What is it with bus drivers? Well, not all bus drivers, in fact, probably a minority. But it’s happened to me twice now in a matter of months, so it can’t be that unusual.
This is what happens:
I decide to pluck up my courage and use the bus. I try and have someone with me if possible, but I can’t always. I get on the bus and place my travel card on the scanner (my card allows a companion to accompany me on the bus) and I should say how many are travelling (one or two) and where I am going. The driver will then issue my ticket. Simple – what could possibly go wrong?
The first time I had a problem I was travelling with my daughter. We got on the bus and I said:
“*******(town name) plus 1.” The driver just looked at me as if I was stupid. I was confused. I had no idea why he was looking at me in such a derogatory way. After a moment he asked,
“How many?” Thinking that when I said plus 1 I had made it quite clear how many were travelling I was even more confused and became highly anxious. I tried to clarify with a question,
“How many what?” At this he rudely spoke to me as if I was a total moron saying,
Are you travelling by yourself or with someone?” By this time I was in a state of panic, very angry and feeling totally humiliated. I managed to defend myself with,
“There was no need to be rude!” Then the anxiety triggered a sort of hallucination, and the driver’s head morphed into a horrific monstrosity, snarling and looming out towards me. I made it to a seat with my daughter where I sat and trembled all the way home. It was three months before I dared to use the bus again – and that was because I had no choice.
Just recently I was travelling with an adult friend and my daughter. I got on the bus and was so intent on remembering to say how many, I forgot to say where we were going. The driver looked at me with a sort of “der!” expression. I had no idea what the problem was. Fortunately it did not escalate further because having looked at me like I was stupid, he realised I had no idea what he wanted and asked me where we were going. I told him and we sat down. Nothing too awful that time, except it brought back all the feelings from the time before.
Why is it that these bus drivers, who allegedly have training in providing good customer care to all bus users, can’t exercise a bit of common sense so that when someone (especially someone using a disabled traveller’s card) doesn’t tell them all they need to know, they just politely ask for the additional information. In both my examples, if the driver had just asked a clear question, no distress would have been caused, and I (and other travellers) would feel much happier and confident in the service provided.
Being treated like a sub-human, unintelligent freak is not professional, or helpful, but it happens often, in many situations (shops, council offices, restaurants etc.). Campaigns such as Time To Change (England and Wales) and See Me (Scotland) are so needed in current UK culture.
Penny - I've found this and your previous couple of post insightful and moving. Thank you. It's a real help to be reminded that so much of what we experience is not visible to others, and a condition such as BDP makes that fact even more isolating. Good luck with this new treatment - and your new ideas and ventures. I'm so delighted by your adventurous spirit.
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