complaining about bus journeys and staff

[james mckinlay]

hey ppl ive been out of hospital just under a week and allready im back to my usuall self lol.

well ill get to the point.

i was on a bus from which a certain company i wont mention due to forum rules.

well i showed the driver my blind persons travel card and was told i was on the worng bus for the journey.

well as i am unable to see the displays on the bus i told the driver this and was shocked by his response.

basically he swore at me and said stop making excuses and dont waste our time by stopping busses you dont intent to use.

i contacted my mp and she is furious at this and also emailed the rnib to see what they think and advise me on the action i should take.

so people in scotland in the glasgow area beware if you use busses as certain companys attittudes are astounding especially since we are all equall and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

well im back to my old ways of not standing for nonsense from companys when something is out of order.

i will keep you posted on the progress

i know this isnt really KC business but it does effect the ones that struggle to see bus numbers and things like that

all the best

happy christmas

ho ho ho

james

[GarethB]

James,

WSounds like you should contact Action for the Blind too.

Sounds a bit like you ahve a case to take the bus company or driver at least to couts under the Disability Discrimination Act.

Hope you have made a formal complaint to the bus company concerned!

[jayuk]

You know I just cant beleive this has happened......im not saying you are lying!...but I just cant imagine it!....But sadly it has!....makes you wonder....regardless of what disability you have, how nasty people can be!...

[Lesley Foster]

Slightly different but I feel relevent, I was on a train from Rugby to London on Saturday, there had been trouble on the line the day before and trains were being cancelled left right and centre which meant that the one I was on was very crowded, standing room only. A very pregnant lady also got on at Rugby and no-one offered her a seat. Young, fit men and women just looked the other way - she finally got a seat at Milton Keynes where an elderly lady got on and was forced to stand from MK to London because people were too selfish to give her a seat.

I'm afraid this rudeness is a sign of the times and doesn't make us look good in the eyes of others. Another passenger was from abroad and she was absolutely disgusted and nearly in tears at such behaviour.

It doesn't take much effort to be polite does it?

Lesley.

[John Smith]

Indeed it doesn't, Lesley.

And James, I do hope that you take your complaint to the highest levels.

Here in London, we have compulsory Bus Stops and Request Stops. I make sure that I wait at a Bus Stop rather than a Request Stop for my bus home from work - even though it's a slightly longer walk. You see, I sometimes can't read the bus number until the bus is too close to stop, so I wait where they will all stop.

Of course, in recent times, drivers don't bother stopping at Compulsory stops except during peak times, and they treat the bus stop as a request stop. It really is annoying where the buses sail past not stopping, just because you didn't hail them... at a stop where they are supposed to stop anyway!

Next time, I'll have to get their numbers and make a formal complaint.

Do let us know how you get on though, James.

[Andrew MacLean]

James

This should not have happened.

If you feel you could do with some extra support in relation to the anonymous bus company (I think I can guess!) send me a PM and I'll have a quiet word in the MD's ear.

Andrew

[GarethB]

Lesley,

Rugby to London usually has plenty of spaces in First Class, I have sat in there before and refused to pay the extra charge when it is standing room only in Standard which to be honest is second class if you are sitting and third if you are standing!

I point out to the train staff if I get up and sit in the isles outside first class the train has consumed the same amount of energy and it takes just as much time to clean the train at the end of its journey regardless where I sit.

So far they have always walked away and left me in first class. Most the pasengers there are too British to get up and complain about me being there

[Lesley Foster]

Gareth,

The train was that crowded they had de-classified first class any way.
What was stupid was the fact that once everyone had got on at Milton Keynes a disembodied voice came over the tannoy asking people who had just got on to get off and use the London train on the opposite platform because ours was too overcrowded to continue Why they didn't just prevent anyone else from boarding is beyond me. Also if they know there are going to be cancellations why doesn't the train company add extra coaches? The train had already started from Liverpool instead of Glasgow so I felt really sorry for the people up there.

I'm not sure privatising the railways was such a good idea but then those what did it probably never use it anyway.

Lesley.

[GarethB]

Lesley,

You are quite correct, since Jimmy Saville stopped doing the adds for the trains they have never been quite the same.

[james mckinlay]

well after making my complaint i have been put in touch with the head of customer realtions and the manager for the glasgow area.

they were shocked by what i had to say and assured me that this wont happen again.

my response was that it wasnt the first time and im sure it wont be the last either.

i also contacted my local mp and she is asking for a response from the company and also is horrified that it happened lucky for me i have witnesses and a few passengers gave me their details aswell.

so i will take this complaint as far as i can.

i dont have any choice but to use this company in the future as they are the only company that run the services in my area and most of scotland.

i will keep you posted on progress

happy christmas


james