Keighley Bus driver holds passengers hostage (9/6/2015)

[Antman]

I'm sorry. You're saying this would justify someone assaulting the driver? Really?

I am obviously talking about someone pushing the driver out of the way, not beating the living daylights out of him and of course some people might be prone to panic attacks in that situation

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I think you can be prosecuted for misuse of the emergency controls, whether anybody ever has been I don't know but they certainly wouldn't have been in this situation
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Ah, so you were obviously there too?

As someone else pointed out, if it was a big issue, how come it hasn't made the press? I'm not expecting Reuters to pick up on it but this cataclysmic episode didn't even make the local news :roll:

 

[Liam]

Indeed a very bizarre statement, given that you could exit if you wished using either the main door release button or the offside emergency exit. The driver would be annoyed, but would be able to do very little about it.

If it was a bus (rather than a coach) just push the doors and they will release.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Correct, he point blank refused to open the doors to allow passengers to catch a different service on a busy bus corridor.

Yes, but why? That's the central bit of information? Perhaps over zealously following a company H&S edict about what do in the case of breakdown?

However, hardly a hostage situation!

 

[Deerfold]

I am obviously talking about someone pushing the driver out of the way, not beating the living daylights out of him and of course some people might be prone to panic attacks in that situation

That wasn't at all obvious but thank you for clarifying.

 

[Antman]

As someone else pointed out, if it was a big issue, how come it hasn't made the press? I'm not expecting Reuters to pick up on it but this cataclysmic episode didn't even make the local news :roll:

It just seems a bit odd to me that the OP makes what seems to be a very reasonable posting and yet so many people are trying to shoot him down in flames

 

[bradders1983]

Yes, but why? That's the central bit of information? Perhaps over zealously following a company H&S edict about what do in the case of breakdown?

However, hardly a hostage situation!

A number of people being held on a bus against their will. What would you call it then?

My friend has made a complaint to the bus company and has left it there, he isnt one to ring The Sun up and sell a story.

 

[Antman]

That wasn't at all obvious but thank you for clarifying.

No problem, maybe I could have worded it a bit better

 

[bradders1983]

What an utterly ridiculous thread title. No doubt the mods will change it, so i'm keeping it for posterity.

Any luck?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A number of people being held on a bus against their will. What would you call it then?

My friend has made a complaint to the bus company and has left it there, he isnt one to ring The Sun up and sell a story.

Not a hostage situation

Your friend doesn't have to ring up the Sun. There's a number of other passengers and a world of social media to allow that story to get out. The lack of interest to at least the local media indicates it wasn't a big deal

 

[bradders1983]

So answer me this then Grand Wazzo - if you were on a bus on your way to work, on a normal road with a bus lane with a pavement next to it (as much of the road between Frizinghall and Bradford city centre is), which had broken down 20 feet (not yards) from a bus stop and the bus driver was refusing to let people off to catch another service, would you just sit there and accept it?

 

[Darandio]

Any luck?

Any luck for what? Or were you expecting me to demand that the moderators change it? Not at all.

However, many, many thread titles randomly get changed these days, it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that this one would given it was, and still is utterly ridiculous.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

So answer me this then Grand Wazzo - if you were on a bus on your way to work, on a normal road with a bus lane with a pavement next to it (as much of the road between Frizinghall and Bradford city centre is), which had broken down 20 feet (not yards) from a bus stop and the bus driver was refusing to let people off to catch another service, would you just sit there and accept it?

Ask a hypothetical question, you'll get a hypothetical answer. What I might do is not the issue.

Was it a hostage situation? No

Was it Hong Kong Phooey? No

Was it or just a driver overly and wrongly applying/interpreting some H&S instruction? - Could be....

 

[MCR247]

So answer me this then Grand Wazzo - if you were on a bus on your way to work, on a normal road with a bus lane with a pavement next to it (as much of the road between Frizinghall and Bradford city centre is), which had broken down 20 feet (not yards) from a bus stop and the bus driver was refusing to let people off to catch another service, would you just sit there and accept it?

Personally, no I wouldn't accept it and I wouldn't be happy about it either. However, once I got to sixth form (not work for me) I'd probably have a rant to my mates about an annoying bus driver not letting us off the bus to catch the First bus that overtook (assuming that was the reason), but I wouldn't go around shouting that I'd been held hostage

 

[Andyh82]

Sounds like an embellished story told second hand that probably didn't happen how it was said. Sounds like a typical story from this current era where the most minor discomfort is made a big deal.

Bus broke down, driver follows policy to tell passengers to remain on board until bus behind appears, then driver ensures passengers get safely from one bus to another.

