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.

@AtomicBlondeRose I know right. Guess nothing better to do.

I help at a vaccine centre and despite all our efforts, people of a certain age will always arrive early 'in case there's a queue'. Of course, as soon as they do this, there is a queue... Then the people with earlier slots who arrive at the requested time find they are waiting longer than they should, or else we have to push them into the front of the queue, and those with later appointments who've been there early get cross. Either way, someone gets cross.

Me too, and it drove me nuts. They'd act like I was late turning up. The looks. The tuts. (I wasnt.) And they wouldn't get out of the way of the door so I could get in 🙄

Exactly @TheSnowyOwl we always used to go 20 mins early so my son who has ADHD could have a good run around with his friends and get things out of his system before class.

People are so judgemental

I know this feeling very well, especially as mine is hyper mobile too so struggles to walk far. But then again I’m disabled myself so can manage even less. Thankfully the parents at our school are understanding as it’s a SEN school so no funny looks now, we’re all getting our spots early lol

Round here (London suburb) the bus drivers let them get on after 9am.

I'm old.

I am rarely early. Way too much time to faff about

Maybe it's a bit of socialising for them, chatting to the others at the bus stop for a bit?

Because they maybe look after grandchildren for free of course
Or they have a job
Or they volunteer somewhere
Or they have appointments

Or shopping, cleaning, DIY, gardening, cooking - you know, all the important things that important people like you have to do.

Elderly people like routine. My parents were like this in their 70’s and 80’s. We always knew to the minute their daily routine, so knew when they were home for us to pop in. In fact, we used to sometimes ask if they wanted to go somewhere with us on a particular day, but they wouldn’t change their outing times for anyone or anything. I feel that that’s what awaits us all. Not being ageist, but just an observation.

Yes it's a Yorkshire thing! It's all the old dears who congregate at the bus stop going "are we too early (twirly)!!!

What if the bus comes early? What if you're there by yourself and don't see the bus coming and it whizzes past? What if something happens and you're not there to complain about it??

I don't know - I'm known to be always late so expect I'll never hit this stage.

I have been on touring holidays abroad. We are given an allocated seat on the coach. There was no need to wait outside for 20 mins and when you need to meet up to go back to hotel, another place.

I don’t know whether it was pathological earliness or fear of being left behind. Which they wouldn’t - I’ve also been on a holiday where someone hadn't adjusted their watch for the time difference and they went awol during a stop off. After waiting for 30 minutes the tour guide sent the coach to the hotel and stayed behind to find and escort the very sheepish holidaymaker back.

which was amusing in itself because we all gathered at the appointed time in reception for the evening meal but everyone was wringing their hands about whether we could go into the dining room. So I rolled my eyes and went up to reception, and they spoke enough English for me to explain the guide wasn’t there and please could they show us our tables in the dining room. I became the stand in tour guide as everyone, including hotel staff, defaulted to me, eg telling them who the vegetarians were etc. they all thought I was marvellous and brave, I thought they were all a bit wet.

I have parking anxiety. I will literally not go places if parking is not guaranteed. It is a genuine fear inducing anxiety for me. I always get places crazy early as it's how I manage my stress.

Perhaps others have similar issues. Don't judge.

I thought all bus fares were currently capped at £2.

I don't see why it matters to you if they want to have a leisurely stroll to the bus stop, know they'll be there in good time for their bus and have a chat while they wait. Exactly what retirement should be IMO. Time to just be.

Yes I have parking issues as well to the point of preferring public transport - but i don't feel I am entitled to park by the gate.
I live opposite a primary school - there are zero parking restrictions in the area apart from a stretch for a few metres each side of school gate most families live within a short walk but there are parents there from 2:30 with some parking on the zigzag lines.

@Auburngal why don't MYOB and stop being ageist on all your threads?

You're really very obsessed with "elderly" people.

You sound like you have a big attitude problem about the elderly, in general.

What's it got to do with you how anyone else chooses to live their life or how they spend their time?!

I hope you have a warmer attitude to your own father - because you sound horrible.

It might be only in England that singles are capped at £2, unless the Scottish and Welsh parliaments have done the same thing?

What's the issue here? If they want to hang around the bus stop why shouldn't they? Teenagers do it.

The same people who queue outside supermarket doors with their trolleys half an hour before the store opens.

I live in NI and atm only get free travel here. When 65 I will get it free in the South. Then both dh and I can get the train to Dublin free. Though I do get a discount atm. £10 return. We also can travel free without time restrictions. How do you get it free on the Luas using the ticket machines. Would love to get the Luas out to Dundrum shopping centre sometime.
Will be great when the Enterprise will operate every hour.

I'd never thought about the people congesting parked along the road by the school 30-40 mins before pick-up as being Twirlies before. The irony is that some of them are parked further away than the walk from the avaliable free car parks.

Teenagers do it because they want to smoke dope and shag one another, and because they don’t own/rent their own space. I don’t think it’s anything to do with a magnetic attraction to bus stops as such.