Rude bus drivers on the 40 bus

[Junad1997]

Every morning at 7:30am I go to school taking the 40 bus, one reason I get on this bus is because it normally comes first and secondly I need to get off at dulwich libry anyways (as it terminates there) however when I get on the bus 2 of the drivers who came across to my attention acted really rudely, they say to me "why the hell r u getting on at this stop" - I understand it's just to dulwich library which is near by but the drivers shouldn't complain as all you lovley tax payers pay for my bus Fair (oyster) and it's there duty to drive not complain about who gets on where, it's not just to me, it's to other school pupils who gets on, he/she says the same thing and mutters under there breath....the man is big and bold with glasses (white colour skin) and the lady has black Curley hair and looks European with an accent, I complained to tfl but the same drivers continue this behaviour - any other suggestions - I'm not a person with attitude but if you guys think I should I would give them a piece of a teenage boys mind (back talk & attitude) but as I said I don't do this often....what do you think

[hellokiran]

a story of woe

[ratty]

Keep getting on the bus. Exercise is overrated.

[mynamehere]

Always willing to wade in: I respond to Junad1997 saying he's a ... 15-year-old? You're quite mature to use a forum to get feed back on your perceptions of yourself and others!

Write a letter to TFL but use the exercise to write very carefully and clearly so that you and the reader know why you feel bad.

This is what I wrote within the year on what my son related to me:

This is a general comment about the P13 service

My son takes the bus to his 6th Form at 7:30 weekdays from Croxsted to be in school for 8:30. He leaves plenty of time and for a teenager every minute not sleeping HURTS.

The bus has left him standing/ avoided picking him up/ not opened its doors more than once.

It should not matter his age or what he wears: Although he has a "hoodie" on my son is an A* Maths and Science pupil whose taxes in a few years will pay all of our retirement as well as finding answers to world problems

In Other Words: When Your Bus Drivers Do No Bother To Stop To Pick Up a School Child They are Cutting Their Own Throats (Metaphorically speaking). They are hurting their own son/ daughter/ niece/ nephew/ cousin/ friend. You ruin the start of another human's day. How dare you hurt people when your job is to stop at a designated pick-up/drop-off / look out for and help people to catch the bus?

Thanks

and this is what they responded:

Thank you for your recent feedback regarding route P13 bus drivers.

I was concerned to learn about your son?s experiences. Let me apologise for the distress and inconvenience he has suffered as a result of bus drivers failing to stop for him. It goes without saying that drivers are expected to stop at all bus stops where there are passengers waiting. It?s disappointing to learn that driers are failing to follow this basic procedure. Bus drivers are the public face of London Buses. As such, they?re expected to behave in a professional manner at all times. Driver behaviour such as this is unacceptable.

I?ve passed your comments onto Abellio, who operate route P13 for us. They will take this matter up with the drivers on the route. Please rest assured that both we and our operating companies take complaints about poor staff behaviour extremely seriously. If your son continues to have problems on the route, I would appreciate it if you could let us have some specific details (eg. date, time, location and, if possible, the bus registration number and a description of the driver). The driver can then be traced and disciplinary action taken.

Thanks again for taking the time to bring this matter to my attention. If I can be of any other assistance, please let me know.

Yours sincerely

[Mrs TP]

Yes write the letter but after the end of term. Keep a diary between now and then of every occasion a driver is rude to you and list these incidents in your letter; e.g.

On Tues May 29 got on X bus at X stop at X time and driver said 'blah de blah',

On Weds May 30 etc etc

This way you have a record of specific events rather that just an overall moan - I really do sympathise but it is important to keep complaints factual.

Saying that I love 'mynamehere's' complaint but that approach is unfortunately easier for an adult to get away with.

Do the letter though and if you don't get any feedback improvement do the same next term and this time copy your letter to the South London Press.

[computedshorty]

Pathetic

You would be better continuing your education, then you would be able to post a passable message, with no mistakes.

How many can you now find in your message?

You could always take up dog walking to occupy your time for a small fee.

[RosieH]

Really unnecessary computedshorty - a quick look at your second-to-last post shows at least two grammar mistakes. People in glass houses...

[SCSB79]

Out of order computedshorty. This is obviously just a kid coming on to have a wee moan and he gets that sort of reply from an "adult"?

I'd say it is you that should be labelled "pathetic" following your un-called for response.

[tallulah71]

Another way to ruin the start of a young'un's day Computedshorty. And your posts are not exactly grammatically perfect...

[Worker]

That's out of order, but also out of character for computedshorty. I prescribe caffeine.

[krishner]

Hey Junad1997 - Bus drivers across London are mostly nice people. Now and again you get someone who is a little..um..tense. Bear in mind they have to drive across London in terrible traffic receiving abuse from some passengers, dealing with troops of combat school children twice daily, having myriad arguments with people who drive 'chelsea tractors' (I know that they have arguments with drivers of other cars too, but hey, I hate people with unnecessarily big cars, so sue me!); there are fair dodgers, drunks, drug addicts, women with prams (can't wait for the response to that grouping - bring it on). All of this for 12 hours a day, and probably at very little compensation in relative terms. They can be cranky, but other people who do less for the city and less for themselves can be equally as cranky. Its no excuse, they shouldn't have treated you in a way that you found to be less than polite. Next time, just show your pass, smile and walk on by...growling, muttering bus drivers is wot makes this country grate! (And that's one for all you syntax nazis out there - you know who you are....) ;)

[Worker]

I'll take the bait (slow day at work).

Why have you lumped women with prams in with fare dodgers, drunks and druggies, krishner? Not generally I note, just with respect to riding the bus.

