AIBU? Bus driver refused to let me on the bus

[tulipkisses]

Where I live buses can be infrequent and often delayed due to awful traffic. We also don’t have tap on/off, we have to show the driver our tickets or purchase one as we get on.

I work about a five minute walk from the bus stop. As I got to the bus stop this evening the bus was just pulling away, I checked the app and there was another one coming three minutes later.

It turned up and I put my arm out to hail it. It pulled in, someone got off and I stepped on. The driver refused to let me on because I “should have been on the earlier one”. He said if I walked onto the bus he wouldn’t pull away and would wait for me to get off, and he didn’t care about sitting there for hours to see if I’d stay on. He said he knew I was “only getting on this one for a faster journey” because it was empty compared to the one in front.

I have never experienced this in my life, I have no idea what to do? I have the number plate and I’m considering reporting it but this is just totally bizarre, should I have waited for the one after this one?

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He is totally out of order report him and demand an explanation. Cheeky unhinged get.

This is just batshit crazy behaviour on his part . I’d be out to ensure he loses his job or gets performance managed over this . Big concern here is potential safety issues . Wouldn’t be the first time someone came to harm waiting for public transport in a lonely area . Don’t let this go . I’d be demanding an action plan and policies

Report him. Report this idiot he needs to be told what his job is and what that involves... like letting people get on the bus.. simple.

Even if you were waiting for a ‘less busy’ bus - since when did this become a crime? The world has gone mad - he needs reporting.

This is a massive safety issue. Absolutely report him.

What an awful experience. You definitely should report this driver. They sound unhinged and at the very least are not doing their job properly. Talk about appalling customer service.

Report him.

sounds like a rude driver from Metrobus - they all do whatever they want!

Report him!

My Dad used to be a bus driver many moons ago and he would never have done this.

This bloke sounds unhinged or he’s just a lazy arse who, like you said, was hoping to get through his route easily with few passengers.

Report it. Driver completely unreasonable

Yes but surely empty or not he still has to stop at each bus stop and wait till the time he should be there?! He can’t be early to each stop and just drive by?

Anyeay I too would’ve got on and either held him up till the next one due then hopped off and got on the next one, feeling satisfied you’d delayed him!!… OR like others have said got on and called the company within ear shot of him and told them he was refusing a lone female with a bus pass entry onto his bus and expecting you to wait another half hour for the next bus just because he wants an empty bus!!

I’d also question his sanity!
Definitely complain and going on social media and tagging the bus company is a must too!

Please update us.. Did you complain and what’s the outcome? @tulipkisses

Last April I vivacities London with my 14 year old daughter…. We spent 3 days there and walked everywhere! Covering about 35,000 steps each day… on the final day with our luggage in tow we decided that after a day of walking miles we’d hop on a bus back to the coach station to take us home… we hop on and I ask for an adult and child… he said something about not selling child tickets.. (I’ve no idea whether that’s normal in London??) so I say ok two adult singles please….. he took for one adult and then said we had to pay separately ….. ok fine…. So I present payment card again and he says ‘no you have to use a different payment card ?!)
LUCKILY my 14 year old has her own bank card…. But I’d assume lots of kids wouldn’t! …. Anyway to start off with I stood firm and just said I don’t have another form of payment why couldn’t he just have taken for both together ?!…. He then said something that if I wasn’t white British would have been taken as racist…. He said ‘This is how we do it in England!!’…. I laughed and scoffed that I’d lived in England ALL my life (48 years) and it definitely isn’t how WE English do it!
I sat and seethed for the whole journey…. What is it with these male bus drivers
that makes them think they’re better than their passengers ?!
I was too tired at the time to complain, plus didn’t know the system in London, the bus route or number so couldn’t pin point the prick…. But armed with the reg plate I’d be 100% complaining and suggesting they send him on some tedious customer service training - or for a mental health assessment!!

Why are you saying this?

..???... 🤨🤐

Because this poster is troll hunting, which is against the rules, suggesting the OP has made this up because they've never personally experienced bus drivers being twats. In some peoples worlds if it didn't happen to THEM, then it can't possibly have happened to anyone else either.

Ridiculous and rude of the driver and so what if you’re waiting for a faster bus, often do, after all that’s what the direct motorway bus is for.

in fact the other day two number 24s pulled in and the driver of the second (shiny new electric bus) grinned that he and his shiny bus had been selected (by my 7yo child)

You should have refused to get off and phoned his garage directly. That might be an old person or a child next time.

How about giving us an update OP.

You report. My first husband. Many years ago worked as a bus driver & my late finance was also a bus driver. That is definitely not acceptable behaviour. Complain & do not get fobbed off. Good luck.

CANCEL THE CHEQUE

One story is good until another one is told. I suspect this may well apply here and 98% of you are falling for it! Let us hear what the bus driver has to say.

I’d be fuming. Defo report. Although may be a good thing for your personal safety that you got another one as the man does sound unhinged