I just noticed that my google adsense has started to click in. Clearly the people at google liked my whingeing about the bus system in Adelaide so much that they started to advertise bus travel in the UK.
*Snigger*.
Showing posts with label rudeness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rudeness. Show all posts
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
How you know when you're in the right
SHORT ANSWER - When you get smacked in the forhead for your troubles.
Those of you who may remember fondly (and I know there are a lot of you, I got a lot of emails) the "BUS DRIVERS IN ADELAIDE MUST DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" incident will understand why this post comes under Religion and Philosophy (that's just how passionate I am about this topic), and will appreciate this post. (For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, I've reposted it here from MySpace as the very first entry in this blog).
Today I had business in town and my sister had our car. It had been raining and mud was afood. Pride, following the previous (aforementioned) incident, dictated that I should not catch the bus.
That said my shoes are pretty. So I bit the bullet and toddled along to the scene of the previous crime (ie. the bus stop near my house).
Once there I got chatting (as I do, I'm a friendly person) to the lady next to me at the bus stop. She mentioned that she ived the area and caught the bus regularly. I informed her that I do not catch the bus regularly as some evil devil's spawn Hitleresque bus driver tried to run me over and then fine me for it the first time I ventured out of my flat.
"What did he look like?" the lady queried. I described him to her (as you can imagine, very descriptively with a lot of similes and metaphors pertaining to Satanism).
"Yep, he sounds like the one!" she said.
My ears pricked up like scooby-doo at this tone of recognition. Could it be....?
It was. (The same dude I mean). What followed was a tale of rudeness and insensitivity that left me shocked and appalled.
APPARENTLY this lady caught the bus with this very driver one day and was first in line to get off near the automatic doors. QUite by chance, a bottle had fallen in the grooves of the door rail. At one stop, the button was pushed and the driver opened the doors. The bottle caused them to slam shut without anyone being given the chance to get off. Not paying any attention, the driver failed to notice no one had gotten off and kept moving. The members of the line called for him to stop, and he did, showing clear annoyance as he did so.
In a bid to prevent the door incident happening again the woman (telling me the story) bent over to remove the bottle. The bus driver pushed the lever to open the doors.
She ended up sprawled on the floor with a cut on her forhead and luckily not missing an eye because she'd been wearing sunglasses.
There was a rush to help her to her feet.
Not so the bus driver! The bus driver stormed own the aisle to view the damage and bellowed "What id you think you were doing you silly cow?" (not sure if this is the exact wording, this is just what the woman told me).
The bus as a collective (by that I mean the people on it) was outraged. The driver's anger was only assuaged as people began giving the woman their phone numbers, volunteering to be a witness if "need be". A prominent local solicitor, big on writing big letters to big people in big places offered her services.
HOW LONG must the bus patrons of St Peter's suffer? Will we allow this mad man to domineer us and bully us into tax-paying submission forever? Will our cheap mode of transport be tainted forever by this man's wretchful hold on us all?
I hope not. I don't think so. He hasn't driven a bus of mine since our encounter.
In conclusion - bus drivers in Adelaide are on crack. I've worked some really shit jobs before but I've never yelled at anyone for getting smacked in the forehead.
Those of you who may remember fondly (and I know there are a lot of you, I got a lot of emails) the "BUS DRIVERS IN ADELAIDE MUST DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" incident will understand why this post comes under Religion and Philosophy (that's just how passionate I am about this topic), and will appreciate this post. (For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, I've reposted it here from MySpace as the very first entry in this blog).
Today I had business in town and my sister had our car. It had been raining and mud was afood. Pride, following the previous (aforementioned) incident, dictated that I should not catch the bus.
That said my shoes are pretty. So I bit the bullet and toddled along to the scene of the previous crime (ie. the bus stop near my house).
Once there I got chatting (as I do, I'm a friendly person) to the lady next to me at the bus stop. She mentioned that she ived the area and caught the bus regularly. I informed her that I do not catch the bus regularly as some evil devil's spawn Hitleresque bus driver tried to run me over and then fine me for it the first time I ventured out of my flat.
"What did he look like?" the lady queried. I described him to her (as you can imagine, very descriptively with a lot of similes and metaphors pertaining to Satanism).
"Yep, he sounds like the one!" she said.
My ears pricked up like scooby-doo at this tone of recognition. Could it be....?
It was. (The same dude I mean). What followed was a tale of rudeness and insensitivity that left me shocked and appalled.
