Saying thank you to bus drivers

[Techniquest]

as does getting on and saying "morning"

I usually do that, or of course whatever greeting is relevant to the time of day. Failing that, a simple "Hiya" is said.

I've never looked for any reaction when doing so in London, but it wouldn't surprise me if it got an incredulous look. Which seems daft really, after all drivers are human too!

 

[Deerfold]

I usually give a "cheers" or "thanks". If the person in front of me has said one of them, I'll say the other

 

[trentside]

I always make an effort to be nice to the bus driver when they're polite (they don't have to be friendly, just basic manners are fine!). If they don't have the courtesy to thank me for handing over my money, they don't get a thanks when I get off the bus.

 

[317666]

Depends if my bus is on time, which in Cambridge is a very rare thing.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Martinsh makes a good point, trying communicate anything from a thankyou to an enquirie about a stop is not the same now, thanks to the large number of foregn drivers. Many are fine but there are some who have no language skills at all and as a visually impaired passenger I often rely on drivers shouting me at my stop which in some cases is not done by the newer foregn drivers due to language skills and in some cases lack of route knoledge. Even known a few cases where drivers strayed off there routes due to inabilitty to read maps and signage. As a result of my disabilitty I work v hard to be extra nice to drivers and other transport staff as often have to ask them favours so even if i'm dropped off very late in the wrong place by a rood driver a thankyou is always worth the effort. All but a few busses in edinburgh are now 1 door opperations. Should point out i have no objection to foreigners but was mearly highlighting the challenges presented by the transport industries diverse workforce.

 

[bb21]

Driver's response seems to vary by depot too. Down here Arriva drivers coming in from Coalville depot seem nice enough and respond most of the time if you thank them. Then you get the the Wigston garage where drivers still acknowledge more often than not. Then you have the largest one - Thurmaston depot, whose drivers now incorporate the ones from the now-closed Southgates depot - infamous for skiving journeys and leaving waiting passengers behind, and don't respond much when thanked.

First drivers aren't much better either. Neither companies compare remotely to the likes of Trentbarton, Yellowbuses and (i won't be very popular for saying this) many Stagecoach subsidiaries.

 

[Blindtraveler]

have no bother with stagecoach personally or megabus for that matter

 

[Whistler40145]

I find it is absolute bad manners of some passengers who don't say thank you or don't/won't stand up for older passengers & why is it necessary to be having a conversation on a mobile when the Driver asks where you are going, surely it isn't that important? Are they on another planet or just ignorant?

Also, you have those who sit at an angle & don't move when you try & sit down & teenagers that sit with their back against the window with feet on the seats.

Sorry if I sound like Victor Meldrew!

 

[bb21]

I find it is absolute bad manners of some passengers who don't say thank you or don't/won't stand up for older passengers & why is it necessary to be having a conversation on a mobile when the Driver asks where you are going, surely it isn't that important? Are they on another planet or just ignorant?

Also, you have those who sit at an angle & don't move when you try & sit down & teenagers that sit with their back against the window with feet on the seats.

Sorry if I sound like Victor Meldrew!

1. People who ring the bell more than once. (Yes the sign is illuminated. Ye don't need to let the whole world know.)
2. People who try to pay a £1.40 fare 7.30am in the morning with a £20 note. (Do yer homework and get yer change ready beforehand.)
3. The second person who tries to pay a £1.40 fare 7.30am in the morning with a £20 note. (How much float d'yous think the driver carries?)
4. People who fumble for their wallet / purse after getting on the bus. (Well what have ye been doing for the last 5 minutes while waiting?)
5. People who don't pay attention to the road and ring the bell 2 yards before reaching a bus stop, causing the driver to brake suddenly and everyone's shopping to scatter all over the floor. (Wakey wakey!)
6. People who hail the bus and ask the driver if the bus goes to the city centre when the front and side LED-destination display both show in CAPITAL letters "CITY CENTRE". (Use ye eyes ffs.)
7. People who chat away loudly about their husbands. (No one is interested darling.)
8. People who won't fold their prams for a wheelchair user. (Get off yer fat / lazy arse and show some consideration.)
9. People who still try squeeze onto a bus already with three prams loaded and refuse to fold it. (Wait for the next one. Geez!)
10. Noisy teenagers. (Well who likes them anyway. See enough of them everyday.)
11. Man I'm a grumpy old git!