If the driver had let everyone get off and roam all over the place and there was an accident, the driver would have been in trouble for letting them off not at a proper bus stop.

Another bus from another company wouldn't have stopped to pick anyone up anyway as they passengers wouldn't have been at a bus stop.

 

[90019]

If it was a bus (rather than a coach) just push the doors and they will release.

Not on any of the buses I drive, they won't.

 

[AndyW33]

Not on any of the buses I drive, they won't.

Quite right, as long as the engine is running the doors are held shut with considerable pressure unless the driver's or emergency release controls are used. Otherwise since they open inwards they might blow open in very windy weather on exposed sections of route, as happened to me one or two times with earlier designs of door. The doors can usually keep themselves in the closed position for a day or more if the bus was in normal running condition when the engine was turned off.

 

[Antman]

Sounds like an embellished story told second hand that probably didn't happen how it was said. Sounds like a typical story from this current era where the most minor discomfort is made a big deal.

Bus broke down, driver follows policy to tell passengers to remain on board until bus behind appears, then driver ensures passengers get safely from one bus to another.

If the driver had let everyone get off and roam all over the place and there was an accident, the driver would have been in trouble for letting them off not at a proper bus stop.

Another bus from another company wouldn't have stopped to pick anyone up anyway as they passengers wouldn't have been at a bus stop.

If a bus breaks down passengers are free to do as they wish, some will wait for another bus some will walk, of course the driver wouldn't be in trouble for letting them off, it's a bus not a prison van!

 

[455driver]

If a bus breaks down passengers are free to do as they wish, some will wait for another bus some will walk, of course the driver wouldn't be in trouble for letting them off, it's a bus not a prison van!

You can state that as fact, or is it just your opinion?

 

[Antman]

You can state that as fact, or is it just your opinion?

Surely it's a no brainer, just like if a taxi broke down it's up to the passenger(s) if they want to wait for another taxi or make alternative arrangements

 

[bradders1983]

If the driver had let everyone get off and roam all over the place and there was an accident, the driver would have been in trouble for letting them off not at a proper bus stop.

Yes, people roaming all over the pavement, how dangerous :roll:

Another bus from another company wouldn't have stopped to pick anyone up anyway as they passengers wouldn't have been at a bus stop.

You didnt read the OP correctly. Go back and read it again and note the distance quoted.

 

[TUC]

This does remind me of an incident in Nottingham a few years ago when a bus turning right at a junction found a car parked too close to the junction for the bus to complete the turn. As the company's rules said that buses are not allowed to reverse, the bus stayed there blocking the junction all day until the car driver returned in the evening, even though company staff turned up who could have supervised the reverse.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

This does remind me of an incident in Nottingham a few years ago when a bus turning right at a junction found a car parked too close to the junction for the bus to complete the turn. As the company's rules said that buses are not allowed to reverse, the bus stayed there blocking the junction all day until the car driver returned in the evening, even though company staff turned up who could have supervised the reverse.

Exactly, and as the OP hasn't explained what the reason given was by the driver, we can only speculate but it may be something similar.

It may be that there's an edict in what to do in case of breakdown, not to let passengers wander off. Obviously, there's a common sense aspect, and if this was the case, then the driver didn't apply that level of discretion.

However, this story still has failed to grab the attention of the national or local media so I think we can draw conclusions about the seriousness of it.

 

[TUC]

Exactly, and as the OP hasn't explained what the reason given was by the driver, we can only speculate but it may be something similar.

It may be that there's an edict in what to do in case of breakdown, not to let passengers wander off. Obviously, there's a common sense aspect, and if this was the case, then the driver didn't apply that level of discretion.

However, this story still has failed to grab the attention of the national or local media so I think we can draw conclusions about the seriousness of it.

My point with the Nottingham incident was that there was a lack of common sense there too . I can understand the driver notvwanting to reverse solo, but the absence of anyone else from NCT authorising and supervising the reverse demonstrated a lack of common sense.

I do think that some bus drivers seem to demonstrate both an exaggerated sense of their legal powers toward passengers and a lacknof basic underdtanding of passenger needs. When I lived in Teesside it was a common ocv2urance in Stockton High Street (for which a nummber of services have two stops at either end of the street) for the driver to get off without warning at the first stop, either to smoke or for other reasons, leaving passengersconly wanting to get to the second stop shutvin the bus for five minutes or more. Unsurprisingly some passengers would get fed up waitiing snd open the doors to walk down the street themselves, only to be told off by the driver if he saw them. My reaction was, whst do you expect. You didn't advise that you were getting off for five minutes and the passengers aren't prisoners.

