Has anyone here ever got the wrong bus then had something bad happen?

[ejstubbs]

Simple carelessness. I once boarded a 44 to Balerno instead of a 4 to Hillend simply because I didn't check the destination displayed on the front of the bus properly. Can't remember exactly but I think I saw a "4" and piled on. Luckily I realised my error while we were still on the common part of the route so I was able to jump off and wait for a 4.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

If the correct destination is displayed on the front I don’t understand how you can get on the wrong bus?

Because common sense ain't that common! It used to be that (before rear and side displays) that people would not check (as it was at the "usual" stop/stand) and flash their pass/ticket and get on. Naturally there's always the potential for an error on the part of the operator or the individual.

About 20+ years and unfamiliar with the area, I had a WM Daysaver and was looking to head back to Birmingham on the 79 Wednesbury - West Brom - Birmingham service. I was in West Brom and saw "79 Birmingham" and knew that was what I was after and so got on and showed my ticket. I had no idea that the driver had failed to change the desti blind in Birmingham so I was unknowingly on a Wednesbury bound journey!! I thought the long stop at Wednesbury seemed odd but still didn't click until we began to head into the outskirts of West Brom and I began to recognise places I'd seen about 45 mins earlier. However, this was a late afternoon journey and the driver/bus was finished and so we began veering off towards the depot rather than to the bus station! At which point, I came downstairs and after a quick chat with the driver, all became clear.

 

[d9009alycidon]

On my first visit to Berlin I flew into Schoenefeld Airport and I was told to get to the city I had to get a bus from outside the airport, what I was not told was just to get the bus for the short distance to the railway station (literally two minutes away) and get the train from there to the Hauptbahnhof (which was where I was going to catch a train to Dresden), instead I stayed on the bus and after what appeared to be hours the bus stopped in some nondescript suburb. I got off and resorted to hailing a cab to take me to the station which cost my company a pretty penny - thank goodness I was on expenses and had a sympathetic manager

 

[southernyoshi]

If the correct destination is displayed on the front I don’t understand how you can get on the wrong bus?

In my case, utter stupidity - I just saw ‘265’ & thought ‘oh, that’s my bus’. It was a fair time ago, I’m more careful now

 

[PeterC]

As boys on Red Rovers my cousin and I wanted to go between Limehouse and Poplar for some reason and took the route that went all the way round the Isle of Dogs rather than the direct route. We were home late but it was a fascinating ride back in the 60s.

I only recall doing it once when I was in Aylesbury bus station which has "sawtooth" bays. I jumped on a bus that was about to depart and was branded for the 500 without walking round to the front to look at the blind. I ended up paying a train fare from Leighton Buzzard.

One of the regular drivers on the route to my village did once tell of a passenger who was insistent that it must be her bus home as the outbound service also had a black female driver. Not only was the route number different but so was the livery as her route was run by a different company.

 

[atraindriver]

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[harvestmoon]

For my birthday we went to catch a bus in France to Deauville (millionaire's playground - seaside resort), we waited a long time for the bus but when we got on the bus the drive said 'non'! It was the right bus, we'd been sold the wrong ticket, we did manage to get a refund.

So we tried again a few days later and spent the day in Deauville. Then on the way back we caught the wrong bus, the driver dropped us at the next stop and we had to walk a mile or so back. It was only when we walked back that we realised that we hadn't spent the day in Deauville at all but in Trouville (the other side of the river - Deauville's poor relative!).

We had a quick look round Deauville (as it was getting late and we needed to catch the last bus) which was very glamorous, but really pleased that we spent the day in the much more humble Trouville

 

[Cambus731]

Back in May 1993, during the dying days of Spoons on the mule, I had a bit of a close shave in that I was bashing Wilts & Dorset Bristol VRs with the intention of getting the train about 6pm back to London. But at the old Amesbury bus station I got on what turned out to be the wrong bus and found myself heading out to Pewsey. I had to make a decision whether to stay on to Pewsey and see what time the next train to London would be, or leap at Netheravon for the next bus back to Salisbury. as I knew what time it would be as I had on my person plenty of bus timetables but I didn't have train times from Pewsey. I chose the latter, and so was treated to my first ever ride on an Optare MetroRider back to Salisbury. And so caught the train at about 8pm back to London. ( and managed to get some nice photos of a Class 47 kicking out lots of exhaust) Later when checked the evening train times from Pewsey, it turned out that if I had stayed on, I would have got there after the last train to London had left. I had no idea that Pewsey had such a poor train service at the time

 

[175mph]

Back in May 1993, during the dying days of Spoons on the mule, I had a bit of a close shave in that I was bashing Wilts & Dorset Bristol VRs with the intention of getting the train about 6pm back to London. But at the old Amesbury bus station I got on what turned out to be the wrong bus and found myself heading out to Pewsey. I had to make a decision whether to stay on to Pewsey and see what time the next train to London woukd be, or leap at Netheravon for the next bus back to Salisbury. as I knew whatvtime it would be as I had on my person plenty of bus timetables but I didnt have train times from Pewsey. I chose the latter, and so was treated to my first ever ride on an Optare Solo back to Salisbury. And so caught the train at about 8pm back to London. ( and managed to get some nice photos of a Class 47 kicking out lots of exhaust) Later when checked the evening train times from Pewsey, it turned out that if I had stayed on, I would have got there after the last train to London had left. I had no idea that Pewsey had such a poor train servive at the time

But Optare Solos didn't exist until 1997 according to Wikipedia.

 

[Cambus731]

Doh!!!
it was of course an Optare MetroRider. LOL

 

[Mwanesh]

When i lived in Stevenage the Lister hospital stop .The 301 and 101/100 share the same stop towards town.This lady lived in Luton so she walks into the 301 torwads despite me telling her it was thr wrong bus she gave me a mouthful and tiok her seat. After we went past Welwyn she comes around and says driver where are we going i said Hemel Hempstead.

 

[Martin2012]

About 7 years ago I was on a National Express journey between Manchester Airport and Sheffield. Between Manchester Central and Sheffield a passenger came to the front and asked when we were getting to the airport.

"You're on the wrong coach mate!" was the response.

Turned out an NX staff member in Manchester was at fault for not checking the passengers' ticket so NX seemingly ended up having to meet the costs of a new flight and overnight accomodation.