Otherwise good post.

[Penguin68]

Last night in a bus close to Elephant the driver accelerated and hooted wildly at a (very overweight) white late teenager (girl) crossing the road in front of him, causing her to race for safety onto a traffic island, which she just made - the (mainly also overweight and black) passengers on the bus laughed and cheered. I report the colour of the protaganists because it seemed relevant.

All good heat-wave fun!

[maxxi]

You're not alone Junad - some (not all by any means) bus drivers seem increasingly to regard passengers as an inconvenience rather than the reason they have a job.

There are also a good many adults who feel unconditional respect is due them from minors regardless of the circumstances and if you gave them "back talk and attitude" in response you would only be confirming their prejudices.

If they are leaving you standing then by all means complain but if it's just bad tempered mutterings and grumpy interrogation I would be tempted (provided there are no outright insults etc.) to advise you to smile benignly at them and dismiss it out of hand - pausing only to wonder how miserable their lives must be.

[RosieH]

You could also add to that a cheery "thank you, driver" as you get off the bus. Nothing adds to a mutterer's fury more than being proved wrong.

[titch juicy]

troll acting as 15 year old with deliberate spelling/grammar mistakes to get rise a la, "the state of education these days blah blah", "perhaps you should spend less time moaning about bus drivers, andmore time in the classroom, blah blah"?

[Vik]

Really disppointed in that post computedshorty, I usually enjoy your posts but that was unessesary, how does one expect teenangers to have respect for adults when they are spoken to like that?

I know Junad and have done for some years, he is a very polite, friendly boy and in keeping with this I think he should heed the advice of Maxxi & RosieH, I'm always sickeningly polite to people that are rude, it makes me feel better and them feel 6 inches tall (tu)

[computedshorty]

Pathetic.

Yes the post is full of attitude why write this?

"I'm not a person with attitude but if you guys think I should I would give them a piece of a teenage boys mind (back talk & attitude)".

Your description of the drivers, " the man is big and bold with glasses, (white colour skin)".

What difference does the colour of the drivers skin make.

"There lady has black Curley hair and looks European with an accent".

Have you an issue with people like this?

You are privileged to be able to travel by public transport at no cost to you.

We had no such luxury, to use that for such a short journey is abusing the system.

There is a trace of impatience by using that bus as you know that the one you want is just behind.

Have you thought that your complaint might affect the drivers future employment?

I have no complaint of the drivers at all, as most will know that I have a lot of trouble getting about, and have never been told to hurry up by drivers as it takes time for me to get on or off.

Just put yourself in another?s shoes, seventy five years ago, we all walked to school no matter how far it was the buses were not free for us, we would not think of asking for the money for a ticket or be taken to school by car.

[steveo]

Oi, leave shorty alone. Pick on someone yer own size.

Junad1997 why are you up so late?

[AlexC]

The good old EDF. It doesn't matter what you post on here - someone will jump on the thread and take strong offence to something.

[camberwell70]

I think you should use full stops more often.

[edcam]

computedshorty Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Pathetic.

>

> Yes the post is full of attitude why write this?

>

> "I'm not a person with attitude but if you guys

> think I should I would give them a piece of a

> teenage boys mind (back talk & attitude)".

>

> Your description of the drivers, " the man is big

> and bold with glasses, (white colour skin)".

> What difference does the colour of the drivers

> skin make.

>

> "There lady has black Curley hair and looks

> European with an accent".

> Have you an issue with people like this?

>

> You are privileged to be able to travel by public

> transport at no cost to you.

>

>

> We had no such luxury, to use that for such a

> short journey is abusing the system.

> There is a trace of impatience by using that bus

> as you know that the one you want is just behind.

> Have you thought that your complaint might affect

> the drivers future employment?

>

> I have no complaint of the drivers at all, as most

> will know that I have a lot of trouble getting

> about, and have never been told to hurry up by

> drivers as it takes time for me to get on or off.

>

> Just put yourself in another?s shoes, seventy five

> years ago, we all walked to school no matter how

> far it was the buses were not free for us, we

> would not think of asking for the money for a

> ticket or be taken to school by car.

What a load of nonsense. The OP is right, it doesn't matter how long or short a passenger's journey is, the drivers should be doing their jobs, rather than setting a very bad example to young people about how to treat others. Personally I think the OP should get up a bit earlier and walk but there's no excuse for such rudeness from some of the drivers.

[titch juicy]

Although Computedshorty does have a point with,

" Yes the post is full of attitude why write this?

>

> "I'm not a person with attitude but if you guys

> think I should I would give them a piece of a

> teenage boys mind (back talk & attitude)".

>

> Your description of the drivers, " the man is big

> and bold with glasses, (white colour skin)".

> What difference does the colour of the drivers

> skin make.

>

> "There lady has black Curley hair and looks

> European with an accent".

> Have you an issue with people like this?

>

> You are privileged to be able to travel by public

> transport at no cost to you. "

[AlexC]

Is he not just describing the drivers who have been giving him hassle?! Ok, it could have been phrased a bit better but it seems pretty clear to me that's all that he's trying to get across.

[Junad1997]

Sorry if my spelling and grammer was wrong, and thank you to those who gave a nice and advisable message so far... some think I'm a troll (keep on thinking that but one thing for sure is i know im not) and others think I'm offensive (I'm just asking a question giving a detailed description - so how am I being offensive) Ps - to the people who think I'm a troll - im 14, go to Harris boys academy east dulwich and have some articles on the dulwich on view website (which is a well known blog) - this is proof that I'm just a teen not some adult...