APPARENTLY this lady caught the bus with this very driver one day and was first in line to get off near the automatic doors. QUite by chance, a bottle had fallen in the grooves of the door rail. At one stop, the button was pushed and the driver opened the doors. The bottle caused them to slam shut without anyone being given the chance to get off. Not paying any attention, the driver failed to notice no one had gotten off and kept moving. The members of the line called for him to stop, and he did, showing clear annoyance as he did so.
In a bid to prevent the door incident happening again the woman (telling me the story) bent over to remove the bottle. The bus driver pushed the lever to open the doors.
She ended up sprawled on the floor with a cut on her forhead and luckily not missing an eye because she'd been wearing sunglasses.
There was a rush to help her to her feet.
Not so the bus driver! The bus driver stormed own the aisle to view the damage and bellowed "What id you think you were doing you silly cow?" (not sure if this is the exact wording, this is just what the woman told me).
The bus as a collective (by that I mean the people on it) was outraged. The driver's anger was only assuaged as people began giving the woman their phone numbers, volunteering to be a witness if "need be". A prominent local solicitor, big on writing big letters to big people in big places offered her services.
HOW LONG must the bus patrons of St Peter's suffer? Will we allow this mad man to domineer us and bully us into tax-paying submission forever? Will our cheap mode of transport be tainted forever by this man's wretchful hold on us all?
I hope not. I don't think so. He hasn't driven a bus of mine since our encounter.
In conclusion - bus drivers in Adelaide are on crack. I've worked some really shit jobs before but I've never yelled at anyone for getting smacked in the forehead.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
The post I mentioned.
BUS DRIVERS IN ADELAIDE MUST DIE!!!!! Current mood: grumpy Category: Religion and Philosophy
RIGHT. I WAS THINKING LAST NIGHT THAT WHEN I START MY NEW BLOG I WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T RANT TOO MUCH AND WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE ENTRIES THAT WERE AT LEAST MODERATELY INSIGHTFUL AND NOT FUELLED BY ANGER.
UNFORTUNATELY I HAD A RUN IN THIS MORNING (ALMOST LITERALLY, READ ON) THAT HAS FORCED ME TO ABANDON THIS CONCEPT AND UNLEASH THE ANGER IN VERBAL FORM TO ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN OR ELSE MY HEAD WILL EXPLODE!!!!
Okay, I will stop writing in caps locks now because it's really annoying but just take the anger it represents and apply it to the following and that will more accurately represent how I feel, okay?
Right, so I had a really relaxing morning. I got up fairly early. My fridge was full, my cupboard was full, my breakfast was yum, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I was naughty and didn't go to the gym (for which my leg muscles will probably thank me for later). Everything was relaxed as I walked in the glittering sunlight towards THE BUS STOP.
As I approached THE BUS STOP, but was still on the other side of the street, I happened to notice that the BUS WAS COMING and that if I did not RUN TO HAIL it, I would MISS IT. So I ran across the road, to THE BUS STOP, because I don't like making an entire bus sit and wait for me to cross the road. Upon approaching the curb in front of THE BUS STOP I was very nearly clipped by THE BUS. I was somewhat affronted by this as there was ample time to BREAK and AVOID squashing me like a MUSHY BANANA but I figured it was just a bit of an oversteer on the part of THE BUS DRIVER.
So I got on THE BUS, and this is how the conversation went:
Me: "Hello there! Can I buy a student ticket please?"THE BUS DRIVER: "Show me your student pass. Now." (The tone was very deadpan, with a pretty strong undertone that would be represented best verbally with a collection of curse words). Me: "Oh. Sure, okay". My hands were full, I was carrying a heavy backpack and my wallet was at the bottom of it, but okay, that's a fair enough question. I'll admit I should have thought of that, but it's hard to exercise that sort of forsight when you're SPRINTING to avoid missing THE BUS. I produced the item demanded cheerfully (no really, I did). THE BUS DRIVER: "THAT'S EXPIRED. YOU HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE".
Now, this is something I can bare to be told. Hell I don't care if I have to pay the extra $1.50 or whatever it is. But the TONE this guy used made it sound like I like to kill puppies and actively seek to break the law with my holier than thou uni student intellectualism. Or something like that. So...
Me: "Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude or anything but I don't feel I need to be spoken with in that attitude. (I was actually really tempted to add "and you can address me as 'Miss' thankyou very much", but then realised I was channeling my mother). I'm actually on my way to update my card, just so you know". THE BUS DRIVER: "WELL THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM. I'M PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER, THE GOVERNMENT MAKES THE RULES AND IMPLEMENTS THE FINES AND I AM MERELY PROTECTING YOU FROM BEING SUBJECTED TO A $500 FINE."