 

[mumrar]

I don't understand why it's bad manners not to say thank you to the driver. He's has just performed his job. Nobody get's off my train and says thank you to the driver, or the guard.

On another note I seriously want to do damage to the complete buffoons who clap when a plane lands. It's patronising if anything.

 

[SS4]

1. People who ring the bell more than once. (Yes the sign is illuminated. Ye don't need to let the whole world know.)
2. People who try to pay a £1.40 fare 7.30am in the morning with a £20 note. (Do yer homework and get yer change ready beforehand.)
3. The second person who tries to pay a £1.40 fare 7.30am in the morning with a £20 note. (How much float d'yous think the driver carries?)
4. People who fumble for their wallet / purse after getting on the bus. (Well what have ye been doing for the last 5 minutes while waiting?)
5. People who don't pay attention to the road and ring the bell 2 yards before reaching a bus stop, causing the driver to brake suddenly and everyone's shopping to scatter all over the floor. (Wakey wakey!)
6. People who hail the bus and ask the driver if the bus goes to the city centre when the front and side LED-destination display both show in CAPITAL letters "CITY CENTRE". (Use ye eyes ffs.)
7. People who chat away loudly about their husbands. (No one is interested darling.)
8. People who won't fold their prams for a wheelchair user. (Get off yer fat / lazy arse and show some consideration.)
9. People who still try squeeze onto a bus already with three prams loaded and refuse to fold it. (Wait for the next one. Geez!)
10. Noisy teenagers. (Well who likes them anyway. See enough of them everyday.)
11. Man I'm a grumpy old git!

7a. People who give out their bank pin, mother's maiden name and other sensitive details loudly over the phone (the economic variant of Darwin Awards)
7b. People who chat about high brow topics while looking scruffy (you're fooling nobody)
12. People clearly over 16 arguing for far too long with the driver that they are children (pay up you cheap git, we have places to be)
13. People who believe the bus should wait for them to catch up (be on time!)
14. Personal music on a bus level (esp chavs)
15. Aisle blockages (there is plenty of space under your seat, expect your goods to receive a kicking if they're in the aisle)
16. Short people sitting in the seat with more leg room (At 6'1" I usually end up kneeing myself in the chin or sitting at an angle of pi/6)
17. People who ask when the next bus is (there is a timetable half a metre to my left, all I'm going to do is use it anyway)

 

[Mojo]

6. People who hail the bus and ask the driver if the bus goes to the city centre when the front and side LED-destination display both show in CAPITAL letters "CITY CENTRE". (Use ye eyes ffs.)

Use of capital letters on destination displays and screens contradicts disability discrimination best practice; maybe they're making a point

 

[90019]

I find it is absolute bad manners of some passengers who don't say thank you or don't/won't stand up for older passengers

One thing that really irritates me is people who assume that because you're younger than them, you must be perfectly fit and able to comfortably stand for long periods of time.

 

[strange6]

Martinsh makes a good point, trying communicate anything from a thankyou to an enquirie about a stop is not the same now, thanks to the large number of foregn drivers. Many are fine but there are some who have no language skills at all and as a visually impaired passenger I often rely on drivers shouting me at my stop which in some cases is not done by the newer foregn drivers due to language skills and in some cases lack of route knoledge. Even known a few cases where drivers strayed off there routes due to inabilitty to read maps and signage. As a result of my disabilitty I work v hard to be extra nice to drivers and other transport staff as often have to ask them favours so even if i'm dropped off very late in the wrong place by a rood driver a thankyou is always worth the effort. All but a few busses in edinburgh are now 1 door opperations. Should point out i have no objection to foreigners but was mearly highlighting the challenges presented by the transport industries diverse workforce.

It makes you slightly concerned if you have encountered a few foreign drivers with no language skills because they'll probably be lacking in reading skills too and that's not good for a bus driver in my opinion

 

[transportphoto]

One thing that really irritates me is people who assume that because you're younger than them, you must be perfectly fit and able to comfortably stand for long periods of time.

