Bus driver refused to make passenger leave

[MobilityCat]

Last night on the very crowded bus I was unable to get to the wheelchair space to park, as it was full of luggage and people. The only place available was in the doorway.

A person stood next to me in the doorway and refused to move to allow people off, saying it was I that was in the way.

I asked him to move out of the doorway so other passengers could get off, but he wouldn't so I told him that he was being inconsiderate and he started shouting and swearing at me. I told him to move away and leave me alone.

He persisted so I called twice to the driver to get him off the bus, but the driver took no action to make him leave, so I was left to manage his abuse.

He then stood in front of me and threatened me, so I raised my walking stick and pointed it at him as a warning. He backed away but carried on threatening me.

I told him that I didn't want to hurt him but if he didn't leave me alone and continued threatening me I would.

He moved further away from me, but continued to swear at me, but since he was no longer a threat I just ignored him.

I was bullied as a child, but learned to stand up against bullies as they are basically cowards, but Is it asking too much to expect the driver to protect their passengers?

Make a complaint to the bus company, the driver needs to be enforcing the accessible spaces. Also probably don't threaten to hurt people with your walking stick even if they are being complete bastards

It should never have happened in the first place.

The driver should've made the passengers move out of the wheelchair space.

They don't allow wheelchairs or prams/buggies in the bus aisle.

I've been physically attacked a few times on buses in London and the driver never does anything.

I'm sorry to hear you experienced that and I'm glad you stood up for yourself.

Who was in the wheelchair space? Technically, you have priority and whoever is there should move for you.

Bus drivers can't make people get out of wheelchair spaces or make people get off the bus. They're not paid enough to risk their safety for this. They're not armed. They're not trained in martial arts. They can tell people, but whether people listen or not is outside of the drivers control. He should have refused to move the bus though, it doesn't sound like a safe situation for anyone.

What were the other passengers doing? It's them that have caused this problem.

I'm puzzled as to why the driver lowered the ramp to let you on the bus, if the wheelchair space was full of luggage and passengers actually?

It makes no sense.

Presumably, he thought the people in the wheelchair space would have the decency/common sense to move.

No, it's the driver's duty to make sure the space is clear and accessible before lowering the ramp to allow a wheelchair on.

same experience here in london i once called tfl to complain after i was badly abused by a man on a bus and the driver did nothing well i was told he was right and drivers are not suppose to get involved

That might be what's supposed to happen, but it's a fair bet that what the driver THOUGHT would happen is that the people would move? Surely? You think the driver let her on, knowing the people would refuse to move? Why would he do that?

No, I think the driver couldn't be bothered to check the space was clear before lowering the ramp.

When he found it wasn't, he should've dealt with it then instead of allowing a wheelchair in the aisle.

There are plenty of selfish fuckers who won't fold their buggies and move out of the wheelchair space, as the OP well knows because sadly she's posted about this problem a lot.

ETA: And the driver will know that too, which is why he shouldn't have put the OP in such a dangerous position where her wheelchair couldn't be safely positioned.

Yeah, I can see laziness being another possibility.

I've been made to stand with my buggy in the aisle because of cunts sitting in the seats who really didn't need them and a whole empty bus to sit in. I think drivers are too scared of the abuse to do fuck all about it

I was actually afraid that he was going to attack me and used my stick to keep him away, but yes, as you say I shouldn't have told him that I would hurt him if he persisted.

There are occasions when I am in the wheelchair space with up to two buggies and another buggy owner will be standing with her buggy in the aisle.

On another occasion I came up the ramp to find a buggy loaded with groceries in the wheelchair space and the mum and baby upstairs.

As someone else has said, the driver's only real mechanism for enforcement is refusing to drive any further until whatever is supposed to happen does happen. That always works (eventually), it would have taken the onus off you to order the guy to do anything, the only person he can really get arsey with then is the driver for not moving, but he's behind a protective screen.

(If you're lucky some burly impatient men who need to be somewhere will throw the guy off anyway!)

But it sounds like your driver was useless.

You could have (and should have) called the police. Bus drivers and tfl are not law enforcement, they don't deal with crime

There’s a lot of crazy unhinged people out there. I don’t think bus drivers are paid enough to place themselves in the firing line and risk getting attacked. People who behave badly are very unlikely to take orders from the bus driver. The best thing the bus driver can do to avoid escalation is continue on his route to get all the passengers, including the badly behaved one, to their destinations as quickly as possible.

@MobilityCat

I'm sorry he acted like that & you had no support. You must feel incredibly vulnerable in a wheelchair.

yes the driver should have cleared the disabled space for you, definitely.

He should have chucked the tosser off the bus, but so many of the get hurt in the process, I can see why he held back- they don't get danger money.

For your own safety, I'd avoid threatening to hurt people, though in my case they're likely to wet themselves laughing.

where i am the drivers don’t get involved with wheelchair spaces they open doors put down the ramp and that’s it they expect passengers to sort it out between themselves they don’t ask anyone to clear the space

In retrospect I agree with you, it was said in the moment, I haven't hit anyone since I was a child, but I don't want to be a victim of crime either.

Next time this happens to you (cos it will I'm sorry) phone the police. And I mean 999.

Actually the need to get the passengers, all of them other destination as SAFELY as possible. Time is not the priority.

WTH, no one said anything or tried to help? On a bus full of people??
Assholes, the lot of them,including the sodding driver - leaving a disabled woman to stand up against an intimidating able bodied male.
Shocked at posters defending this behaviour and saying drivers should not get involved.