Me: (Visibly annoyed but not really in the mood to argue, which those who know me personally will know is a mood that doesn't come along very often). "Okay then. Here is four dollars to pay for the full price adult fare. I'm sorry about that."
THE BUS DRIVER: "IT'S ONLY THREE DOLLARS, YOU TAKE THAT EXTRA ONE DOLLAR COIN BACK!!!!!!!!" (read that last bit as though Gollum from Lord of the Rings was saying "My Precioussssssssssssssssssssss" - as if I am miraculously supposed to know how much the adult fare is, obviously usually obtaining THE STUDENT FARE).
Me: (Trying best I can not to fully cut sick at this person's ridiculous attitude, and thinking the fact that no one else on the bus was listening in and sticking up for me must mean I should probably just go along with it, even if I do think it's stupid). Okay, look, what was your name? Michael is it?
THE BUS DRIVER: "YES MY NAME IS MICHAEL, I DRIVE BUS NUMBER (whatever it was) AND THE TIME IS NOW 10.30" (he threw the time in because it was obvious I was thinking of making a complaint to his supervisors).
Me: Okay I'll be remembering that. (I go to sit down).
THE BUS DRIVER: "YOU HAVE NOT VALIDATED YOUR TICKET, THAT IS A $500 FINE, THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA MAKES THESE RULES TO PROTECT SOCIETY FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU. I AM PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER" (okay that's not an exact quote but you get the gist).
Me: (gets up to validate the ticket, and mutters under my breath) "Protecting my arse" at which point I am given a rather poignant glare and the strong impression that if I mutter under my breath like that again I will be off this bus young lady.
This incident fucked me off for a number of reasons:
a) I made a mistake but I didn't actively mean to do anything wrong. I wasn't aware my card had expired yet. I also didn't know how much the adult fare was and I couldn't get a word in to ask because he was lecturing me on how he's enforcing the government's rights.
b) He just assumed I knew how the fuck the Adelaide bus system worked, that I caught that line often (which I don't having only recently moved to that suburb, and usually drive) and should know exactly when it arrives (somewhere in the conversation he also threw in that he wasn't supposed to stop for me at all because I hailed the bus stop about two meters before reaching the bus stop, having sprinted there to make sure I made it when it arrived). I could have been a little old lady who never leaves the house, a new immigrant to Australia, or someone who wears a business suit and whose limo had just broken down that morning, and my treatment would have been the same - apparently, if I had been any of these people, I would have been a complete idiot because I did not know exactly what time the bus arrived, and deserved to be left rotting by the side of the road.
c) I didn't get a chance to explain myself.
d) The guy completely skimped on the fact that the bus is a public service and that the government created the service to help people to get to the city in the morning, not to yell at them and ruin their morning and make them wonder what the heck their taxes are doing being spent paying rude losers like him.
e) No one on the bus said anything to stick up with me, and I don't think it's because I really did anything wrong but because Adelaide bus drivers are known for being pricks. The fact that that's accepted without anyone bothering to argue against it is just stupid. What happened to the everyday faces of Adelaide being friendly and showing the city sights and making Adelaide seem like a nice place that isn't filled with anal retentive pseudo-intellectuals?
f) I'm 21, and was spoken to as if I was five, which is just plain insulting. I don't like to kill puppies and this guy was insinuating that I take the food from starving children by inadvertantly asking for a student ticket when my card was invalid.
f) It ruined my morning, as well as the morning of the girl at the Adelaide Metro office who had to listen to me rant about this to her when I rang up to complain. (They said they'd get back to me in the next ten days, which is good).
In short - God bless my new car. Screw fossil fuels, screw global warming, screw congested traffic, screw expensive parking fees. I'll drive the 7 minutes or so to the city any day.
RIGHT. I WAS THINKING LAST NIGHT THAT WHEN I START MY NEW BLOG I WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T RANT TOO MUCH AND WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE ENTRIES THAT WERE AT LEAST MODERATELY INSIGHTFUL AND NOT FUELLED BY ANGER.
UNFORTUNATELY I HAD A RUN IN THIS MORNING (ALMOST LITERALLY, READ ON) THAT HAS FORCED ME TO ABANDON THIS CONCEPT AND UNLEASH THE ANGER IN VERBAL FORM TO ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN OR ELSE MY HEAD WILL EXPLODE!!!!