One thing that irritates me is when people expect us teenagers to give up our seat to the able bodied people who get on a standing room only (SRO) bus expecting to kick one of us out our seat.

Especially when they get to a point of trying to push us off (physically) - my text book answer is 'if you touch me again, I'll do you for assault'

If I want to give up my seat to a less able'd person I will offer it them, however not to a 40 year old who has just ran down the side of the bus to catch it before it goes! I neither would get on a SRO bus and expect someone to give me their seat.

Back on topic

I always say thankyou to a bus driver even when they have (what I would class as) dodgy driving... I often use other tricks though. Like sitting on the upper deck and only move to alight once the bus has stopped (works especially if you are last pax of a bus which is going OOS!).

 

[bb21]

If I want to give up my seat to a less able'd person I will offer it them, however not to a 40 year old who has just ran down the side of the bus to catch it before it goes! I neither would get on a SRO bus and expect someone to give me their seat.

40? Tell them to come back when they start collecting their pensions.

 

[Seacook]

7c. People who hold a conversation with someone four seats away (sit together if you are going to talk and you won't need to SHOUT).
15a. People who insist on standing at the front of the bus even when there are seats (there is only one door - you are in everyone's way!)
18. People who put their feet on the seats
19. Able-bodied people who are apparently incapable of climbing stairs (especially coupled with 15a).
20. People who don't understand the concept of queueing
21. People who can't wait until passengers get off before trying to get on

and

11a. I'm a grumpy old git as well!

 

[Whistler40145]

I am only talking about those teenagers that don't have any manners & are usually from the "It's my right brigade!" & not the ones who are polite, you usually find the impolite ones get it from friends or parents.

 

[Tom B]

4. People who fumble for their wallet / purse after getting on the bus. (Well what have ye been doing for the last 5 minutes while waiting?)

It would help if companies advertised what the fare is before boarding!

6. People who hail the bus and ask the driver if the bus goes to the city centre when the front and side LED-destination display both show in CAPITAL letters "CITY CENTRE". (Use ye eyes ffs.)

Certainly where I'm from, drivers never keep the displays up-to-date - it is therefore advisable if in any doubt to check the destination of the bus!

 

[SS4]

It would help if companies advertised what the fare is before boarding!

No excuse for regular travellers. I know without checking (not that you can verify of course) that a travel west midlands daysaver is £3.60 and a single is £1.80 (which is why everyone gets daysavers )

Certainly where I'm from, drivers never keep the displays up-to-date - it is therefore advisable if in any doubt to check the destination of the bus!

That is definitely true, I've seen buses on the Expressway out of town with City Centre on the top

 

[Blindtraveler]

8. People who won't fold their prams for a wheelchair user. (Get off yer fat / lazy arse and show some consideration.)

8a. People with prams who woant fold them and roodly ask the blind passenger seated in the empty wheelchair bay which is plastered with prioritty seating signs to get out the way and when said passenger refuses ask the driver to make them and when he has no success becoming aggresive. 9. People who still try squeeze onto a bus already with three prams loaded and refuse to fold it. (Wait for the next one. Geez!)

9a. Buggy owners who think wrongly the rule the world and they can push, shuv, not move and be rood. If ya want exclusive use of whatever space you and your brat are cluttering up get an effing taxi! Oh and by the way, ya dont rule the world, live with it! Oh and when your brat graduates from buggy to todler, effing make it behave!!!

22. Old ladies who get in the way of everyone by:
standing half on half off gossiping
spend 5 mins hunting for there pass which they turn out to hav left behind anyway
give up there seats to someone and then as they are unable to stand fall streight over
talk about the same crap for an hour
moan constantly.

Come on ladies, your perfectly nice the rest of the time, why does a bus journey bring out the worst in you all?

Regular passenger fast turning into grumpy git.

 

[Tom B]

No excuse for regular travellers. I know without checking (not that you can verify of course) that a travel west midlands daysaver is £3.60 and a single is £1.80 (which is why everyone gets daysavers )

Very true - although there are some fares which depend on which driver you have and their interpretation of the rules! Certainly, as someone who is fortunately only an occasional user of privatised buses, it's very awkward to not know how much you have to pay until you're on the bus (and then get huffed at for not having precise money).

