Why are bus drivers so mean?

RuggieBear

Just got the No. 7 bus....and experienced the supreme customer service skills of Dublin Bus...

A heap of people got onboard on O'Connoll St. and the driver had just closed the door and hadn't started moving when another man arrived at the bus stop and asked to get on...the driver just drove off.....about 20 yards where he got stopped at a red light....the man ran over and asked to get on again and the driver refused...and then drove off leaving a very pissed off gentleman.

This has happened to me a few times in the past and it was all I could do not to go down to the driver and tell him off... :mad:

Ro: maaan!

Well they ain't allowed to let people on or off anywhere but at the busstop. So I'd agree with not letting him on at the lights. As for when he was still at the stop, you have to draw the line somewhere. People would keep running up to the bus if he kept letting them on. Cutting off anyone who isn't there when the doors close is as good a policy as any. And when you have to make decisions like that all day you tend to just do whatever is easy and works...

RuggieBear

I see what you saying...i still found it annoying and harsh. It's happended to me in the past and it really pisses me off...but that's another story

it's suppossed to be providing a service...it wouldn't have delayed him more than 20 seconds to let the man on....there was nobody else wanting to get on

Ro: maaan!

I agree that sometimes they should let people on like that. Like when there's traffic in front of them and they are at the stop. Basically any time it wouldn't hold anything up. And they do sometimes. But I don't think it's fair to complain about them when they don't. If the person isn't there in time, then there's not a lot they can argue about. Anyway there's usually another along withing 10 - 15 minutes...

RuggieBear

tbh with the 7 it aint so bad (every 15mins) but i used to get the 84 and they are one an hour....and a few times i'd be running for the bus and the driver could see me breaking me arse to get to the stop and i'd be within the road marking of the bus stop and he'd close the doors and drive off... :eek:

enterprise

Bus driver was right to do what he did.

People are not allowed off / on in between bus stops. Plus if you late, you late. Simple as that.

RuggieBear

enterprise wrote:

Bus driver was right to do what he did.

People are not allowed off / on in between bus stops. Plus if you late, you late. Simple as that.

Well whilee i understand the whole in between stops bit....be it for safety/insurance, i do think the drivers should show some basic decency and be less jobsworth about it.

As for not letting someone on at a busstop after they've closed the doors and haven't started moving yet is just mean spirited and not providing a fit service imo. I wouldn't consider that late at all....the bus is stopped at a bus stop and a prospective passenger wants to get on

Larianne

I've witnessed bus drivers not stopping for people running for the bus. By the time the bus would have stopped the person would have been at the stop. They seem to ignore black/foreign people running for the bus but yet stop for pretty Irish girls. I've seen that quiet a lot!!

Also drivers texting while driving!! On busy streets writing a messages and looking up occasionally at the road. :mad: made me mad.

Gurgle

enterprise wrote:

if you late, you late. Simple as that.

Because the bus always arrives at the time indicated.

BuffyBot

Well whilee i understand the whole in between stops bit....be it for safety/insurance, i do think the drivers should show some basic decency and be less jobsworth about it.

But again, where is the cut off - one person, two people? I've been on buses where the driver has repeatedly opened and closed the doors for latecomers - and it's a real pisser when you need to be somewhere

RuggieBear

BuffyBot wrote:

But again, where is the cut off - one person, two people? I've been on buses where the driver has repeatedly opened and closed the doors for latecomers - and it's a real pisser when you need to be somewhere

I see where you are coming from...

tbh when i get the bus i wish the ****er didn't stop till it gets to my stop

Ro: maaan!

RuggieBear wrote:

tbh when i get the bus i wish the ****er didn't stop till it gets to my stop

That's pretty much it. Why should people who have waited for the bus and are now on it have to wait extra time for people who want the bus to wait for them. I personally never run for the bus if it's pulling away or has it's doors closed. If it was an automated service then late comers wouldn't get on. So by asking them to wait isn't really part of the service, rather a bonus if there's time. It's not fair to ask them to go out of their way all the time.

