Bastid Bus Driver

Zapp Brannigan · 03-12-2007 10:20PM #1

So I get off the train from Maynooth today and see that the 39 is pulling in at the bus stop. I leg it to the bus stop and see the bus begin to pull away, fortunately for me there's traffic so the bus has to stop around 2 feet from the bus stop. So I get up to the bus and gesture to the driver to ask if he'll let me on, the feckin bastid ignores me, so I tap on the door and he just points back to the bus stop! I mean the bus is stuck in traffic and he's not going anywhere until the train from town comes in anyways, so why the fuck wouldn't he let me on!?

So now I'm running to the next bus stop, which fortunately I reach before the bus gets there (it's a close call though). I get on and proceed to give the driver my best harsh/cold stare.

Seriously, how miserable of a person must he be, to not let me on 2 feet away from the bus stop?

humbert · 03-12-2007 10:22PM

Getting to be a wanker to you probably made his day.

MagicMarker · 03-12-2007 10:25PM

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

So I get off the train from Maynooth today and see that the 39 is pulling in at the bus stop. I leg it to the bus stop and see the bus begin to pull away, fortunately for me there's traffic so the bus has to stop around 2 feet from the bus stop. So I get up to the bus and gesture to the driver to ask if he'll let me on, the feckin bastid ignores me, so I tap on the door and he just points back to the bus stop! I mean the bus is stuck in traffic and he's not going anywhere until the train from town comes in anyways, so why the fuck wouldn't he let me on!?

So now I'm running to the next bus stop, which fortunately I reach before the bus gets there (it's a close call though). I get on and proceed to give the driver my best harsh/cold stare.

Seriously, how miserable of a person must he be, to not let me on 2 feet away from the bus stop?

Why didn't you say anything to him when you got on the bus instead of telling us?

mikemac · 03-12-2007 10:26PM

The only muppet here was you

If he let you on and you got injured and it turned out that it was not at an offical busstop, the driver would have been sacked.
And I doubt you'd have been slow to sue the bus company if some compo culture solicitor showed how much you could get.

Busstops are there for a reason and drivers are under instruction not to let on or let off passengers.
For many reasons but one of them is many cyclists and motorbike couriers undertake buses.
If you hop on or off and get knocked down then you get compo and the driver gets sacked!

So tell me OP, are you willing to pay the wages of an unemployed "miserable" bus driver?
Btw, feel free to ring your local depot and ask an inspector any of this.

Sure some drivers let people on or off but they are taking a risk doing it

Zapp Brannigan · 03-12-2007 10:27PM

Cos I didn't wanna get kicked off the bus for mouthing off to the bus driver.

micmlo: There was nothing coming either way on the road. So there wasn't a chance of me getting injured.

kittenkiller · 03-12-2007 10:27PM

There are but a few perks to driving a bus for a living.
And I guess that'd be one!

Harsh though!

OPENROAD · 03-12-2007 10:28PM

I really really really hate that Dublin bus advert.

Rhyme · 03-12-2007 10:33PM

Same thing happens with the 17a from Howth Junction station, driver just makes some vague hand gesture perhaps to tell me "What can i do, i'm just the driver."

Pretty annoying.

(I take the back entrance from the station now and haven't missed a bus yet.)

Karoma · 03-12-2007 10:34PM

It discourages people running for the bus in future and running in front of traffic. They may be in bigger trouble if you get injured boarding the bus when not at a stop -why should the driver risk his job because you didn't run fast enough?

"There are no exceptions to the rule that everyone thinks they're an exception to the rules." - Banksy

OPENROAD · 03-12-2007 10:37PM

ah you couldn't beat the old Routemaster in London, hop on and hop off.

Wishbone Ash · 03-12-2007 10:37PM

I see the OP didn't place this in Commuting and Transport!

Afraid of being ripped to shreds?

TheVan · 03-12-2007 10:43PM

Eh I ran from O'Connell Bridge onto D'Olier St to catch a 46A one time, he pulled out and wouldn't let me on.......

...so i RAN to the next stop.....on NASSAU ST!!!!! (traffic was terrible)

....and he didn't let me on! The cnut ignored me and drove past the stop!!!!

I hates them

Huggles · 03-12-2007 10:46PM

Happened to me too.

They seem to have a new policy since the Bus crash last year

Wishbone Ash · 03-12-2007 10:55PM

TheVan wrote: »

Eh I ran from O'Connell Bridge onto D'Olier St to catch a 46A one time, he pulled out and wouldn't let me on.......

