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Concessionary Fare Scheme Attitudes

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Now, this wasn't my finest moment but I'll explain the context.

On the way into the city by bus this morning a middle aged passenger with obvious special needs (I won't go into detail, but suffice to say it was obvious) boarded the bus. He had difficulty getting his free bus pass out which he had placed inside a zipped part of his bag. The driver patiently waited until the pass was obtained, touched to the scanner, passenger sat down and bus was off. Okay.

On the return bus journey, the self same passenger was a few in front of me waiting to board. He had a lot more difficulty getting the pass out this time and in the end a woman helped him. Even she had trouble getting the pass out for this man. I mean, there's securely stored in ones bag and then securely stored!

Eventually he scans his pass and gets on the bus. The lady then slams her pass on the scanner, ponces to her seat and loudly starts to have a go at the driver about how he should have just let him on, disgraceful, you'll be old soon...etc. She went on for a good five minutes. I'm usually a patient, mellow fellow but I lost it and told the woman to shut the hell up, that she made her point and that she was sounding like a broken record. She then turned on me, started swearing and shouting at me. Eventually she did shut up but throughout the journey I was aware she was making remarks about me to her friend.

Eventually comes my stop. I get up, she sees, cheers and starts insulting me again. I lose it this time. State that I'm going to slap the sh*t out of her and call her some things that would make my mother blush. I could tell she was just being mouthy because she had a mate, so I left it, apologised to the driver for my outburst and got off.

Clearly I'm not proud of losing my temper, but it irritates me how some people think that just because they hold a pass on the Concessionary Fare Scheme that they had some god-given right to just get on the bus without showing it. Apparently the driver should have been more accommodating? I might make enemies saying this but if the gentleman with special needs can go out and about on his own without a carer with him, then he is clearly just as able to present a pass as any one else is.

I really struggle to see how the driver was out of order.
 
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yorkie

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You and the driver were in the right. People like her are really annoying. If possible it's best to retain the moral high ground by talking to her in a polite, but firm and assertive way. They often have no answer to that. She wants to bring people down to her level. Don't rise to it.
 

trainophile

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Her outburst must have been embarrassing for the disabled passenger too, who I am assuming was not mentally impaired so would be aware of the fracas. She sounds totally uncouth, just be grateful you're not her husband!
 
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