Okay, I will stop writing in caps locks now because it's really annoying but just take the anger it represents and apply it to the following and that will more accurately represent how I feel, okay?
Right, so I had a really relaxing morning. I got up fairly early. My fridge was full, my cupboard was full, my breakfast was yum, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I was naughty and didn't go to the gym (for which my leg muscles will probably thank me for later). Everything was relaxed as I walked in the glittering sunlight towards THE BUS STOP.
As I approached THE BUS STOP, but was still on the other side of the street, I happened to notice that the BUS WAS COMING and that if I did not RUN TO HAIL it, I would MISS IT. So I ran across the road, to THE BUS STOP, because I don't like making an entire bus sit and wait for me to cross the road. Upon approaching the curb in front of THE BUS STOP I was very nearly clipped by THE BUS. I was somewhat affronted by this as there was ample time to BREAK and AVOID squashing me like a MUSHY BANANA but I figured it was just a bit of an oversteer on the part of THE BUS DRIVER.
So I got on THE BUS, and this is how the conversation went:
Me: "Hello there! Can I buy a student ticket please?"THE BUS DRIVER: "Show me your student pass. Now." (The tone was very deadpan, with a pretty strong undertone that would be represented best verbally with a collection of curse words). Me: "Oh. Sure, okay". My hands were full, I was carrying a heavy backpack and my wallet was at the bottom of it, but okay, that's a fair enough question. I'll admit I should have thought of that, but it's hard to exercise that sort of forsight when you're SPRINTING to avoid missing THE BUS. I produced the item demanded cheerfully (no really, I did). THE BUS DRIVER: "THAT'S EXPIRED. YOU HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE".
Now, this is something I can bare to be told. Hell I don't care if I have to pay the extra $1.50 or whatever it is. But the TONE this guy used made it sound like I like to kill puppies and actively seek to break the law with my holier than thou uni student intellectualism. Or something like that. So...
Me: "Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude or anything but I don't feel I need to be spoken with in that attitude. (I was actually really tempted to add "and you can address me as 'Miss' thankyou very much", but then realised I was channeling my mother). I'm actually on my way to update my card, just so you know". THE BUS DRIVER: "WELL THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM. I'M PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER, THE GOVERNMENT MAKES THE RULES AND IMPLEMENTS THE FINES AND I AM MERELY PROTECTING YOU FROM BEING SUBJECTED TO A $500 FINE."
Me: (Visibly annoyed but not really in the mood to argue, which those who know me personally will know is a mood that doesn't come along very often). "Okay then. Here is four dollars to pay for the full price adult fare. I'm sorry about that."
THE BUS DRIVER: "IT'S ONLY THREE DOLLARS, YOU TAKE THAT EXTRA ONE DOLLAR COIN BACK!!!!!!!!" (read that last bit as though Gollum from Lord of the Rings was saying "My Precioussssssssssssssssssssss" - as if I am miraculously supposed to know how much the adult fare is, obviously usually obtaining THE STUDENT FARE).
Me: (Trying best I can not to fully cut sick at this person's ridiculous attitude, and thinking the fact that no one else on the bus was listening in and sticking up for me must mean I should probably just go along with it, even if I do think it's stupid). Okay, look, what was your name? Michael is it?
THE BUS DRIVER: "YES MY NAME IS MICHAEL, I DRIVE BUS NUMBER (whatever it was) AND THE TIME IS NOW 10.30" (he threw the time in because it was obvious I was thinking of making a complaint to his supervisors).
Me: Okay I'll be remembering that. (I go to sit down).
THE BUS DRIVER: "YOU HAVE NOT VALIDATED YOUR TICKET, THAT IS A $500 FINE, THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA MAKES THESE RULES TO PROTECT SOCIETY FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU. I AM PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER" (okay that's not an exact quote but you get the gist).
Me: (gets up to validate the ticket, and mutters under my breath) "Protecting my arse" at which point I am given a rather poignant glare and the strong impression that if I mutter under my breath like that again I will be off this bus young lady.