Victor

"Busses run for those who wait. They do not wait for those who run"

RuggieBear wrote:

it's suppossed to be providing a service...it wouldn't have delayed him more than 20 seconds to let the man on....there was nobody else wanting to get on

20 seconds multiplied by how many people?

RuggieBear

Victor wrote:

"Busses run for those who wait. They do not wait for those who run"20 seconds multiplied by how many people?

in this case one

Victor

RuggieBear wrote:

in this case one

No.You are saving time for one person, but costing "A heap of people" time.

A heap of people got onboard on O'Connoll St.

RuggieBear

ok i get you....

Still imo he was at the bus stop on time and should have been allowed on....probably sounding like a broken record now.

non omne licitum honestum

Victor

Oh, maybe they had "history".

RuggieBear

well i suppose that is possible but it didn't look like it...

tbh the driver also sped by the nassau st stop as there was a bus blocking his view of the stop and he didn't bother to slow down to check if there might have been anybody wanting to get on.....i reckon he was just being grumpy.

Mimikyu

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Capt'n Midnight

RuggieBear wrote:

Well whilee i understand the whole in between stops bit....be it for safety/insurance, i do think the drivers should show some basic decency and be less jobsworth about it.

I've been told that when yer man (Hynes?) took over there were some staged firings to shock the staff, little things like the chairman getting on the bus and walking past the driver without paying. Then having an inspector at the next stop. A long time ago but take into account the recent crash on the quays, and lots of non-eu drivers, some drivers might feel that it is a jobs worth issue. Drivers in general are less educated than in the bad old days when someone with several A's in their leaving could end up driving a bus becuse they couldn't afford college and didn't want to emigrate.

Blackjack

I doubt they are looking out the left handside mirrors when pulling away from the bus stops, but at the right hand side mirror for any traffic coming from the rear.
It is a pain in the arse all the same.

RuggieBear

Blackjack wrote:

I doubt they are looking out the left handside mirrors when pulling away from the bus stops, but at the right hand side mirror for any traffic coming from the rear.
It is a pain in the arse all the same.

that is frustrating but understandable if the driver doesn't notice you but many a time i've been coming from the front of the bus....

RuggieBear

Tbh, the worst bus driver i've ever come across was one on a route from Neutral Bay to Wynard (Sydney, NSW). I remember once, standing in a busy bus and having my foot 2inches over the do not stand line at the rear door (didn't even notice and not in the way of the doors at all)....the driver opened and closed the door a few times and nobody knew why he wasn't going anywhere....i then saw him staring at me in the mirror and i eventually realised he wanted me to move my foot....so i literally dragged my foot back the two inches and we went on our way.

Another time, with the same driver, again on a packed bus i was near the door and in order to allow people an easier exit, i got aout of the way and i got off too....he absolutely refused to let me back on the bus... :eek:

eth0_

RuggieBear wrote:

ok i get you....

Still imo he was at the bus stop on time and should have been allowed on....probably sounding like a broken record now.

non omne licitum honestum

No, he was not at the bus stop on time, if he had been at the bus stop ON TIME he would not have found the doors closed and the bus about to pull off!

I get the train to work now, but when I used to get the bus (38 or 37) it drove me f*cking mad how much time was lost by the driver stopping for eejits who can't get out of bed early enough to get to the bus on time!

I have to say I think Dublin Bus have improved quite a lot recently, the 120 service is fantastic!

Victor

RuggieBear wrote:

Another time, with the same driver, again on a packed bus i was near the door and in order to allow people an easier exit, i got aout of the way and i got off too....he absolutely refused to let me back on the bus... :eek:

Why were you blocking the door / aisle?

RuggieBear

lol...i'm a big guy!

Ray777

When a bus driver makes a decision to move off, he looks in his right hand mirror and in the interests of protecting the safety of his passengers, should devote all of his attention towards the pulling-out manoevre, rather than look left for some lazy sod who couldn't be arsed getting to the bus stop in time.

