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A storm battered my lovely town last night. It was awful. Each gust of wind made me think my house was going to collapse and I just couldn’t drift off to sleep. I only got about 45 minutes sleep and I had a lovely morning shift at the pub to look forward to.
Fortunately, the shift went without incident (except for one customer insisting that the tomatoes in her burger were supposed to be green and mushy, not red and ripe) and I left the pub to get the bus home. I was extra relieved when an express bus pulled up, meaning that my journey home had been reduced from 35 minutes to 10 minutes. Horray! Bedtime wasn’t far away!
I get on the bus and sit down. A lady boards who has three children under 8. Two of them are in strollers and the other is riding a tricycle. The bus driver spoke to her (I was sat at the front and heard the entire discussion)
D: I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ve got enough room for two prams and a bike.
SC: Whatever. How much is it?
D: *Looks back* I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can get you on.
SC: Yeah, OK. How much is my fare?
D: Are you listening to me?
SC: No I am not. Shit happens. Deal with it. Let me on.
D: I can’t get two prams and a bike on this bus. There is no room.
SC: *turns to older child* Go sit down sweetheart.
Child runs to the back of the bus and sits next to a complete stranger, despite there being other vacant seats.
SC: How much?
D: I cannot get you on.
SC: Sweetheart! Come back here!
Child runs to the front of the bus. The SC bends down to the three children’s level.
SC: Well, the bus driver says he can’t take all of us, so one of you is going to have to stay behind.
Kids: *random cries and begs*
SC: That’s the way it has to be. There’s no room for all of us, so now one of you has to stay here forever.
The two older children started to cry. SC looked at the bus driver with a horrible, smug look on her face.
SC: Now look what you’ve done.
A couple of old ladies near the front stood up.
OL: Oh for heaven’s sake. We’re getting off in a couple of stops anyway. The bike can go on our seats.
SC: Thank you.
OL: Don’t you dare thank us. You are a disgrace of a mother.
SC let her child ride the bike onto the bus. The child ran over the old lady’s toes. The old ladies scowled and left. SC paid.
SC: I always get my way.
D: Yeah, letting two old ladies with canes take to the streets. You’re a real catch.
SC sat down.
I was about a third of the way home when SC rang the bell for her stop. She struggled to get off the bus and yelled at the driver for not helping her.
D: Normally I would, but not for you.
I need to point out that as this exchange was taking place, the bus was parked outside a pub. The second the bus stopped, a lady ran out of the pub and boarded the bus without paying. Driver called her back.
D: Excuse me. Do you have a ticket? You need to pay.
SC2 was drunk.
SC2: And who the fuck are you to ask me that?
D: I’m the driver, and you need to either present me with a pass or ticket, or pay.
SC2: I don’t pay.
D: Do you have a pass?
SC2: I don’t have a pass, and I don’t pay.
D: You need to pay.
SC2: FUCK OFF AND DRIVE THIS FUCKING BUS!!
A passenger sat behind her prodded her.
P: There are children on this bus! Watch your mouth!
SC2: AND WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU??? FUCK OFF!!
D: YOU EITHER PAY YOUR FARE OR LEAVE THIS BUS RIGHT NOW!
SC2: AND WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO SAY THAT TO ME??
D: SOMEONE WHO IS ABOUT TO CALL THE POLICE!
SC2: CALL THEM! I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!!
Several customers let out groans and she sat down and folded her arms. Several yelled out “Get off right now!” but she still didn’t move. Driver got on his walkie talkie and called the police. A few passengers got up and left, saying that they were getting off at the next stop anyway. SC2 yelled at them as they passed.
SC2: Running away are you?
P: Shut your mouth you horrible woman.
SC2: *Imitating* Shut your mouth you horrible woman! Haha! OK. I want a show of hands! Who here thinks I am a horrible woman?
The entire bus put their hands up.
SC2: Fuck the lot of you!!!
She rambled on and on for ten minutes. She got into a few arguments with other passengers. She often yelled out things like “God! Why aren’t we moving yet???” only to be met with jeers. I debated giving her a piece of my mind myself, but I was far too tired and I didn’t want to give her a show.
SC2: OI! DRIVER! WHY AREN’T WE MOVING YET?!?
D: I suggest you shut your mouth. You are only making things worse for yourself.
SC2: *Imitates him and starts to giggle. Turns to bus* He’s a right idiot! Isn’t he?!?!
Someone threw a bottle at her. She rambled on and on and on. An old man stood up and stormed up to the driver.
OM: As a paying customer I DEMAND you remove that woman!
D: Do you not think I want to do that? But I can’t. If I touch her then it’s goodbye job. All I can do is follow policy, keep the bus parked and wait for the police. I cannot leave the wheel and I cannot touch her.
OM walked off the bus.
SC2: HAHA! BOOOOO! STUPID OLD SHIT!
More rambling. A passenger sighed “For God’s sake.”
SC2: I AM A CHRISTIAN AND YOU WILL NOT SAY THAT!
P: Really? And what about the sewage coming out of your mouth? How is that better?
SC2: SEWAGE?? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??
More ramblings. More insults thrown each way. More objects thrown at her.
SC2: You know what this bus really needs? A kareoke.
Suddenly, I heard another passenger cry out.
P: There’s another bus behind us!
I looked. It was a bus that went to my stop: the non-express bus.
D: Anyone bound for *my town* go now! Before it’s too late!
About ten of us dashed off the bus and onto the one parked behind us. The second driver was very confused.
I felt really bad leaving the driver like that. But I just couldn’t stay on that bus any longer. So unfortunately I don’t have an ending to the story. Normally I would have stayed and watched the show, but I was just far too tired to go on.
