Another First Mainline gripe!

[d71146 10]

If you've got a camera phone, what you should have done is taken his photo and told him if he didn't give you your change immediately you'd report him to his bosses. That's what I'd have done.

 

I suppose that is an idea but be carefull you could well leave yourself open to litigation.

[AlquarUK 10]

what a feckin prick! I would have got my money off him out of principal!

[Melanie 10]

On the other hand, what kind of dork decides to get on a bus with only a tenner in cash when they know the fare's £1.80? They hold up the queue, delay the bus and - even if the driver does have enough change - prevent anyone else further down the route from getting their change.

If you know you're getting on a bus the following morning why not simply change the note the night before - ask a housemate to change it, buy something from the shop round the corner, maybe even have a pint in your local?

Many cities - such as Nottingham and York - now have buses that don't give change at all. You either prepay with a credit card or put your money into a machine next to the driver. If you only have a tenner on you, your journey costs you a tenner. Seems fair to me..........

 

Erm, as I had already said, I would have understood if the driver said sorry I don't have the change but he didn't, he said it was fine.

And if I pay over £500 a year in bus fares, why should I faff about, the one time that I don't have the correct fare, buying a pack of chewing gum that I don't want, which is just as annoying for the shopkeeper btw. Somebody somewhere has to change the tenner - why all the abuse when it's a bus driver!!?

[NJMUK 10]

What you said about the money coming from his wages is certainly true (and not illegal, happens in a lot of catering and retail places) - out of interest, if he'd have said you couldn't pay with the £10, would you have been more or less annoyed?

 

edit: read the post before responding - I'm a positive person, so I would have given him the benefit of the doubt and understood that he expected to have the right amount of change by that time. I still wouldn't have been happy, and would have argued the point, but theres no need to assume his intentions were malicious

 

I'd suggest that if he anticipated he was going to have change and then did not that he needed to be held accountable in such a way that it was perhaps fair to have the fare deducted from his wages! He might not make assumptions which may lead to ridiculous situations like reclaiming change from a bloody depot!

 

A simple consistant policy that notes are not accpeted on buses may also set public expectations in the first place.

[Alex C. 10]

Erm, as I had already said, I would have understood if the driver said sorry I don't have the change but he didn't, he said it was fine.

And if I pay over £500 a year in bus fares, why should I faff about, the one time that I don't have the correct fare, buying a pack of chewing gum that I don't want, which is just as annoying for the shopkeeper btw. Somebody somewhere has to change the tenner - why all the abuse when it's a bus driver!!?

Generally because they have less room for a float and making change takes time which is ever-so-important on a bus (partiularily First ones )

[Alex C. 10]

I'd suggest that if he anticipated he was going to have change and then did not that he needed to be held accountable in such a way that it was perhaps fair to have the fare deducted from his wages! He might not make assumptions which may lead to ridiculous situations like reclaiming change from a bloody depot!

 

A simple consistant policy that notes are not accpeted on buses may also set public expectations in the first place.

Exactly, and someone will complain next week that the driver wouldn't let them on the bus (without giving a full story, of course). He may well have known and been nasty - but he may also have been trying to do a good turn to someone, a move which backfired. I personally would have taken it out of my wages, but maybe he couldn't afford to...

 

But as I said, it makes no difference, people will complain whatever happens on the buses

[LHarman 11]

I agree...to catch the 52 from the top of the hill in crookes (opposite student halls) is £1.50 to town.

If you walk the 5 minutes to the bottom of the hill and catch it outside the florists it is 95p ...that is one expensive hill!!

I know the buses have fare stages, but they seem so stupid, surely the bus companies should charge by the distance travelled, so you should pay for how many stops you have travelled, and the bus stop should be more evenly spaced, I know this would be difficult to do though.

[Internetowl 10]

Not accepting notes on buses What a sensible idea. I'll buy my saver tickets with 5p's and copper. They'll love it, won't they?

[LHarman 11]

my kids been refused travel on a mainline bus because they had the busfare in copper!, surely its legal tender,i can understand its time consuming for the driver, but its still cash.

[kensimmo 11]

This was my experience today.

 

Got on the bus. Told the driver that I only had a £10 note and asked if that was OK. Driver said yes and gave me my ticket. Was then told to come and get my change before I got off the bus. Before getting off the bus, asked driver for my change. Driver has now decided I will have to claim my change from the Olive Grove depot. I live in Shiregreen, nowhere near Olive Grove and don't understand why I wasn't told this when I originally boarded the bus. I inform driver I am not getting off the bus until I have either my change or my tenner (which is in his front pocket by the way). Driver says fine, he doesn't give a sh*t, I can stay on the bus and he will drive me to the depot when his shift finishes in 3 hours, where I can collect my change and then pay to get another bus back home. Driver says if he gives me my tenner back the cost of my ticket would be taken from his wages (just a bare faced lie as this is illegal!) After some cross words I say fine I'll wait on the bus (as if I can just turn up at Olive Grove and ask for my £8.20 change - I'd have no proof). Some saint got up and said to driver, if I pay her fare will you give her back her tenner and so she can get off the bus. Driver mumbles and gives me back my tenner, after saint has paid. I get off bus and wonder what just happened. I told him I only had a ten pound note before he gave me the ticket!!! I will be complaining not that it will get me anywhere. I wish Stagecoach did my route.

 

What does everyone else think? I'd have totally understood if the driver had have said that he didn't have the change so couldn't let me on the bus but he did and then left me in a really awkward position.

 

The company itself is avaricious and does not give a hoot for its customers

Little wonder then that it's employees have the same attitude.

 

I'm now fortunate enough to be able to use Stagecoach and do so.

 

We should inundate both the Star newspaper and the PTE with complaints.

 

Let's drive First out of Sheffield!

[Alex C. 10]

Not accepting notes on buses What a sensible idea. I'll buy my saver tickets with 5p's and copper. They'll love it, won't they?

umm... 3 pound coins and a 50p? 7 50p's (both ways I've paid frequently)...

 

Not exactly difficult

[Alex C. 10]

my kids been refused travel on a mainline bus because they had the busfare in copper!, surely its legal tender,i can understand its time consuming for the driver, but its still cash.

Theres a maximum limit to how much copper the drivers can take - they can take more, but its very time consuming for the driver to count out... a 40p fare in 2p's I can see as being OK - anything more is taking the mick a bit...