What really annoys me though - and this is quite a common occurance, is the phenomenon of buses departing a minute or three before their official departure time. It happens quite a lot in Dublin, particularly at termini where there are no stance inspectors present.

Mimikyu

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Mimikyu

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Ray777

Did you ask him for his staff number and subsequently send an email to DB? If you didn't, you certainly should have.

:cool:

MrPudding

Ray777 wrote:

Did you ask him for his staff number and subsequently send an email to DB? If you didn't, you certainly should have.

:cool:

I was on a 45 on Thursday. A guy got on and had an issue with a ticket. He had previously gotten on the wrong bus and paid. When he realised he told the driver. The driver stopped and told him to explain to the driver on the correct bus and he would be OK, the ticket would be valid. The driver of the 45, the correct bus, refused to accept the ticket. I am sure this is correct but he was quite rude about it. When the guy asked for his staff number the driver told him he wasn't going to give it to him.

Now, the driver of the 45 was probably correct. The problem I have is 1) he was rude about it & 2) The guy was given incorrect info from the first driver. I had a similar experience when I was new to DB and was told I could transfer tickets from 1 bus to another.

MrP

daymobrew

Larianne wrote:

Also drivers texting while driving!! On busy streets writing a messages and looking up occasionally at the road. :mad: made me mad.

Report this stuff to head office. Provide bus number, reg, time, place etc, ideally in writing.

Ray777 wrote:

What really annoys me though - and this is quite a common occurance, is the phenomenon of buses departing a minute or three before their official departure time. It happens quite a lot in Dublin, particularly at termini where there are no stance inspectors present.

Report this crap too.
According to the Customer Charter

No bus service should leave its terminus ahead of its advertised time (unless for safety or other legitimate reasons).

Ray777

MrPudding wrote:

I was on a 45 on Thursday. A guy got on and had an issue with a ticket. He had previously gotten on the wrong bus and paid. When he realised he told the driver. The driver stopped and told him to explain to the driver on the correct bus and he would be OK, the ticket would be valid. The driver of the 45, the correct bus, refused to accept the ticket. I am sure this is correct but he was quite rude about it. When the guy asked for his staff number the driver told him he wasn't going to give it to him.

Now, the driver of the 45 was probably correct. The problem I have is 1) he was rude about it & 2) The guy was given incorrect info from the first driver. I had a similar experience when I was new to DB and was told I could transfer tickets from 1 bus to another.

MrP

Nine times out of ten, you would be ok in that situation. The 45 is a tough route though (by Donnybrook standards) and is often operated by drivers with a zero-tolerance policy towards customers. The driver of the 'wrong' bus should have given the guy a proper 'transfer ticket'. The driver of the 45 should have given the customer (yes, 'customer'!) the benefit of the doubt. As far as I know, 'common sense' is the official policy in such matters.

Scruff

was coming back from a holiday a while back and was getting on the regular bus from the airport into the city centre and i witnessed the most appalling attitude of a bus driver ever. 2 germans got on and were basically trying to as if the bus went to a certain part of town. The driver basically told them to get the fúck off his bus. I was shocked at the "Céad mile fáilte" they were receiving as soon as they stepped out of the airport. Meant to report him the next day but forgot.

While in general i dont like bus drivers and public transport for various reasons i have to remind myself that if i had to spend 6+ hours a day driving in dublin traffic and had to deal with all maner of people, i too would probably not be the most pleasant of people.

Mimikyu

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shltter

Ray777 wrote:

Did you ask him for his staff number and subsequently send an email to DB? If you didn't, you certainly should have.