This incident fucked me off for a number of reasons:
a) I made a mistake but I didn't actively mean to do anything wrong. I wasn't aware my card had expired yet. I also didn't know how much the adult fare was and I couldn't get a word in to ask because he was lecturing me on how he's enforcing the government's rights.
b) He just assumed I knew how the fuck the Adelaide bus system worked, that I caught that line often (which I don't having only recently moved to that suburb, and usually drive) and should know exactly when it arrives (somewhere in the conversation he also threw in that he wasn't supposed to stop for me at all because I hailed the bus stop about two meters before reaching the bus stop, having sprinted there to make sure I made it when it arrived). I could have been a little old lady who never leaves the house, a new immigrant to Australia, or someone who wears a business suit and whose limo had just broken down that morning, and my treatment would have been the same - apparently, if I had been any of these people, I would have been a complete idiot because I did not know exactly what time the bus arrived, and deserved to be left rotting by the side of the road.
c) I didn't get a chance to explain myself.
d) The guy completely skimped on the fact that the bus is a public service and that the government created the service to help people to get to the city in the morning, not to yell at them and ruin their morning and make them wonder what the heck their taxes are doing being spent paying rude losers like him.
e) No one on the bus said anything to stick up with me, and I don't think it's because I really did anything wrong but because Adelaide bus drivers are known for being pricks. The fact that that's accepted without anyone bothering to argue against it is just stupid. What happened to the everyday faces of Adelaide being friendly and showing the city sights and making Adelaide seem like a nice place that isn't filled with anal retentive pseudo-intellectuals?
f) I'm 21, and was spoken to as if I was five, which is just plain insulting. I don't like to kill puppies and this guy was insinuating that I take the food from starving children by inadvertantly asking for a student ticket when my card was invalid.
f) It ruined my morning, as well as the morning of the girl at the Adelaide Metro office who had to listen to me rant about this to her when I rang up to complain. (They said they'd get back to me in the next ten days, which is good).
In short - God bless my new car. Screw fossil fuels, screw global warming, screw congested traffic, screw expensive parking fees. I'll drive the 7 minutes or so to the city any day.
The post I mentioned.
BUS DRIVERS IN ADELAIDE MUST DIE!!!!! Current mood: grumpy Category: Religion and Philosophy
RIGHT. I WAS THINKING LAST NIGHT THAT WHEN I START MY NEW BLOG I WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T RANT TOO MUCH AND WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE ENTRIES THAT WERE AT LEAST MODERATELY INSIGHTFUL AND NOT FUELLED BY ANGER.
UNFORTUNATELY I HAD A RUN IN THIS MORNING (ALMOST LITERALLY, READ ON) THAT HAS FORCED ME TO ABANDON THIS CONCEPT AND UNLEASH THE ANGER IN VERBAL FORM TO ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN OR ELSE MY HEAD WILL EXPLODE!!!!
Okay, I will stop writing in caps locks now because it's really annoying but just take the anger it represents and apply it to the following and that will more accurately represent how I feel, okay?
Right, so I had a really relaxing morning. I got up fairly early. My fridge was full, my cupboard was full, my breakfast was yum, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I was naughty and didn't go to the gym (for which my leg muscles will probably thank me for later). Everything was relaxed as I walked in the glittering sunlight towards THE BUS STOP.
As I approached THE BUS STOP, but was still on the other side of the street, I happened to notice that the BUS WAS COMING and that if I did not RUN TO HAIL it, I would MISS IT. So I ran across the road, to THE BUS STOP, because I don't like making an entire bus sit and wait for me to cross the road. Upon approaching the curb in front of THE BUS STOP I was very nearly clipped by THE BUS. I was somewhat affronted by this as there was ample time to BREAK and AVOID squashing me like a MUSHY BANANA but I figured it was just a bit of an oversteer on the part of THE BUS DRIVER.
So I got on THE BUS, and this is how the conversation went:
Me: "Hello there! Can I buy a student ticket please?"THE BUS DRIVER: "Show me your student pass. Now." (The tone was very deadpan, with a pretty strong undertone that would be represented best verbally with a collection of curse words). Me: "Oh. Sure, okay". My hands were full, I was carrying a heavy backpack and my wallet was at the bottom of it, but okay, that's a fair enough question. I'll admit I should have thought of that, but it's hard to exercise that sort of forsight when you're SPRINTING to avoid missing THE BUS. I produced the item demanded cheerfully (no really, I did). THE BUS DRIVER: "THAT'S EXPIRED. YOU HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE".
Now, this is something I can bare to be told. Hell I don't care if I have to pay the extra $1.50 or whatever it is. But the TONE this guy used made it sound like I like to kill puppies and actively seek to break the law with my holier than thou uni student intellectualism. Or something like that. So...
