This one boarded the bus first by simply elbowing her way on the bus in front every one in the waiting queue and demanded a ticket to The Templestowe Hotel. As we were on the Harbour side the bus wasn't going to The Templestowe and I told her. She insisted that she had got a number 12 into town from the hotel and had got off that bus on the Harbour so why wasn't this number 12 going to the Templestowe. I told her it was going to Paignton and if she walked 60 yards up the road, crossed at the pedestrian crossing and turned left and walked an other 50 yards she would arrive at the correct stop to catch a number 12 to her hotel. She was going to get a little wet as we were in the middle of a heavy shower, which was probably why she had jumped the queue in the first place, though maybe not. Before I could add that it she could also catch a 32 from the stop we were at she informed me the the bus service was stupid and turned and pushed here way off the bus into the pouring rain.
Before anyone makes the obvious comment about young people today having no manners I should point out that this lady was well into her sixties.
3 comments:
Why is the concept of bus routes operating under the same number in both directions so hard to grasp by some people? Nearly every company operates that system.
Part of it is due to the fact that we are a holiday resort, even in November, and people come on holiday who do not normally use buses at home. When I drove a bus in London only one or two people got on a bus going in the wrong direction. Here it happens all the time. You would thing the concept of how to use a bus would be universal knowledge; but it isn't. There are millions of people out there who have never been on a bus in their life.
I suppose I'm at a disadvantage. I grew up riding buses since I was a toddler. When I was six, I was allowed to ride a bus across town to Grandma's house all by myself. (those were different times) I've been driving buses for too long. Sometimes, when people insist that my bus will take them in the opposite direction if they just wish hard enough, I ask them, "What do you suppose we do with the buses when they get to the end of the line?" That seems to stump them. As you and I both know, they are painted in the colors of the next system down the line and they continue in their original direction. Our entire system runs along a north/south corridor. South bound buses are built in Alaska. They are decomissioned and turned into chicken coops when they reach Patagonia. Similar system for North bound buses. I rarely waste my time telling passengers that I am driving a north or south bound bus. Many of them are unfamiliar with the concept of compass points and directions. The rest of them only know where things are in relation to McDonalds. Rather than explain that I am going north, I will explain that I am going from "Like, by Carl's Junior, to like, K Mart, but I totally don't stop where there's, like, that McDonalds by the JC." Amazing how many people find this useful information.
Sorry for going on, my head injury seems to be acting up.
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