't making up an excuse of why he was late of course. If no joy from bus company expose them in the paper.

Your poor dad. Making a hex for that awful bus driver. Blady jobs worth indeed

They can register it manually.

I don't think I have recently seen an inspector on a bus.

I’m reading this with sadness actually

you have claimed the driver should let him on - why?

most buses say, if you don’t have a working concessionary pass, you pay full fare. The amount of very rude passive aggressive pensioners who get on without acknowledging the driver I see on my way to work, reminds me of the nasty kids who are equally rude to the driver.

you can actually see the drivers light up when you thank them when you are getting off, it must be a piss poor job to do, no one goes into greggs and gives the most ludicrous excuse why they have to have a free sausage roll, why expect it from bus drivers, I think all the people who have been nasty about the driver doing his job, ask your management what would happen if you continued to not do your job correctly

no one likes work, but no wages on Friday, no food on the table

Complain - that's not ok at all. Hope your Dad was not too stressed.

I have argued (successfully) with more than one bus driver for refusing a child in school uniform, as well, in the dark. Don't turf a child onto the street in the dark, for heaven's sake. There's a time and place for teachable moments on responsibility for your bus pass.

There is a number on bus passes that drivers can ( usually) punch in there I's no need for a driver to refuse him on. Complain to the bus company.

What a prick. I’d complain.

Not rubbish I am not old and have been let off bus fares loads of times when I dither about searching for right money or getting the stop wrong or whatever and holding everyone up they just waive you on so they can get going and no I never did it on purpose either.

I'd have thought they could press a button on their console to click the pass so to speak

HOWEVER you say he was coming for tea so presumably it wasn't 11 at night, it might have been dark but it wasn't late. This isn't someone being left stranded. If it's a newish driver just following the rules (if the pass doesn't scan they can't get on kind of thing) and there's lots of them right now, he just didn't let on a guy with a dodgy bus pass in the early evening who was presumably invulnerable enough to be travelling around in the dark by bus

Absolute jobsworth bus driver.

I agree. Bus company policy needs to consider safeguarding and must comply with the Equality Act.

Bus drivers need to be aware of vulnerable people and they might need to make allowances

I'd have thought they could press a button on their console to click the pass so to speak

Well you'd think so wouldn't you?

Is there data on it that has to be read?🙄

Yes, people with a pass which is not valid because it's broken or damaged (read the terms!) should be allowed to travel free because 'be kind'. Get a bloody grip. It's a private service you either pay for or have subsidised passes everyone else pays for and the terms of carriage are that pass must be working otherwise it's not valid. The terms specifically say that you cannot travel with a damaged pass and if it doesn't work you have to pay the full fare. You accept those terms when you apply for a pass. Try reading them I stead of spouting ill informed rubbish on the internet.

And if I wasn't let through the ticket barriers every time my ticket didn't scan properly, I'd never get on a train (slight exaggeration but it happens very frequently and no, I don't keep the ticket next to my mobile phone).

A bus pass not scanning properly is not a good enough reason to deny boarding.

It's your post that is completely misinformed and simply wrong. I think you owe the OP an apology.