It was the worst bus journey I’ve ever had. I told a friend about it, who said he wasn’t sure about hanging around with me anymore, as I seem to attract nutcases.
Fortunately, the shift went without incident (except for one customer insisting that the tomatoes in her burger were supposed to be green and mushy, not red and ripe) and I left the pub to get the bus home. I was extra relieved when an express bus pulled up, meaning that my journey home had been reduced from 35 minutes to 10 minutes. Horray! Bedtime wasn’t far away!
I get on the bus and sit down. A lady boards who has three children under 8. Two of them are in strollers and the other is riding a tricycle. The bus driver spoke to her (I was sat at the front and heard the entire discussion)
D: I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ve got enough room for two prams and a bike.
SC: Whatever. How much is it?
D: *Looks back* I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can get you on.
SC: Yeah, OK. How much is my fare?
D: Are you listening to me?
SC: No I am not. Shit happens. Deal with it. Let me on.
D: I can’t get two prams and a bike on this bus. There is no room.
SC: *turns to older child* Go sit down sweetheart.
Child runs to the back of the bus and sits next to a complete stranger, despite there being other vacant seats.
SC: How much?
D: I cannot get you on.
SC: Sweetheart! Come back here!
Child runs to the front of the bus. The SC bends down to the three children’s level.
SC: Well, the bus driver says he can’t take all of us, so one of you is going to have to stay behind.
Kids: *random cries and begs*
SC: That’s the way it has to be. There’s no room for all of us, so now one of you has to stay here forever.
The two older children started to cry. SC looked at the bus driver with a horrible, smug look on her face.
SC: Now look what you’ve done.
A couple of old ladies near the front stood up.
OL: Oh for heaven’s sake. We’re getting off in a couple of stops anyway. The bike can go on our seats.
SC: Thank you.
OL: Don’t you dare thank us. You are a disgrace of a mother.
SC let her child ride the bike onto the bus. The child ran over the old lady’s toes. The old ladies scowled and left. SC paid.
SC: I always get my way.
D: Yeah, letting two old ladies with canes take to the streets. You’re a real catch.
SC sat down.
I was about a third of the way home when SC rang the bell for her stop. She struggled to get off the bus and yelled at the driver for not helping her.
D: Normally I would, but not for you.
I need to point out that as this exchange was taking place, the bus was parked outside a pub. The second the bus stopped, a lady ran out of the pub and boarded the bus without paying. Driver called her back.
D: Excuse me. Do you have a ticket? You need to pay.
SC2 was drunk.
SC2: And who the fuck are you to ask me that?
D: I’m the driver, and you need to either present me with a pass or ticket, or pay.
SC2: I don’t pay.
D: Do you have a pass?
SC2: I don’t have a pass, and I don’t pay.
D: You need to pay.
SC2: FUCK OFF AND DRIVE THIS FUCKING BUS!!
A passenger sat behind her prodded her.
P: There are children on this bus! Watch your mouth!
SC2: AND WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU??? FUCK OFF!!
D: YOU EITHER PAY YOUR FARE OR LEAVE THIS BUS RIGHT NOW!
SC2: AND WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO SAY THAT TO ME??
D: SOMEONE WHO IS ABOUT TO CALL THE POLICE!
SC2: CALL THEM! I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!!
Several customers let out groans and she sat down and folded her arms. Several yelled out “Get off right now!” but she still didn’t move. Driver got on his walkie talkie and called the police. A few passengers got up and left, saying that they were getting off at the next stop anyway. SC2 yelled at them as they passed.
SC2: Running away are you?
P: Shut your mouth you horrible woman.
SC2: *Imitating* Shut your mouth you horrible woman! Haha! OK. I want a show of hands! Who here thinks I am a horrible woman?
The entire bus put their hands up.
SC2: Fuck the lot of you!!!
She rambled on and on for ten minutes. She got into a few arguments with other passengers. She often yelled out things like “God! Why aren’t we moving yet???” only to be met with jeers. I debated giving her a piece of my mind myself, but I was far too tired and I didn’t want to give her a show.
SC2: OI! DRIVER! WHY AREN’T WE MOVING YET?!?
D: I suggest you shut your mouth. You are only making things worse for yourself.
SC2: *Imitates him and starts to giggle. Turns to bus* He’s a right idiot! Isn’t he?!?!
Someone threw a bottle at her. She rambled on and on and on. An old man stood up and stormed up to the driver.
OM: As a paying customer I DEMAND you remove that woman!
D: Do you not think I want to do that? But I can’t. If I touch her then it’s goodbye job. All I can do is follow policy, keep the bus parked and wait for the police. I cannot leave the wheel and I cannot touch her.
OM walked off the bus.
SC2: HAHA! BOOOOO! STUPID OLD SHIT!
More rambling. A passenger sighed “For God’s sake.”
SC2: I AM A CHRISTIAN AND YOU WILL NOT SAY THAT!
P: Really? And what about the sewage coming out of your mouth? How is that better?
SC2: SEWAGE?? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??
More ramblings. More insults thrown each way. More objects thrown at her.
SC2: You know what this bus really needs? A kareoke.
Suddenly, I heard another passenger cry out.
P: There’s another bus behind us!
I looked. It was a bus that went to my stop: the non-express bus.
D: Anyone bound for *my town* go now! Before it’s too late!
About ten of us dashed off the bus and onto the one parked behind us. The second driver was very confused.
I felt really bad leaving the driver like that. But I just couldn’t stay on that bus any longer. So unfortunately I don’t have an ending to the story. Normally I would have stayed and watched the show, but I was just far too tired to go on.
It was the worst bus journey I’ve ever had. I told a friend about it, who said he wasn’t sure about hanging around with me anymore, as I seem to attract nutcases.
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