...so i RAN to the next stop.....on NASSAU ST!!!!! (traffic was terrible)

....and he didn't let me on! The cnut ignored me and drove past the stop!!!!

I hates them

Perhaps he was thinking of that old bus driver's motto - "Never stop for a runner, they're always trouble"

PS - I don't think the 46A stops on D'Olier Street. You should have went to Fleet street!

thebman · 03-12-2007 10:56PM

Its not a new policy. Its been like this for years! A lot of drivers just do it anyway because they are sounder than people think.

The fact that you got someone that is doing his job to the letter does not make him a bastid.

Victor · 03-12-2007 10:59PM

Buses run for those that wait. They don't wait for those that run.

Wishbone Ash · 03-12-2007 11:03PM

brim4brim wrote: »

A lot of drivers just do it anyway because they are sounder than people think

.....and if the runner gets killed the sound driver will suddenly be deemed to be very unsound!

flogen · 03-12-2007 11:03PM

It's easy to vent your anger at the driver but he's not obliged to let anyone on at anywhere other than an official stop - in fact he's ordered not to do so.

So in future, rather than give out about the driver that only does what he's supposed to be thankful for the driver that does the nice thing and lets you on (something that could cost him his job).

After all, you could have been working for Dublin Bus undercover - in that case it wouldn't matter if he'd compromised anyone's safety, no more than it would if he was caught speeding or breaking the lights.

cazzy · 03-12-2007 11:03PM

I was at a Dublin Bus focus group once and apparently the drivers have been told to be strict to only let people on at official bus stops when bus is at a full stop. Driver prob had no chioce. He could be in trouble if he was reported.

If anything did happen - like u slipped getting on - he would be in big trouble as he would have to do out a full incident report. They take those things pretty serious especially after that big accident on the Quays a few years ago when 4 or 5 people died. Something simple can turn into something big so easily so Dubin Bus want to make sure they are 100% covered by following their rules and charter.

It is very annoying though when you miss the bus like that !

GhostInTheRuins · 03-12-2007 11:03PM

Fun fact of the day: Bus drivers get off by watching people run for buses and by leaving them behind. Especially if it's raining.

Reku · 03-12-2007 11:03PM

Sorry to hear it Zapp, not so much that you had a bad experience but rather that no-one ever bothered to tell you that unless you're a moderately (or better) attractive young lady you're wasting your time even looking at a bus that's about to pull off or has pulled off but halted again no distance from the actual stop. Oh well... you know now.;)

DonJose · 03-12-2007 11:07PM

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I see the OP didn't place this in Commuting and Transport!

Afraid of being ripped to shreds?

Is that where all the scummy bus drivers hang out?

Danbo! · 03-12-2007 11:11PM

2 feet from the stop is a bit harsh, but if he's pulled away from the kerb enough to allow a bike thru theres no chance. the road might look clear bothways but a cyclist or motorbike could undertake to avoid something on the outside... also if he opens the door, i know, i know, youll be careful and hop on quick, but how does he know?

commuting and transport forum me thinks. and if your brave stick it in the cycling forum too

MizzLolly · 03-12-2007 11:42PM

farohar wrote: »

Sorry to hear it Zapp, not so much that you had a bad experience but rather that no-one ever bothered to tell you that unless you're a moderately (or better) attractive young lady you're wasting your time even looking at a bus that's about to pull off

Uh oh.... when they pull away from a young lady does that mean you're ugly??? :eek:

Hehehe... Ah no Zapp, I agree, I've seen it happen before. Of course if it's a dangerous situation then they are perfectly entitled to keep driving but I've seen them literally shut the doors and just drive away despite the fact there were ppl tapping the windows. Luckily, it's never happened to me.. touch wood!

TheVan · 03-12-2007 11:47PM

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Perhaps he was thinking of that old bus driver's motto - "Never stop for a runner, they're always trouble"

PS - I don't think the 46A stops on D'Olier Street. You should have went to Fleet street!

Hmmm...good point....must have been a 10 then....or some such bus out that direction! It was 3 years ago! I can't remember these insignificant yet crucial details!

congo_90 · 03-12-2007 11:57PM

micmclo wrote: »

The only muppet here was you

If he let you on and you got injured and it turned out that it was not at an offical busstop, the driver would have been sacked.
And I doubt you'd have been slow to sue the bus company if some compo culture solicitor showed how much you could get.