:cool:

you dont need anybodies number and it is very unlikely that any driver will give it to you

all you need is the reg number or fleet number of the bus or your ticket or even a time location and description of the driver

shltter

Solitaryman666 wrote:

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TBH

I think you are probably wasting your time

you rang the bell obviously or presumably it was not making any sound in the cab although the light came on
the driver passed your stop but stopped for you when you brought to his attention that you had rang the bell
he obviously had not done this on purpose otherwise he would not have made the remark about ringing the bell or have stopped in between stops to let you off

what exactly do you hope to achieve in your complaint
your complaint is the way he spoke to you but it was not abusive as such it seems to me that it was a misunderstanding brought about by a malfunctioning bell

it happens get over it

Mimikyu

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shltter

well obviously he did not hear it

a complaint about the way someone spoke to you is not going to go far

you said that was my stop he said you should have rang the bell now you may not have liked his tone but the remark itself is not abusive the driver will say it was a request the fact that he stopped when you brought to his attention that you had rang the bell and let you off in between stops suggests in the drivers favour that it was a misunderstanding

all I am telling you is that it is a waste of time the drivers actions however annoying for yourself in your current situation do not seem to have been done deliberately nor could his initial request that you ring the bell be viewed as discourteous or abusive

the 5 minutes late thing may not be the drivers fault i presume you have heard of traffic in fact the fact that the bus was on time today when the reduced traffic at that time now due to secondary schools being on holidays now suggests traffic is the cause of the regular delay

might also explain his better mood

Mimikyu

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Bogger77

Ahh, poor you, gotten spoke aburtly to by the big bad bus driver.

Maybe he'd had to put up with the like of this clickity click .


I know a few Dublin Bus drivers personally and the amount of cr@p they have to deal with is unreal. The ignorance and rudeness of the passengers is hard to believe. And it's not from the area's of Tallafornia/Coolock etc, the rudeness of the passengers from the posh areas. I've been on many of the rougher Northside buses such as 27, 42b and 42C, where people getting on will say Hi to the driver, and a Bye or Thanks or just See ya Bud, while exiting the bus. The Snobs on the other hand treat the driver worse than hired help, looking down on them, not saying thanks when the driver goes out of the way for them.
On the 27 for example, I've seen other passengers berate a person for trying to get on without a ticket, Hardened Skangers helping Old people on, folding a buggy for a mother etc. I traveled for 2 years on the 46a from near Foxrock into An Lar, and to DunLaoghaire, never once can I recall a passenger helping another.

Before ya blame the driver, look around. Did anyone else on the bus, call out to the driver that it was your stop, others surely say you were on crutches ? No, I'm guessing.

I've traveled on all forms of public transport in Ireland, UK, France and Italy, and while you'll meet someone on an off day, I always say Hi when getting on the bus, Say Thanks when getting off, and a quick wave to the Luas or dart driver. And nearly always it's acknowledged. I've worked in jobs where you're dealing with large numbers of people each day, and it's the few ones who say Hi/thanks etc make up for the rude/ignorant/drunk/obnoxious punters.

Just think the next time you get off a bus and say the driver was rude, how did you treat him/her?

RuggieBear

Bogger77 wrote:

Just think the next time you get off a bus and say the driver was rude, how did you treat him/her?

i actually always say "hello" and "thanks"...and tbh most of the time i 'd get a "no worries" back but i've also received my far share of grunts and stoney silences...

but you are right about the lack of even simple greetings and thanks from most passengers. Tbh i'm amazed as when i'm in liverpool, everyone says hello and thanks.

But still....the bus driver should always be courteous and proffessional...i work as a night porter and have ignorant ****s treat me like **** all night but i still have to treat them like kings...if i didn't i'd be sacked. Should be the same in every public facing position.

shltter

Solitaryman666 wrote:

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no you never said that oddly till now

if as your suggesting the bus leaves late every day for no apparent reason and you know it is at the terminus ring harristown and ask them what the story is a 4 'clock everyday if what you say is true it wont be long being sorted

of course you ave a right to complain just telling you you are wasting your time as from what you have said i cant see DB taking any action what so ever
it just seems like a silly misunderstanding

shltter

RuggieBear wrote:

i actually always say "hello" and "thanks"...and tbh most of the time i 'd get a "no worries" back but i've also received my far share of grunts and stoney silences...

but you are right about the lack of even simple greetings and thanks from most passengers. Tbh i'm amazed as when i'm in liverpool, everyone says hello and thanks.

