buses remember to put your hand out

[fowler9]

You should complain every time, it will soon be sorted, also in my experience Arriva are quite good at sending out free tickets to people with genuine grievences.

It is worth bearing in mind that busses are tracked so your issues could be checked up on.

Cheers for that mate. It is infuriating, happened yesterday but I caught the bus, it sat outside Garston sports centre for five minutes. Am wondering if they regularly monitor arrivals at South Parkway because they always pull up before there clearly knowing they are very early. If the bus is late I really don't mind, it won't be the drivers fault, if it is very early that bugs me.

 

[Robertj21a]

Cheers for that mate. It is infuriating, happened yesterday but I caught the bus, it sat outside Garston sports centre for five minutes. Am wondering if they regularly monitor arrivals at South Parkway because they always pull up before there clearly knowing they are very early. If the bus is late I really don't mind, it won't be the drivers fault, if it is very early that bugs me.

Don't overlook the fact that buses use timing points to ensure that they run on time - from those points. Any times between any two timing points will be an estimate and at quiet times the bus may well be slightly early. I think some suggest that you should be at the stop a few minutes early to ensure that you don't miss it at these locations. Arriva do monitor all buses at the timing points (as you can see on their App) and any early bus will wait at the next timing point to ensure that it's no longer early.

 

[fowler9]

Don't overlook the fact that buses use timing points to ensure that they run on time - from those points. Any times between any two timing points will be an estimate and at quiet times the bus may well be slightly early. I think some suggest that you should be at the stop a few minutes early to ensure that you don't miss it at these locations. Arriva do monitor all buses at the timing points (as you can see on their App) and any early bus will wait at the next timing point to ensure that it's no longer early.

I'm talking five minutes or more early and then waiting half a mile away to get back on time. I'm 43 mate, I haven't just started using public transport. I agree you shouldn't turn up bang on when the bus is due but missing it when it is five minutes early is a bit mad. Where is the previous timing point? I think it is Penny Lane, he would have to do it in about zero minutes to think he was on time.

 

[padbus]

As if bus drivers don't have enough to do, this has appeared in Exeter's local paper (Original article at www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/angry-woman-accuses-rude-bus-2031020 edited to text-only to remove all the other old stuff that appears on local papers' websites)

A reoccurring problem of passengers not offering to give up their seat on crowded buses for less able people has promoted calls for drivers to offer assistance. A 63-year-old regular bus user, who walks with the aid of a crutch, has told how she has regularly experienced having to wait for another bus because fellow passengers have not volunteered to give up their seat. The woman, who asked not to be named, says she is angry Stagecoach bus drivers don't intervene to help. She said:

“I cannot stand up on a bus. There are some nice people about but there are a lot who don’t move for you and when bus is full I have to get off and miss the bus. You feel too embarrassed to ask someone if they will move. People see me getting on a bus and they do nothing. Often I say to the driver if no one will stand I will have to get off and the driver will let me get off. The other day I was on the bus and I saw pregnant woman with two crutches who had to stand and the driver did nothing. I have been told drivers are supposed to ask me if I want them to ask someone to stand on my behalf which is not true as they never do.

“I have complained to Stagecoach on many occasions. Their argument is if you have a disability card you can produce it, but I don’t have one as I am not registered disabled. Why should I have to send off for an assistance card to ask the driver something which common courtesy should automatically prompt them to ask?”

Stagecoach did not confirm whether or not it has a policy which requires drivers to ask a passengers if they would like their help to ask others to give up their seat, and or to ask passengers to give up their seat, when questioned by Devon Live. A spokesperson for Stagecoach said:

"We are disappointed to hear of the treatment of this customer by other passengers. Unfortunately, as we see in other areas of life, there will inevitably be instances where people are not as considerate to others as we might hope. Although the majority of our customers are very helpful and respectful, we would always urge people travelling with us to think of others and show regard for their fellow passengers at all times. Our drivers undergo comprehensive customer care training. We also participate in Devon County Council’s Access Wallet assistance card scheme, which allows customers who may require additional assistance to highlight this to our drivers."

Exeter city councillor Rosie Denham says she has been in touch with Stagecoach over the issue and says more could be done to offer support to passengers who may need assistance but feel unable or reluctant to ask for help. She said:

“I have been in contact with Stagecoach on a number of occasions about this issue. Stagecoach have stated that if drivers assume a passenger needs help it ‘could result in others being subjected to unnecessary embarrassment or insult as most passengers are happy to deal with this matter of their own accord, or indeed ask the driver for assistance’.

“However, I think the fear of causing offence is unwarranted. The simple act of asking a passenger if they would like help to find a seat on a crowded service could make all the difference to those who need it and I have asked Stagecoach to look at this again. A simple solution might just be for drivers to ask passengers that they think might need help whether they need any assistance to find or get to a seat. I think that’s unlikely to upset anyone.”

My experience of travelling on buses in Exeter is that people do help less able passengers and will move around the bus to free up priority seats when they see a deserving case get on board. It is, however, a sad reflection on our society that there are those who won't help and probably wouldn't even if the driver did get involved.

 

[175mph]

I've always found getting my wallet out as the bus approaches does the trick.

 

[Deerfold]

Is it difficult for you to understand that in some places, [unspecified], the Company's policy is not different and you should stop trying to pretend that everyone should do what is done in London?

(Note smiley!)

I don't think Bletchleyite has any trouble understanding that. Some other posters on the other hand...

 

[BackOnTheTrain]

Notice I said 'white stick, guide dog etc' and not just white stick or guide dog, the point is at least they're easy to identify so that they can be given assistance.

Those are the only two reliable visible clues someone has a vision problem.