Its like a broken record with some of these bus drivers

[MoonChild2007]

You know, every Saturday i have to take an earlier bus to get to work on time. So, i take the 7:34 am Bus and get this the bus driver is 6 minutes late. Its not a big deal for the people on the outside but for me, its like EVERY Saturday the bus is ALWAYS late. The bus driver is so late that EVERYONE keeps missing their buses which is NOT right! People have to go to work! What pisses me off the most is that the bus only had 3 PEOPLE on it! I hardly doubt that the bus is packed at 7:00-7:30 in the morning. However, I know I may sound paranoid but there is this woman who is always on the bus and the bus is LATE. I hate to blame people but its a pattern whenever she is on the bus. Every other bus driver is ON TIME. I can't blame her but its quite suspicous that everytime she is on the bus, the bus runs late. Everyone is always pissed at this bus driver, some guys were even complaining about him. I just want to report every single bus driver who drives this shift in the morning cause its getting stupid.

Oh boy.

[Broomjockey]

You know what? I'm sure she makes a stop somewhere along the way for grabbing breakfast or something like that. I've had drivers in similar situations.

One time, two drivers (the bus driver, and one on his way to work) yammering on about how it was "unreasonable" that they were expected to make a certain leg of the trip in a certain amount of time. "It can't be done!" I didn't have the heart to tell the guy that every other driver I've had besides this guy (who'd been going on this route for a couple weeks by this point) made it in plenty of time. Looking back, I really wish I'd said something to them.

[MoonChild2007]

You know what? I'm sure she makes a stop somewhere along the way for grabbing breakfast or something like that. I've had drivers in similar situations.

Or she waits until the bus is at the bus stop and walks her slow ass to the bus. a part of me wants to know what the hell is these bus drivers are doing to be so late. I can understand if the bus is packed.

Sorry that's harsh but you wouldn't believe how darn slow people can be!

[It's me]

Have you written a letter of complaint to the bus company?

[MoonChild2007]

Not really. I am one of those people who want to say something but can't cause nobody listens.

[Seshat]

Often, when people consistently don't resolve your complaints, it's because they're not clear on what the problem actually is, or because you're talking to someone who can't handle the problem. When writing a letter of complaint, make sure it's clear and concise and unambiguous. Be certain to include all the information they need to resolve the complaint.

One useful format is this:

(Your Address and contact details)

Complaints Department
(Bus company)

Dear Sir,

(Clear and short description of the problem)

(What you would like them to do about it)

(Any accompanying information that might help them)

(Expression of gratitude)

Sincerely,
Me

For example, in this case, the text might be:

Dear Sir,

I regularly take the Saturday morning bus on route BLAH to work. It is timetabled to arrive at LOCATION at 7:34am. It is usually at least six minutes late, which causes me to arrive at work late.

I would like your company to investigate the reason for this lateness, and correct it so that the bus arrives on time.

As a potential avenue of investigation, there is a passenger who is always aboard when the bus is late. It is possible that she is delaying the bus at her stop.

Thank you for your help in solving this problem.

Sincerely,
Me.

That said, it's probably worth checking the bus company's charter and what their timetabling rules are. In many cases, a transport company has a requirement to be 'within X minutes of the scheduled time'. If six minutes is acceptable by their rules, they probably won't do anything about it.

[powerboy]

That is the only reason, I do not want to take a bus to work. I know that I will be late everytime.

[sarahj]

Buses are horrible all the time near me! They're late; 15 minutes is the largest scheduled gap between buses arriving at my stop. I once waited over an hour for a bus, and was late to a concert. Then another time I waited 45 minutes and was late to work. It's only a 10-minute trip, but takes an hour to walk. Longer in heels. And I take a train from there, which is usually running on time.

I really couldn't deal with it any more so I just gave up and bought a car.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

On a slightly OT note, we have a similar issue with school buses in the neighborhood.

For example, this past Friday Mom was taking me to work, but I wanted to stop at the Quick Stop for cigarettes so I wouldn't have to do it in the afternoon, when they're busier (around 7-8 in the morning, it's easier to get in and out.)

We turn off onto a side street, and then onto another connecting road to get to the store . . . we're stuck at the intersection for almost 5 minutes because of a school bus just sitting there - lights on and signs extended - waiting at the apartment complex across from the Quick Stop for the kids. There were already 5 cars waiting behind the bus and we had NO room whatsoever to turn onto the road.