But still....the bus driver should always be courteous and proffessional...i work as a night porter and have ignorant ****s treat me like **** all night but i still have to treat them like kings...if i didn't i'd be sacked. Should be the same in every public facing position.

courteous and proffessional would be not opening the doors once they are closed and definitely not opening the doors at traffic lights or any other junction once the doors have closed the bus has left the stop wether it has actually moved or not

you can not call for all bus drivers to be proffessional and at the same time complain when they are.

the driver you complained about was doing exactly what he was trained to do

Stix

Damn

I was gonna put in my two cents but this says it all. Amen to that. The drivers have strict schedules to stick to so they have to pull out when the doors close, espeicaillt at bust city centre stops.

They cant allow anyone on or off between stops unless ordered to do so my a Garda or in an emergency. Even an superior staff member cannot tell them to do so. It is the drivers vehicle and he calls the shots in accordance with rules and regulations.

Ro: maaan! wrote:

Well they ain't allowed to let people on or off anywhere but at the busstop. So I'd agree with not letting him on at the lights. As for when he was still at the stop, you have to draw the line somewhere. People would keep running up to the bus if he kept letting them on. Cutting off anyone who isn't there when the doors close is as good a policy as any. And when you have to make decisions like that all day you tend to just do whatever is easy and works...

RuggieBear

shltter wrote:

courteous and proffessional would be not opening the doors once they are closed

i disagree....

Bogger77

RuggieBear wrote:

i disagree....

Well, ya see there's the problem.

A bus driver cannot open the doors and allow passengers on/off at places other than designated stops. It's against the regulations, and a driver would be sacked if an accident occured to a passenger exiting/entering a bus at a non designated stop. A professional driver won't do this.

A professional driver won't stop a bus so that a late comer can get on, there by delaying the other passengers. A professional driver shouldn't have to endure the indifferent quality of Bus Lanes in Dublin. A professional driver shouldn't have to deal with the ignorant people who inhabit Dublin and other large cities. A professional driver shouldn't have to endure people throwing bricks at the bus and dropping paint from over bridges. Professional drivers shouldn't have to endure being threatened with dirty syringes, hammers or knives. Professional drivers shouldn't endure being shot at by scum with staple guns. The list goes on.
I know drivers who have experienced all of these. A driver I know was shot by a staple gun 5 weeks ago

shltter

RuggieBear wrote:

i disagree....

based on what your opinion or the training provided to dublin bus drivers

remembering that the incident that you were referring to took place outside Dublin Bus head office if there was anything wrong in what the driver did he would not be long in being told.

What the driver did is exactly what he was trained to do that is acting professionally it may not be what you would like him to do but it is what he is supposed to do.

it is ironic that you complain about a driver behaving as he is supposed to do and a couple of posts later say that drivers should always act professionally

so do you really mean drivers should always do what ruggiebear thinks is right

Kingsize

lets also remember that the first person in Ireland to be convicted for incitement to racial hatred was a dublin bus driver who called a passenger a "Nig Nog"

RuggieBear

Bogger77 wrote:

Well, ya see there's the problem.

A bus driver cannot open the doors and allow passengers on/off at places other than designated stops. It's against the regulations, and a driver would be sacked if an accident occured to a passenger exiting/entering a bus at a non designated stop. A professional driver won't do this. <snip>




Irelevent clap trap.....

more irrelevant clap trap

<snip>

I'm afraid most of that spiel has nothing to do with the topic....and i'm really sorry your friends the bus drivers have had a ****ty time but this bus driver wasn't attacked or suffer any abuse while i was on the bus with him. Maybe all hell broke loose on the 7 after i departed....


I agree about the designated stops thing...it makes sense. I've said as much.

RuggieBear

shltter wrote:

is ironic that you complain about a driver behaving as he is supposed to do and a couple of posts later say that drivers should always act professionally

so do you really mean drivers should always do what ruggiebear thinks is right

what i am saying is that bus drivers should always talk to their customers with respect....solitaryman gives an example of discourteous behaviour to him imo.