Busstops are there for a reason and drivers are under instruction not to let on or let off passengers.
For many reasons but one of them is many cyclists and motorbike couriers undertake buses.
If you hop on or off and get knocked down then you get compo and the driver gets sacked!

So tell me OP, are you willing to pay the wages of an unemployed "miserable" bus driver?
Btw, feel free to ring your local depot and ask an inspector any of this.

Sure some drivers let people on or off but they are taking a risk doing it

Ah come on now if he was only two feet or so from the stop then the bus (at least part of it) would be at the stop. So technically the driver could allow him on. Dont go saying the because the door of the bus isn't at the stop he couldn't be allowed on. If this is the case then getting off would be hard work from how many times the bus would be half its length in front of the stop. What about the 39/70 bus stop outside Ulster bank opposite trinity? I think its college green or something.

I was at this stop after running from Henry st. The stop is right in front of the lights and the bus had jus pulled out. Maybe 5 feet from the doors to the stop. He wouldn't let me on. It was the last 70 so I and the gf had to run all the way up to the stop near christ church. The driver had an awful smirk on his face.

Binomate · 04-12-2007 12:08AM

The bus diver can't let people on or off unless it's at a bus stop. That's policy. If he had have let you on he may have been fired. But your convenience is a lot more important than that man's job security because you're so great and important. In fact, I really don't know why they don't have an express bus service just for you...

Edit: someone said it before me

TJJP · 04-12-2007 12:14AM

noblestee wrote: »

2 feet from the stop is a bit harsh, but if he's pulled away from the kerb enough to allow a bike thru theres no chance. the road might look clear bothways but a cyclist or motorbike could undertake to avoid something on the outside... also if he opens the door, i know, i know, youll be careful and hop on quick, but how does he know?

Fair point there, I guess. Hop-on hop-off used to be the case ten years ago, you could pretty much get dropped off anywhere on the route. Since the ambulance chaser brigade got involved that has all came to an end.

Most days I'd be happy enough if my bus stopped within two feet of the stop. There is still a bit of flexibility in the system, but it one rule for them and one for you it seems. )-:

04-12-2007 12:19AM

I agree that they shouldn't do it all the time, however there's one stop on Abbey St. beside the Irish life mall (for the 41's and the 33's) where the route starts and there's a specific little kind of in-let that isn't part of the main road (i'm terrible at describing this) for the busses to pull in so that they are not blocking traffic coming from O'Connell st and heading towards Busáras.

On a number of occasions I've walked up to a bus that is still 100% in this area, not having moved from the stop (save to turn the wheel to the right and put the indicator on) with the doors closed and traffic backed up from the lights there to almost the Abbey theatre and been refused entry. There is absolutely no way a cyclist is gonna come up Abbey St., swerve into the left between the bus & path and then swerve back out to the right and into traffic.

Once, a driver of a 33 had to back up the bus so that he could exit the terminus properly, after he wouldn't let me and a few others on.

When I've complained before, I was told that 'twas the drivers' word against mine and that next time I should get everybody else who was at the stop to complain and they'd do something about it.

Naos · 04-12-2007 01:59AM

A bus drive told me the other week: "There are two things we can get fired for, the first is letting people on/off at unofficial pickup/dropoff points. And the second is for accepting money from the public".

Two feet is annoying, but as mentioned, undertaking & possible accident would mean this bus driver is out of a job, why should he put his family in that predicament?

Tha Gopher · 04-12-2007 04:59AM

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Cos I didn't wanna get kicked off the bus for mouthing off to the bus driver.

micmlo: There was nothing coming either way on the road. So there wasn't a chance of me getting injured.

If you tripped over your lace and fell on your head at a bus stop, its your fault. If it happened at an unofficial pick up/drop off the driver is in sh1te if you make a claim. Traffic is irrelevant. The oul one works in insurance, and believe me the t and c are VERY precise in terms of conditions of cover (she only works at the low level, but all the times sees claims denied for reasons like "your bedroom was unlocked when the burglary happened". Which, if the claimant would know had he read page 14 section II part vi of the t and c entirely, is pat of the agreement. Always read the conditions properly). The fact the burglary victim has paid £300 a year to the firm over the last decade doesnt hold much sawy when he tries to claim £200 worth of stolen goods back. And if the bus company has to pay out of its own pocket after an injury that happened because the driver didnt stick to the insurance rues. he is out the door.

Bastid Bus Driver

Comments