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?

Agreed. I avoid taking my son (in his wheelchair) on public transport whenever possible and would rather walk miles pushing him than endure the bus...because most people are selfish shits and drivers are no help.

You really have no idea how dangerous and volatile the general public can be

I don’t blame the driver for not getting involved

I do, actually.

You SHOULD blame the bus driver for not doing his job. You should also blame the company for having inadequate training/security measures in place, successive governments for underfunding police, and for creating massive rifts in society which see the vulnerable attacked and treated like dirt and yet somehow it still ends up being their fault.

In that case you should know how vulnerable the driver would be there’s thousands of attacks and assaults on public workers and a few deaths
you can all the training in the world they have zero powers to enforce
ax for security/bouncers on buses how do you suggest there funded

It have got to that as the driver should have refused to move until the space was cleared for you to secure your chair.

It doesn’t seem safe for the driver to have driven off like this.

I think you should complain about the driving letting you on but not ensuring/waiting for the wheelchair space to be cleared before driving off.

sounds like OP may be an ambulatory wheelchair user. perhaps using the stick for support when they have to stand up to get something off a shelf for example.
not everyone that uses a chair is unable to stand or walk short distances.

Yes, the OP answered this.

one of my friends is a powerchair user, and hearing about some of the many incidents she faces has made me really aware of how many microagressions, and thoughtless ableist language and behaviours are part of peoples daily lives.

You was lucky, they could have been a nutcase with a knife 😩

I concur as a wheelchair user, we are disabled by our environment and societal norms

I'm really sorry that it's come down to this for you and your son. I became a wheelchair user later in life and it was a real awakening for me.

I am very well aware of how volatile the public can be. Several of them have done prison time following their behaviour towards me at work (not buses but still public transport). I still don't move my train unless I deem it safe. There was nothing to stop the bus driver from refusing to move the bus until the OP was safely parked. He could have remained safely in his cab while this went on. Leaving a wheelchair in the aisle puts its occupant at risk in the event of sudden braking and also obstructs fire exits.

The driver shouldn't have moved the bus with you not in the crash protection space, which is a big part of what the wheelchair space is really all about, it's for everyone's safety, flying occupied wheelchairs do a lot of damage to all in a crash.
It isn't the drivers role to actively deal with disputes, it is their role to refuse to move their bus in an unsafe situation, and radio the incident affecting the bus timetable in.

It's left up to passengers, police, and control, what they do to get the bus moving again. It won't always work in your favor, law or no law. Some days you're the statue, some days the pigeon.

You shouldn't be confronting the twat that refused to let others of the bus, let others deal with his twattery. When he says to others you're the problem, just say loudly in you best MN accent: 'Sorry we're both totally in the way aren't we? People will shove their way past avoiding getting hurt by the wheelchair, and with your brakes on you're less movable by crowd movement than he is.😈

A lone woman in a wheelchair with a walking stick and using public transport, or blue badge parking, or shopping, in a busy city, will be experiencing a lot of these situations just for existing...

I don't bother talking about how crap life can be for women in wheelchairs, on MN because there's no point, but can confirm it's rare a week goes by without a depressing incident related to other people and disability doesn't occur.

It's pants, but how you handle or slough incidents off, generally (but not always) determines how big an issue it blows into for you, or not.

I just find public life shit in London for a person like myself, I use two walking sticks, had them kicked from under me a good few time, no apologies.
Where the buses & trains are involved, it’s everyone for themselves😩
a guy got up to let me sit down, he was a northerner from Lancashire (we are much friendlier). I’ve done with London & wont be back anytime soon

The driver is supposed to MAKE people, who are sitting in the wheelchair part of the bus move. They are supposed to be given priority over everyone else! I would make a strong complaint about it to the bus company, give the time you boarded and the bus route, they can work out what driver it was and should deal with it.

Isn't it strange how DEI is never about people who are disabled and wheelchair users and making them feel safe, their life easier, including them by ensuring there are facilities for them.

It's hardly asking for the world is it to be able to access public transport safely.

I am sorry you had that incident and experience @MobilityCat - complain, complain, complain.

Discrimination against disabled people and wheelchair users is endemic.

Yes, being disabled is still seen as an inconvenience to others and asking for simple adjustments can be treated like asking for the world on a plate.

I'm deaf and need subtitles. Every time I go to the cinema (which is rare due to lack of subtitled showings), they warn me that there will be subtitles and ask if I am OK with that. Regularly get asked if I would prefer to wait for a non subtitled one starting 15 mins later. Great way to make your deaf customers feel welcome... I have even had to go out and find a member of staff after the film started as the subtitles they warned me about weren't even switched on.

Thank you for your kind words. I have reported it to TFL and to the Driver in Charge at the bus depot.

I have lowered hearing, so never go out to the unpredictable cinemas. Periodically, I have the same problem with Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney Plus, all of which are paid subscriptions. One might expect that a subscription service would be inclusive.

That is, without any possibility of doubt, assault, and a police 999 matter

As someone that lives in a market town, sometimes the next bus can be over an hour later, not always practical to wait for next bus, especially if you are somewhere where there is not much shelter from elements. As an abled bodied person that could walk and find anywhere to go maybe, but it's never that easy for disabled people.

The bus driver did his job...he drove the bus. He's not a security guard, it is not his job to intervene in passenger disputes.
In fact he could be fired for doing so.

Are they vulnerable in practice? Aren't the screens around cabs unbreakable? They don't have to get out of the cab in this situation, all they have to do is to refuse to move the bus till the wheelchair space is vacated.

On the contrary, there is an expectation that he will intervene to protect the interests of the disabled, at least by refusing to move the bus till the space is freed. If his employers don't require this they may be guilty of disability discrimination.

The bus drivers job includes keeping everyone safe. For someone in a wheelchair to be safe the wheelchair needs to be correctly positioned in the wheelchair space. Therefore the driver didn’t actually do his job