Incident on #185 bus

[Amelie]

I take the #185 bus to my current job in Victoria every day, most of the drivers are perfectly fine if a little heavy-footed and the only real problem has been the effect of the Thames Water works in Lewisham. However, the other morning the bus driver, in my opinion, behaved so badly that I wrote to TfL to complain.

The bus had pulled up outside Plough DIY and two elderly ladies boarded, this was before 9.00am so technically their Freedom passes weren't valid yet. Instead of politely pointing this out and giving the ladies the options of either paying the excess fare or waiting for the next bus, the driver started banging on his internal window shouting 'Hello! Hello!' and 'Oh God, there's two of them' at them. Initially neither of them understood that they were the passengers being shouted at and the other passengers had to explain. The driver then started shouting at them about it not being 9.00am yet and just ranted on and on, one of the ladies told him that she hadn't seen the card reader had flashed red and he shouted at her that she had seen it. It was obvious that she hadn't because she was wearing a pair of what were plainly medically prescribed dark glasses. Her companion, who it turned out was on her way to a medical appointment, told the driver she was 92 (92!!) and she was a little frail and very taken aback at being treated like some sort of criminal. The partially sighted lady asked the driver to stop shouting at them and not to talk to them like that but he just ignored her.

When they then offered to pay he continued to shout at them and it almost looked like he was trying to prevent them from paying. Eventually they paid ?2 each and sat down. The rest of us were so shocked that we all sat or stood like lemons, not knowing quite what to do.

It is bad enough that a driver who is paid to provide a service to the public should treat people like that, but to treat two vulnerable pensioners so badly was appalling.

As I said I have written to TfL and I will wait to see that TfL says.

[Chick]

He probably beats his wife up if she hasn?t left him.

[SteveT]

Good for you Amelie, for taking the time and trouble to complain on their behalf, at this outrageous and unnecessary behaviour.(tu)

[Nero]

! I am appalled. The man is in need of a stern talking to. Please can you let me know what the company says.

[HonaloochieB]

If that's his response to a small matter such as you describe, it would make me concerned about his capability to drive a public service vehicle containing large numbers of people.

Not the best paid job in the world, and not the best conditions but there appear to be a significantly high number of misanthropes behind the wheels of our buses. The pleasant ones tend to stand out.

[PeckhamRose]

Describe him in detail so we can all shout at him too.

[MadWorld74]

stop the 'he needs a stern talking to' rubbish. My father is 86 years of age and recently I had to deal with; on his behalf, a similar incident with a bus driver (dad was up from Sussex visiting) who was so rude to him, I was rocked to my boots. Well, I let rip at this ******** and they could have called the old Bill and I wouldn't have given a monkeys chuff if I'd been arrested. The bus driver was brought to his knees verbally by me, and I'd do it again in a flash. My father, just like those two ladies probably fought (as he did)/help fight/ survived WW2. It enrages me to the point of no return.

[Amelie]

I am with you MadWorld, this could have been my grandfather (served with the RAF) or my grandmother (suffered through the Blitz).

Peckham Rose - this driver is in his 50s, grey hair, glasses.

[SteveT]

The obnoxious git needs a career change.

[Fuschia]

Don't expect a response from Tfl. I have made two complaints to them, and not even had an ackmowledgement.

[MadWorld74]

he didnt get into the Met. Has a grudge. The bus driver. Hates those who have been through more than him. Loss of home/job/family...WW1/2 as we've mentioned.

[Ms T]

What a little S...!

[bon3yard]

I think we should set up our own Guantanamo Bay on The Isle of Dogs for these antisocial, frustrated & insignificant little people. I think Amnesty International & Human Rights Watch would turn a blind eye. I am a little annoyed that no one stood up for them though. A bit of Dunkerque spirit might have been appreciated.

[TillieTrotter]

Horrible git. I'm really not having a pop at you here OP because you are bothering to do something about it, but, the fact that noone took him to task when it was happening is why we hear about this sort of behaviour. It's almost shocking that people just stand around too embarassed, shocked, scared or whatever to step up and defend the vulnerable. Anyway, well done for being concerned enough to try to right the wrong.

[bigbadwolf]

Well done Amelie. I have a particular beef with bus drivers, especially when they don't take a fiver. When I was a pup at school we had a bus driver who'd take the piss out of this partially sighted kid and mock him when he couldn't count his fare properly so one day we sneaked up to his window and chucked a firework in to keep him company. Do let us know about the response to your letter.

