Just don’t get this - waiting for the bus

[Auburngal]

My dad who is in his 70s had a hospital appointment this morning at 9:50am. So he had to pay for the outward journey as got bus about 8:55am. He goes on bus to that hospital as parking is a nightmare.

When he got to the bus stop 7-10 mins earlier, there were 3 elderly people - none of them were together. Bus pulled up and dad offered the 3 to board before him. “We are waiting for the first bus after 9:30am” - that’s when travel is free for pensioners. Dad gets his return trip free as it’s always after 9:30am when he leaves hospital.

Why on earth are people standing outside waiting for a bus at least 45 minutes before they can get free travel? The bus stop is in a wind tunnel. This happens every time my dad goes to hospital for that department as his appts are more/less same time.

Ah, a meeting of the twirlies. It makes no sense, why not turn up at 9.25?

Perhaps it’s a convenient time for them to get a lift to the bus stop? Perhaps they like to leave lots of time to get places? Perhaps since a few of them do it, they chat at the stop and see it as a social occasion? Why don’t you ask them?

Round here some of the drivers let them on early and just don’t register then getting on the bus, maybe waiting for one who’ll do that?

My MIL is a twirlie. It began when she had knee pain and needed a lift to the bus stop, because that was when FIL could give her a lift, but continued even after she could walk to the stop because she looked forward to the chat with the twirlie regulars.

Never heard anyone else use twirlie this way - is it a Yorkshire thing?

Because some of them will try getting on at 9am in the hope of getting away with it.
Used to see people queuing at the post office at 8:30 for pensions and benefits.
Parents at the school gates at least half an hour early especially those who "need" to park so their darling snowflakes don't need to walk

Live and let live

Given how poor customer service is at main post offices (not sub-postmasters in my experience), I can understand wanting to be first in a queue, to save having to wait a long time once it opens.

Trying to get on before 9am for free (or 930 if that is the time limit) is attempting to steal in a way. 100% support for any bus driver who politely refuses.

Why do people queue for a supermarket on Sundays? I assume, the same reason although I can't fathom what it might be.

I never understood why elderly people got up so early - why not enjoy a luxury lie in? But since having small DC and working full time my body is trained to wake me before 7am. If you are used to getting up as soon as you wake, and you wake up early, 9.30 is halfway through the morning. Hanging around at home waiting to go out is excruciating to me; I’d much rather wait nearer where I need to be. And if there’s people to chat to and stuff to watch, so much the better.

In Brum twirlies can pay £1 to get the bus before 9:30. Some still don’t do it

They don't do this round here.

My dad when he goes for hospital appointments like today he had to pay £2.80 - no discount. As Feb last year I paid £2.60 for a single ticket as spent two nights away.

I get to school early for a child with sen who needs a car parked in a certain place for all school drops and pick ups. It’s fairly normal for autistic children to like routine and have set expectations. You don’t need to be ignorantly incorrect and judgemental about everyone and assume the child is a darling snowflake when the parent has enough additional stress going on and would much prefer an extra 30 minutes of sleep.

If these elderly people get up early, why can't they go shopping early? 90% of elderly customers who shop at my store walk or drive to shop. So they all come in at 10am-10:40am. They aren't helping themselves or us all coming in at once.

If you ever been to a service station at the same time as a few coaches turn up and see the queues for the loos - its like that!

Why do people queue for a supermarket on Sundays?

Presumably so they get their shopping done asap and have the rest of the day to do other things?

She's not trying to stop them? Just being curious about why they're choosing to wait at a cold windy bus stop regularly for over half an hour?

We've just had an elderly relative staying with us and getting the bus to the hospital every morning. He was getting there at least 20 mins early every day (it's a 3 min walk to the stop) and waiting in the shelter even on days with the most foul weather. He just said he was nervous about missing it if it came early and preferred to read his book there for 20-30 mins rather than rush. Then he would "rush" to leave with enough time to spare to make sure he was at the bus stop 20 mins early!? I ended up having to just make myself a coffee and go off upstairs and not get involved!

It was an object lesson in how, when you don't have a lot going on, you can make a simple task that would take 5 mins last 35 mins.

I could never imagine even thinking twice about this, never mind posting on a forum.

This is my dad, who is 82. Not age-related in his case, though age seems to have exacerbated it. I suspect undiagnosed ASD, but, regardless, he’s always been fanatically routine-bound, and obsessive about getting everywhere inconveniently early. When we were children, we lived a ten-minute drive from the theatre. He insisted on leaving 3/4 of an hour early, in case he couldn’t find a parking place. We were often huddled in the rain outside places that hadn’t opened yet. He would absolutely be the person freezing to death at a bus stop forty minutes before the first available bus.

I can't wait to be a twirlie. Ours all know each other and chat chat chat the whole way to town.

I worked at a well-know food retailer when I was student, and pensioners would be waiting outside from 30 minutes before we opened. Never really understood it, as there was plenty of stock.

Lol why are they called twirlies? Are all OAPs twirlies or is it specific to the bus ones?

Either way I’ll be using this.

We have this on Sundays and they buy a newspaper. Yet there are at least 4 shops within a 5 min walk of our work which can open earlier. A convivence shop, two newsagents and a petrol station.

Just buy the paper from one of these then bugger off home

I'm sort of hoping I am like this when I’m old. Currently always late for everything - it would be amazing to be early.

Strongly suspect though that in my dotage I’ll still be the one tearing around the hospital car park trying to park 1 min after my appointment time….

I think some older people just need something to fill their day and give them
something to talk about.

I just looked it up (Australian, never heard the term) and it seems to mean "Am I too early?" - doesn't seem to apply only to bus passengers.