 

[Kuyoyo]

I do think that some bus drivers seem to demonstrate both an exaggerated sense of their legal powers toward passengers and a lacknof basic underdtanding of passenger needs. When I lived in Teesside it was a common ocv2urance in Stockton High Street (for which a nummber of services have two stops at either end of the street) for the driver to get off without warning at the first stop, either to smoke or for other reasons, leaving passengersconly wanting to get to the second stop shutvin the bus for five minutes or more. Unsurprisingly some passengers would get fed up waitiing snd open the doors to walk down the street themselves, only to be told off by the driver if he saw them. My reaction was, whst do you expect. You didn't advise that you were getting off for five minutes and the passengers aren't prisoners.

Sorry, but I have to take issue with your comments. I also live in the Stockton area and I have never seen any drivers get off a bus in service for a smoke and close the door regardless of whether there are passengers on board or not. And normally, if the driver gets off for a smoke, it's usually on something passing across the high street and they have sit time (Stagecoach's 36/37/38 for example, have 5 minutes time officially between their departure from each end of the high street in both directions during the day). Journeys that terminate in Stockton, drivers normally have their smoke at either the terminating stop in the case of Stagecoach (outside their break room/travel office) or at their commencing stop in the case of Arriva (as all their terminated services finish at the Northern end)

 

[Wolfie]

This does remind me of an incident in Nottingham a few years ago when a bus turning right at a junction found a car parked too close to the junction for the bus to complete the turn. As the company's rules said that buses are not allowed to reverse, the bus stayed there blocking the junction all day until the car driver returned in the evening, even though company staff turned up who could have supervised the reverse.

Had the police turned up and instructed that bus driver to remove the obstruction he was creating do you think for one moment that "company's rules" would have prevented magistrates imposing a fine and points on said bus driver had he failed to do so?

 

[jonty14]

It just seems a bit odd to me that the OP makes what seems to be a very reasonable posting and yet so many people are trying to shoots him down in flames

Agree with you there. No matter what you write someone will try and have a go at you. It puts people off asking questions or adding discussions because you know you are going to be slagged off.

 

[Antman]

Had the police turned up and instructed that bus driver to remove the obstruction he was creating do you think for one moment that "company's rules" would have prevented magistrates imposing a fine and points on said bus driver had he failed to do so?

Were they actually company rules or just rules that the driver has invented?
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Agree with you there. No matter what you write someone will try and have a go at you. It puts people off asking questions or adding discussions because you know you are going to be slagged off.

Exactly, this thread being a perfect example.

Seems that we are to now assume that anything posted on here must be untrue unless a link to a local or national newspaper report can be provided.
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My point with the Nottingham incident was that there was a lack of common sense there too . I can understand the driver notvwanting to reverse solo, but the absence of anyone else from NCT authorising and supervising the reverse demonstrated a lack of common sense.

I do think that some bus drivers seem to demonstrate both an exaggerated sense of their legal powers toward passengers and a lacknof basic underdtanding of passenger needs. When I lived in Teesside it was a common ocv2urance in Stockton High Street (for which a nummber of services have two stops at either end of the street) for the driver to get off without warning at the first stop, either to smoke or for other reasons, leaving passengersconly wanting to get to the second stop shutvin the bus for five minutes or more. Unsurprisingly some passengers would get fed up waitiing snd open the doors to walk down the street themselves, only to be told off by the driver if he saw them. My reaction was, whst do you expect. You didn't advise that you were getting off for five minutes and the passengers aren't prisoners.

Certainly during my time on the buses I came across quite a few drivers that fit that description, many would have their own set of 'rules' about what was and wasn't allowed on 'their bus'!

 

[MCR247]

This does remind me of an incident in Nottingham a few years ago when a bus turning right at a junction found a car parked too close to the junction for the bus to complete the turn. As the company's rules said that buses are not allowed to reverse, the bus stayed there blocking the junction all day until the car driver returned in the evening, even though company staff turned up who could have supervised the reverse.

I'm intrigued by this, have you got any more information?

Were they actually company rules or just rules that the driver has invented?

In all honesty I'm not sure as I've been and seen on plenty of NCT buses that have reversed (with and without passengers). Of course its possible that they weren't following those rules but it does seem like an illogical rule

 

[Tom B]

Last year I was on a bus which was stuck in traffic as a RTA had occurred in front and it was obvious it wasn't going to clear soon. The driver adopted the same attitude, that he was not going to allow anybody to get off as it wasn't an official bus stop. "And what if we sit here for 2 hours waiting for the mess to be cleared up?" said someone - "Then you sit here for 2 hours and I get to sit here getting paid". Needless to say the emergency buttons were quickly pressed.