[Siduhe]

I saw something similar (without the attitude) on Thursday on the 63 bus (about 8:50). Two ladies tried to get on, the Oyster pad did the "bad beep" and they asked the driver if they could get on anyway as it was so close to 9am. He said no (politely) and that "they're really cracking down at the moment". Not excusing the attitude of the driver on the 185 in any way, but sounds like the drivers may be under strict instructions. Both ladies paid to get on btw, (and a young guy even stood up to give them a seat, so there are some decent people out there!)

[bon3yard]

When I was a pup at school we had a bus driver who'd take the piss out of this partially sighted kid and mock him when he couldn't count his fare properly so one day we sneaked up to his window and chucked a firework in to keep him company

I shoudlnt laugh at such reckless misuse of pyrotechnics, but to have seen the miserable bullies face light up like a Tilly Lamp must have been a sight to behold. Terrible of course. :))

[bigbadwolf]

When I look back it was a rather stupid thing to do as it was actually a rocket not a small banger which bounced around his little cab at quite a violent rate, but as they say, shit happens.

It was however incredibly funny.

[Zebedee Tring]

Fuschia Wrote:

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

> Don't expect a response from Tfl. I have made two

> complaints to them, and not even had an

> ackmowledgement.

A couple of years ago, the driver of a 37 bus refused to open the door to me when I was quite legitimately hailing the bus at the stop and pointed me rudely in the direction of the next bus stop. When I got on the bus at the next stop and complained about his rudeness, he told me to eff off, and when I not surprisingly objected to this he told me to piss off. I made a formal complaint to Tfl, who apologised for the driver's behaviour and indicated that they were taking some kind of disciplinary action against him. Perhaps the whole incident was on camera and therefore they had some evidence.

So don't discount the idea of a complaint - it can succeed.

[alex]

Sad to say but, in my experience, this kind of incident happens every so often on the buses which run through ED. Some of the drivers just seem to be ready to kick off at anything. I once saw a man get on a 176 and, in halting English, ask the driver if he went to Oxford St. The driver shouted "can't you f***in' read the front?" and the poor bloke looked terrified. I've also seen a driver of a P13 drive past a bus stop where there were 4 people waiting, one of whom clearly put his arm out - ignoring a passenger who wanted to get off at said stop.

Don't get me wrong, most of them seem perfectly fine - but there are a few who need to go on an anger management course.

[Keef]

I am going to be shot down in flames for this, but I hate old people using the bus before 9am! If they have a medical appointment fine, but if not, can't they just wait for a bit til after rush hour to go on a little bus ride!!!

Before anyone starts, I am not agist, and I have nothing against the elderly, it's just a little gripe of mine.

[cdonline]

Keef Wrote:

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

> I am going to be shot down in flames for this, but

> I hate old people using the bus before 9am! If

> they have a medical appointment fine, but if not,

> can't they just wait for a bit til after rush hour

> to go on a little bus ride!!!

>

> Before anyone starts, I am not agist, and I have

> nothing against the elderly, it's just a little

> gripe of mine.

I was wondering who'd be first to say it.

Personally, I think it would niggle me if I was faced with people saying, oh well, it's nearly 9am, can I come on. How many people and not just oldies, have you seen that know full well their card hasn't been accepted on the card-reader. Then they sort of gingerly walk down the bus, acting oblivious, in the hope the conductor will not bother.

[bon3yard]

Tsk, swines.

[Moos]

Keef Wrote:

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

> I am going to be shot down in flames for this, but

> I hate old people using the bus before 9am! If

> they have a medical appointment fine, but if not,

> can't they just wait for a bit til after rush hour

> to go on a little bus ride!!!

I used to think that too, Keef, and I had a particular gripe against old people nabbing the pre-9am slots at the doctor instead of leaving them to us working folk. I'm rather ashamed to say that it wasn't until I became an honorary annoying old person (by dint of a year off work and becoming permanently attached to a pram when outside the house) that I changed my mind. When you are an annoying space-taker-upper you do try to travel and book appointments at non-peak hours but it isn't always possible, and when faced with the glares of the commuters you start to wonder what makes them so damn' special that their priorities must always come before those of the marginal people. If I'd worked and paid taxes for 40 or 50 years (or just worked...) I'd probably think I could go where I want when I want. But I'd probably also prefer to ride the bus when all the grumpy, inward-looking workers weren't on it, so I could enjoy a sit-down and a chat.

[rspcalondonsoutheast]

I have a funny feeling this is the same driver I witnessed behaving disgracefully a couple of months ago. Is he about 55 years of age with grey hair and specs? He also straps down his driver's cab with a black bicycle chain.

I also complained about his behaviour but received a pretty useless reply from London Buses.