AIBU to complain after a bus driver shouted at me and my children?

[Buscomp]

My DC and I very rarely use buses, however with the free travel this month I decided it might be a bit of a novelty to use local buses a little. I asked for tickets for all of us on the first two buses we got on but the drivers said “the kids are free” and let us on, so the next bus I didn’t mention them and just paid for myself assuming this was ok, that driver said nothing.

We boarded a bus together this afternoon and I did the same thing- paid for my ticket and started walking to find a seat. I then heard a commotion behind me so turned around and my 14 yo DD was saying “mum you need to come sort this”. I walked back to the front of the bus and the driver immediately started aggressively shouting at me. He said “your kids need free tickets, they can’t just get on, they were so rude to me as well, can tell how they’ve been raised, why would you just walk on? You need to acknowledge the driver- how dare you do this” etc etc.

Me being me, pretty non confrontational and calm, just apologised profusely for the misunderstanding and if anyone had appeared rude. I explained other drivers hadn’t given me free tickets so I didn’t realise this was necessary. He just said “well it is,
now take them” and printed them…

I said sorry again and feeling shaken, walked back up to my DC. I then overheard him bitching to another passenger about teenagers causing a raucous on the buses and how they shouldn’t be free etc. I assume he’s had a bad time with teens but mine were with me and also silent for the duration.

I decided to speak with him again before we got off. I explained how sorry I really was, that we didn’t use buses often and the other drivers hadn’t given us free tickets so I just didn’t realise at all. He then explained it’s for insurance purposes and I said ok that makes sense, thanks for clearing it up and sorry again. He didn’t stop though and started telling me I needed to “sort my kids out” and “they were rude and shouldn’t treat people like that”. I looked at DD confused and said I’m sorry I didn’t realise they’d said anything to you, I’ll have a word with them now and thank you then got off.

DD’s told me all that happened was the driver shouted after them “OI YOU TWO GET BACK HERE NOW” and they turned around confused and said what? Then they called for me, that was the whole interaction. Given the way he spoke to me, a fully grown adult, I’m inclined to believe them. Should I complain to the bus company? My heart was racing and I was shaking, I haven’t been shouted at like that for many years and just don’t expect to be. It’s certainly put us off using buses again!

He was unfair and being hot and tired isn’t an excuse for rudeness. That said, complaining does seem to have become a national pastime, and very often isn’t necessary or reasonable.

I really question whether someone who becomes so aggressive over a ticket mistake or perceived slight is fit for the job. How would they cope with a real serious situation if they react like that over those things?

I travel by public transport a lot. Most bus drivers are very pleasant to me and other people like me but I have witnessed plenty of incidents where youngsters are treated poorly by bus drivers. On one occasion a group of teens in school uniform got on the bus chatting and laughing together, swiped their Oyster cards and went to sit down. The driver shouted at them telling them that they had to get off because they were ‘unruly’. The teens were calm and asked what they had done wrong; he just repeated he wanted them off his bus and turned the engine off and said he refused to move until they got off. Lots of older people at the front all turned to one another complaining about ‘kids today’ . To my eternal shame I didn’t say anything in their defence and the teens got off.
My son used to get a bus to school which was a ‘school service’ repeatedly one particular driver would drive past the stop not picking the kids up who were waiting. On more than one occasion I drove to the bus stop and picked him and any other kids up that wanted a lift and dropped them to school. This was the only bus that went there and it was about an hour’s walk (my ds has T1 diabetes so that really wasn’t an option first thing in the morning). I would usually pass the bus on the way.
Some people are just in the wrong jobs and forget that they were young once. I wonder how they would feel if their children/grandchildren were treated like this.

This happened to me in London, was told kids are free for August yet the driver refused to let my son on and told us to get off the bus, he was shouting and being aggressive and yes I did complain to tfl. I tried to explain to him about the scheme but he wouldn’t listen and said there was no such thing.

You apologised and he was a miserable git, let it go, you were the better person.

I would absolutely complain. What a prick! Overheated??!! 😆😂😆

Totally agree he sounds like an aggressive bully who would probably be to scared to talk to a man like that. There is absolutely no excuse for shouting at anyone let alone talking to another passenger about them. Imagine if everyone who worked with the public acted like that.

Not at 14 they need an Oyster card and that is their “ticket”

You are paying his wages, directly or indirectly. As you are his customer he should treat you with the deference his position indicates. He should be sacked.

Are you all there? She didn't make a fuss at all! You and the driver are two of a kind, you enjoy tearing strips off people and justify your need to bully by making up anger fuelled fake versions of what you think you happened because you just need to rage at somebody and any innocent victim will do. You accuse the OP of making a performance! Look at the state of your melodramatic rant!

Are you not well? You've a very big mouth for somebody that wasn't on that bus! You are like the bus driver, a miserable person who has no happiness except jumping in to bully people? How can you attack people and call their kids names when you've never even met them? You are skin crawlingly horrible.

I think they are all on a massive wind up at this point - every criticism of the OP and her children are becoming more and more unhinged with every post and it is the school holidays after all .

Or had an early start on the vino 😆😂

"Yes complain about him"
And that is how you would be nicer to your fellow human beings. Is it? 😂😂

The weather is hot. Everyone is fed up. Just let it be.

Oh gtfo of here with this nonsense! Im sure she knows her children well enough to know they wouldn’t have said anything rude to him first. He was clearly pissed off because they had got on the damn bus altogether. If they had said anything rude, the driver would’ve told her what they said. The dick was clearly having a bad day and took it out on a woman and her children, also, people who behave like this wouldn't dare speak to a 6ft body builder this way, so that in itself is a form of bullying.

She let her children wander onto the bus, so what?! My 12 & 13 year olds take a bus by themselves often, also, when he pulled up to the stop he would’ve likely have seen that they were all together. Regardless of any of this, he absolutely shouldn’t have spoken to them like it.

Well she already tried being nice, multiple times, and he continued to be a prick, so… yes bloody right complain about him.

This! These people must be drunk. I would bet my bottom dollar that this driver wouldn’t have spoken to a man like this, especially one that looked as though he’d punch him in the mouth for it!

If people don't dish out rudeness then they won't be treated rudely.

What an insane comment.
It doesn't even make any sense, regardless of being demonstrably untrue.

Surely those on the receiving end of 'people dishing out rudeness' would have had to have been rude in the first place, for this statement to be true.

And they would only be responding to rudeness by the other party. But, as they couldn't have been treated rudely without having dished out rudeness... it's saying that rudeness only arises by both parties being rude to the other one first.

Like all men, some bus drivers are aggressive. Imagine what he's like with old people who have to take their time getting on and off. He had no right to speak to you like that, and I'm surprised at some of the responses here.

Report him.

Nasty fucker shouldn’t be in a public facing role. Mean man.

He sounds like a complete cock and yes I'd complain about him. Bloody man. If there's one thing I can't abide it's rudeness, and he sounds like he has this in spades!

OP, did you complain? What was the response? Please keep us updated.

Netcurtainnelly · 07/08/2026 16:55
When are people going to realise it's much nicer to be nice to your fellow human.beings. Life is so much easier.
Yes complain about him.

My reply to her
"Yes complain about him"
And that is how you would be nicer to your fellow human beings. Is it? 😂😂

I know OP already tried to be nice and in her shoes I would've definitely given him a bloody argument and then complained to management.
My light-hearted comment was aimed at Netcurtainnelly who advocates being nice to your fellow human beings and then tells her not to be nice and go and make a complaint against them.

Kids are technically free on London buses, but they need a zip card after 12, and then an age appropriate Oyster card at age 16 if still a student.