I disagree, Susan. In defence of drivers, here are my two reasons: first, passengers seem to only remember the bad and never the good; second, the more you use buses the more exposed you are to seeing customer service. By this I mean you are more likely when things go well and not so well. No driver would deliberately miss a stop if a passenger rang the bell well ahead of where they wanted to alight at. If they do skip the stop it can be a honest mistake or as often happens a passenger rings late and the driver has gone past the stop. Buses are only allowed to stop at bus stops and they must stop within the 'cage' (the yellow markings on the road), unless there is a good reason not to. Examples are other buses in the cage, other parked vehicles, street furniture etc. Outside the cage and they are breaking all regulations, just because they want to do a passenger a favour. This repetitively occurs, but is not seen by passengers as providing good customer service. Similarly, when a driver waits for someone running for the bus, is this remembered positively? Could you write on a forum that a bus waited or stopped beyond the bus stop just to help a passenger catch the bus? It is unlikely. Strictly speaking buses are not meant to wait when they have closed their doors - they have a timetable to run to. A train or plane departs on time, why should a bus be delayed just because someone is not at the bus stop in time? You will understand my point. It is human to complain! Waiting for a passenger to take their seat or when a driver shows courtesy to other road users becomes oblivious to most passengers (especially those sitting at the back of the bus) and if they did see it, why are they not thinking about praising a driver for it?It is true that some of the driving standards could be improved, but other road users notice bus driving more because there are more buses on London's roads than any other vehicle type!Every passenger should be considerate to a driver. Say a 'hello/morning/afternoon/evening' when stepping on and thank the driver when alighting. A simple act of kindness rarely happens. It is irksome when passengers do not have their payment card ready when the bus pulls up at the stop, especially if they have been at the stop for quite some time. All the driver wants is for passengers to board quickly, tap in and take their seat. Isn't it inconsiderate to faff around looking for your card, when you have been waiting at a bus stop for more than, say, a minute? Why can't people have their card ready?! Not having it ready delays the bus and the passengers on that bus. Seconds do count. But passengers don't realise it or see it this way. Drivers get such a lot of grief, but we can make it easier for them. Never fear that I haven't complained about a driver too. However, I am extremely confident that I have fed back far more praise of drivers than most people will. People who know me will back me up on this!Whilst out and about on a bus today, try to observe the positive interactions, as well as the grief they receive from passengers, such as those who don't want to pay their fare, drink alcohol, play music without headphones, have conversations on speaker phone, eat smelly food, put feet on seats and much more etc etc. It could change your view.
Ben Owen ● 70d