As to biddies and buggies, yes, very true. I don't get why OAPs need to be on rush-hour buses - all free passes ought to be changed to the English system I feel i.e. off-peak only. Those OAPs etc who have to be in town at 8am to go to work can pay the fare like everyone else.

 

[Whistler40145]

I hold a Disabled Persons NowCard & in my area, I can pay £0.50 before 09:30 Monday-Friday to travel anywhere, then it's free, no restrictions on Saturdays, Sundays & Bank Holidays.

It certainly helps with getting to work with a limited bus service.

 

[Tom B]

I hold a Disabled Persons NowCard & in my area, I can pay £0.50 before 09:30 Monday-Friday to travel anywhere, then it's free, no restrictions on Saturdays, Sundays & Bank Holidays.

It certainly helps with getting to work with a limited bus service.

I understand that the national requirement is for OAPs/mobility passes to be free 0930 to 2300. However, in some areas (Edinburgh being one) the passes are valid on all day services. I don't understand why this is, it clogs up the rush buses - as I said if they are going to work they can pay.

Yes, some may be on limited incomes but so are others in society - it's a bit shan that those with free passes don't have to pay but someone who might be on a lower income does.

 

[Blindtraveler]

another bus pass holder here who has in fact recently started paying not only because i agree with above but also because of other punters atitudes. I'm 26, visually impared and work and often other workers begruge a pass holder space on commuter runs so to fit in with the croud, iv payed up. What i'm anoyed with is these same people bend over backwards for an old dear of to the station

 

[bb21]

It would help if companies advertised what the fare is before boarding!

Yes. Improved publicity should be one of the main priorities for many bus operators.

8a. People with prams who woant fold them and roodly ask the blind passenger seated in the empty wheelchair bay which is plastered with prioritty seating signs to get out the way and when said passenger refuses ask the driver to make them and when he has no success becoming aggresive.

First Leicester Citybus is now advertising at the bay onboard that wheelchair users no longer have priority over buggies. Talk of being useless. Who is in more need?

Very true - although there are some fares which depend on which driver you have and their interpretation of the rules!

Just like the railway I see

As to biddies and buggies, yes, very true. I don't get why OAPs need to be on rush-hour buses - all free passes ought to be changed to the English system I feel i.e. off-peak only. Those OAPs etc who have to be in town at 8am to go to work can pay the fare like everyone else.

Totally agree.

Yes, some may be on limited incomes but so are others in society - it's a bit shan that those with free passes don't have to pay but someone who might be on a lower income does.

This is the bit I particularly don't understand.

Free? Never. I still think a token fare should be payable at all times. Something like the 40p fares SYPTE used to charge would sound quite reasonable.

 

[Whistler40145]

So Tom B, you don't think Disabled people should be entitled to free travel on Buses?

The way I see it, I don't get paid a King's Ransom, have only recently received an allowance from DWP, so in some way, I feel it's time for the local Council/Government to give something in return.

As long as it is possible, I will make the most of it while it lasts.

 

[Blindtraveler]

equally i tìnk local off peak trips free are a good thing but topups and suplimentsfor nite and rushour runs and longer distance trips should be payable

 

[Tom B]

So Tom B, you don't think Disabled people should be entitled to free travel on Buses?

The way I see it, I don't get paid a King's Ransom, have only recently received an allowance from DWP, so in some way, I feel it's time for the local Council/Government to give something in return.

As long as it is possible, I will make the most of it while it lasts.

I didn't say "I think that the free travel should be withdrawn entirely". I think it needs to be curtailed to off-peak times; at the moment we have a situation sometimes whereby fare-paying passengers are turned away from a rush hour bus because it is full of pass holders. Not to mention the serious financial problems the free passes are causing bus operators. OAP/disabled are not the only people on low incomes, but they are the only ones who travel for free.

 

[Seacook]

equally i tìnk local off peak trips free are a good thing but topups and suplimentsfor nite and rushour runs and longer distance trips should be payable

This is what happend in my area (West Midlands). Concessionary passes are off-peak only (i.e., after 9.30) but it is possible to buy add-on season tickets for about half the price of the full season ticket which extends the validity. This seems eminently reasonable to me.