Why are bus drivers so mean?

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.

Snickers Man

Bogger77 wrote:

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


I know a few Dublin Bus drivers personally and the amount of cr@p they have to deal with is unreal.

I know quite a few bus passengers as well and the amount of crap they have to deal with is unreal.

How much you can blame the drivers for the crap service that is Dublin Bus is open to argument but what is the resistance to bringing Irish public transport up to the best practices of the 20th century, never mind the 21st? How much are drivers to blame for that?

For example,

1) little or no through ticketing:

Why is your fare based on your route and not your journey? Why can't you jump off a bus on its way into town and use the same ticket to jump on another one heading off to your destination? I ask because I travel from southside to northside in the morning and there is a bus which "in theory" goes from 10 minutes walk from my house to 2 minutes walk from my office.

In practice, it is often late, cancelled, or reassigned to another similar but vitally different route to the one I need. In the meantime, several busses pass me by which would drop me in town at a stop where I could get another bus to my office? I should be able to jump on and off each one on the same ticket like you can do in ANY city in Europe? What is Dublin Bus's problem with this?

2) The No Change policy is an insult to the travelling public.

OK so drivers get mugged occasionally. My little old mum takes her life in her hands going to the shops with money in her purse. This does not justify giving her a police escort everywhere. Nor should the outside chance of being mugged justify such a major inconvenience being imposed on the travelling public by cissy bus drivers.

IF they want to maximise their personal security, then OK. But why not implement it fairly? Why not take the receipt chits they give you when they overcharge you as part payment for the next fare?

Why not make it easier to buy the prepaid tickets that remove the need for cash at all on buses? Why only make them available through 'Official Dublin Bus Agents'? FFS, jumping on a bus should be a simple no-brainer reflex action, not something you have to plan like an Antarctic expedition.

And why is there only ONE f***ing place in the entire city where you can claim your refund?

Why am I whinging? The great Irish public gave up on this shambles years ago and now drives to work, the shops, in fact to everything. Most people don't care that the bus service is crap because they never take it.

Those that have no choice take out their frustrations on the drivers, their first point of contact. Unfair maybe, but if the drivers reacted by pushing their bosses to improve the situation instead of tolerating and justifying such a palbably unfair system, maybe they would get more sympathy.

Mimikyu

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Mimikyu

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shltter

Snickers Man wrote:

I know quite a few bus passengers as well and the amount of crap they have to deal with is unreal.

How much you can blame the drivers for the crap service that is Dublin Bus is open to argument but what is the resistance to bringing Irish public transport up to the best practices of the 20th century, never mind the 21st? How much are drivers to blame for that?

For example,

1) little or no through ticketing:

Why is your fare based on your route and not your journey? Why can't you jump off a bus on its way into town and use the same ticket to jump on another one heading off to your destination? I ask because I travel from southside to northside in the morning and there is a bus which "in theory" goes from 10 minutes walk from my house to 2 minutes walk from my office.

In practice, it is often late, cancelled, or reassigned to another similar but vitally different route to the one I need. In the meantime, several busses pass me by which would drop me in town at a stop where I could get another bus to my office? I should be able to jump on and off each one on the same ticket like you can do in ANY city in Europe? What is Dublin Bus's problem with this? .

well how is that anything to do with the driver but i suggest a travel 90 ticket a 10 pack costs 16 euro and you can get on as many buses as you like for 90 minutes

Snickers Man wrote:

2) The No Change policy is an insult to the travelling public.

OK so drivers get mugged occasionally. My little old mum takes her life in her hands going to the shops with money in her purse. This does not justify giving her a police escort everywhere. Nor should the outside chance of being mugged justify such a major inconvenience being imposed on the travelling public by cissy bus drivers.

IF they want to maximise their personal security, then OK. But why not implement it fairly? Why not take the receipt chits they give you when they overcharge you as part payment for the next fare?

Why not make it easier to buy the prepaid tickets that remove the need for cash at all on buses? Why only make them available through 'Official Dublin Bus Agents'? FFS, jumping on a bus should be a simple no-brainer reflex action, not something you have to plan like an Antarctic expedition.

And why is there only ONE f***ing place in the entire city where you can claim your refund? .

again how has any of that to do with drivers

the exact fare system was introduced because at the time DB had over 100 drivers out of work having being assaulted during a robbery
it was the only way to maintain a service

i suggest you investigate your statement about drivers being sissys further assaults involving robbery involved drivers being beaten stabbed with blood filled syringes hi jacked attacked with a glove with razor blades attached having petrol poured on them and threatened with lighters etc guns iron bars
drivers in hospital with fractured skulls some who were never able to work again. Are you seriously suggesting that drivers should have to put up with that

the implementation of the autofare and sale of prepaid tickets is completely in the hands of management

Snickers Man wrote:

Why am I whinging? The great Irish public gave up on this shambles years ago and now drives to work, the shops, in fact to everything. Most people don't care that the bus service is crap because they never take it.

Those that have no choice take out their frustrations on the drivers, their first point of contact. Unfair maybe, but if the drivers reacted by pushing their bosses to improve the situation instead of tolerating and justifying such a palbably unfair system, maybe they would get more sympathy.

in fact Dublin Bus carry half a million passengers a day


so your suggestion is that employees of the company should force improvements in the service
how would you suggest they do that
the fact is that understandable as it is that people vent there frustration at drivers it is a complete waste of time management in dublin Bus could not give a fiddlers how much abuse people hurl at the average driver hence if you really want action take your complaint to the people who actually have the power to do something about it if you annoy them enough the chances are you will get what you are looking for just so you will leave them alone

GreeBo

Plenty of times bus drivers will open the doors to let people off a coupe of meters before the bus stop, especially if they are stopped in traffic.
Who is to blame when I mow down a disembarking passenger in the middle of my bike lane??
what is supposed to happen when two busses are at the stop at the same time?
Every day at Earlsfort tce the 14's & 15's coincide and the second to arrive usually just sails past without checking for passengers.

shltter

Solitaryman666 wrote:

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again I suggest you get the number of the responsible depot ring them and ask them what happened
keep it in your phone and if it happens again ring them straight away and find out where your bus is.

GreeBo

shltter wrote:

in fact Dublin Bus carry half a million passengers a day

So thats ~250,000 people, accounting for return journeys?
How many people drive/cycle/walk?

Mimikyu

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shltter

GreeBo wrote:

So thats ~250,000 people, accounting for return journeys?
How many people drive/cycle/walk?

whats your point

snickers man said that the

The great Irish public gave up on this shambles years ago and now drives to work, the shops, in fact to everything. Most people don't care that the bus service is crap because they never take it.

now the fact that 500,000 passenger journeys a day on dublin bus alone suggests a significant number of people still rely on public transport


but if you really want to know
http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/vol9_t1_24.pdf

shltter

Solitaryman666 wrote:

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well if you are not going to try there is not much point complaining here

at least they will be able to tell you what the problem was ie
traffic,accident, mechanical, staff , etc

how late it is running if it will operate when it gets to the terminus if the next one will be on time etc

it might not have helped you get to the exam but if you had rang say after the bus had not arrived at 13:50 they would have been able to tell you wether it was on the way you could have rang your mother earlier rather than wasted that 15 minutes


at least if you got an explanation it might make you feel better