And we have kids who live in this complex (right next door to the old WD) who will literally move slower than a turtle on valium to get on the bus (it's also the same way in the afternoon when they get off the bus.) Half of them can't walk, but do the old person shuffle due to the fact that their pants are hanging halfway down their butts - or they want to stand and chat on their cellphones.

Finally, the last of the kids get on the bus and the bus moves on. If I'd been that driver, I wouldn't have waited - I'd sat there for 30 seconds max and whomever wasn't already out there should be left behind.

Might teach those slowpoke kids a lesson . . .there again, their parents would probably raise the devil over the bus driver.

Can't win sometimes.

[MoonChild2007]

I remember a while ago, a woman bus driver came at 7:13 am and got me there ON TIME, however, its always the men bus drivers who pull this crap.

we're stuck at the intersection for almost 5 minutes because of a school bus just sitting there - lights on and signs extended

I definitely understand that. Some bus drivers will just stop the bus right in front of a store or something just to get something to eat. I understand they are hungry but just like the rest of us, wait UNTIL its your lunch hour! Its like me just closing down my sign and basically eating right front of customers when its not even my lunch hour.

One time a bus driver was 9 minutes late and you know he does? He shuts down the bus and goes wherever. I was damn late for work. You know, I don't understand why these bus drivers don't give a shit that WE HAVE JOBS TOO AND THAT WE NEED TO GET THERE! Its different if the traffic is horrible or that the bus dies but sometimes they are late for the lamest reasons!

[myswtghst]

If I'd been that driver, I wouldn't have waited - I'd sat there for 30 seconds max and whomever wasn't already out there should be left behind.

This is pretty much what the buses for my high school did. Didn't matter if the driver could see you running up the block, waving to them, they'd still stop, pick up and leave.

And I'm with Seshat, write a complaint letter and see if they'll at least look into it--you never know, and it doesn't hurt anything to spend the $$ for a stamp to send the letter.

[KellyHabersham]

This sort of thing happens all the time with one of the bus routes near my apartment complex. The westbound part of the said route is fine, but the eastbound part is almost always anywhere from 5-20 minutes late. Of course, it IS coming from a direction where there's alot of construction going on, but still it's frustrating when you can't count on the bus to arrive when it's supposed to...especially when you have to make a transfer to get to work.

[wagegoth]

The bus company I ride with has its share of sucky drivers, but the route I ride is considered a good route, so the better, senior drivers get it. Yea!

The company has made more of an effort lately to get the drivers in line. There was one driver on a route I rode occasionally who would stop to chat up this woman at a business that wasn't even at a stop. Complaining back then didn't matter; complaints were just ignored.

Recently, when I called in about a real problem (route had changed, some drivers driving new route, some driving old, never knew where to wait for bus) I got a response. The first time, the CSR took the info and nothing happened. I called in again two days later and was told a supervisor would call me back within 20 minutes. No call, so two hours later I called back, explained I was still waiting, and AMAZINGLY! was immediately put through to a supervisor, and by the end of the week all the drivers seemed to be on the new route. Yea!

Call, email, write. Don't stop until you get an answer. If you don't ever get a response, contact your local newspaper. It isn't hot news, but a small article by the ombudsman or editor or a columnist might be enough to get other people complaining.

[Mark Healey]

In most places in the U.S. the bus drivers have a union. Even worse the busses are run buy the government, so it's a government employee union. If they took out a machette and decapitated all the passangers and if they got convicted they would probably have their job waiting for them when they got out of jail.

Where I live it cost almost 3 dollars to ride the bus. At that rate a car is cheaper per mile.

[Killer Bees]

In amongst the hundreds of bus routes our fair city covers, I can either change at the stop before the city and get 2 different routes, or go into the city and choose from 4 different routes. Most of the time, I change at the stop before the city.

For a two week period, the two routes I catch were ALWAYS late. Every.Single.Day. Every.Single.Bus. I don't know wtf was going on, but it was impossible to time the change so I didn't have to wait forever between buses. So either no bus showed up on time, or the two buses were late and showed one after another. So the first bus was always packed and the other one was empty.

I got so fed up with it, I ended up riding all the way into the city, doing some window shopping and casually wandering to the bus stop much later in the evening. Of course it meant that I wasn't getting home until 8 pm, but it wasn't too bad. Nothing much was happening on the telly anyway.

Eventually, the buses started running on time, but for a while there it was like the twilight zone. I overheard a very disgruntled woman say to her companion that she was ringing the city council every time her bus was late and tore them a new one

I guess they got the message.