Me: "Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude or anything but I don't feel I need to be spoken with in that attitude. (I was actually really tempted to add "and you can address me as 'Miss' thankyou very much", but then realised I was channeling my mother). I'm actually on my way to update my card, just so you know". THE BUS DRIVER: "WELL THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM. I'M PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER, THE GOVERNMENT MAKES THE RULES AND IMPLEMENTS THE FINES AND I AM MERELY PROTECTING YOU FROM BEING SUBJECTED TO A $500 FINE."
Me: (Visibly annoyed but not really in the mood to argue, which those who know me personally will know is a mood that doesn't come along very often). "Okay then. Here is four dollars to pay for the full price adult fare. I'm sorry about that."
THE BUS DRIVER: "IT'S ONLY THREE DOLLARS, YOU TAKE THAT EXTRA ONE DOLLAR COIN BACK!!!!!!!!" (read that last bit as though Gollum from Lord of the Rings was saying "My Precioussssssssssssssssssssss" - as if I am miraculously supposed to know how much the adult fare is, obviously usually obtaining THE STUDENT FARE).
Me: (Trying best I can not to fully cut sick at this person's ridiculous attitude, and thinking the fact that no one else on the bus was listening in and sticking up for me must mean I should probably just go along with it, even if I do think it's stupid). Okay, look, what was your name? Michael is it?
THE BUS DRIVER: "YES MY NAME IS MICHAEL, I DRIVE BUS NUMBER (whatever it was) AND THE TIME IS NOW 10.30" (he threw the time in because it was obvious I was thinking of making a complaint to his supervisors).
Me: Okay I'll be remembering that. (I go to sit down).
THE BUS DRIVER: "YOU HAVE NOT VALIDATED YOUR TICKET, THAT IS A $500 FINE, THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA MAKES THESE RULES TO PROTECT SOCIETY FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU. I AM PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER" (okay that's not an exact quote but you get the gist).
Me: (gets up to validate the ticket, and mutters under my breath) "Protecting my arse" at which point I am given a rather poignant glare and the strong impression that if I mutter under my breath like that again I will be off this bus young lady.
This incident fucked me off for a number of reasons:
a) I made a mistake but I didn't actively mean to do anything wrong. I wasn't aware my card had expired yet. I also didn't know how much the adult fare was and I couldn't get a word in to ask because he was lecturing me on how he's enforcing the government's rights.
b) He just assumed I knew how the fuck the Adelaide bus system worked, that I caught that line often (which I don't having only recently moved to that suburb, and usually drive) and should know exactly when it arrives (somewhere in the conversation he also threw in that he wasn't supposed to stop for me at all because I hailed the bus stop about two meters before reaching the bus stop, having sprinted there to make sure I made it when it arrived). I could have been a little old lady who never leaves the house, a new immigrant to Australia, or someone who wears a business suit and whose limo had just broken down that morning, and my treatment would have been the same - apparently, if I had been any of these people, I would have been a complete idiot because I did not know exactly what time the bus arrived, and deserved to be left rotting by the side of the road.
c) I didn't get a chance to explain myself.
d) The guy completely skimped on the fact that the bus is a public service and that the government created the service to help people to get to the city in the morning, not to yell at them and ruin their morning and make them wonder what the heck their taxes are doing being spent paying rude losers like him.
e) No one on the bus said anything to stick up with me, and I don't think it's because I really did anything wrong but because Adelaide bus drivers are known for being pricks. The fact that that's accepted without anyone bothering to argue against it is just stupid. What happened to the everyday faces of Adelaide being friendly and showing the city sights and making Adelaide seem like a nice place that isn't filled with anal retentive pseudo-intellectuals?
f) I'm 21, and was spoken to as if I was five, which is just plain insulting. I don't like to kill puppies and this guy was insinuating that I take the food from starving children by inadvertantly asking for a student ticket when my card was invalid.
f) It ruined my morning, as well as the morning of the girl at the Adelaide Metro office who had to listen to me rant about this to her when I rang up to complain. (They said they'd get back to me in the next ten days, which is good).
In short - God bless my new car. Screw fossil fuels, screw global warming, screw congested traffic, screw expensive parking fees. I'll drive the 7 minutes or so to the city any day.
RIGHT. I WAS THINKING LAST NIGHT THAT WHEN I START MY NEW BLOG I WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T RANT TOO MUCH AND WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE ENTRIES THAT WERE AT LEAST MODERATELY INSIGHTFUL AND NOT FUELLED BY ANGER.
UNFORTUNATELY I HAD A RUN IN THIS MORNING (ALMOST LITERALLY, READ ON) THAT HAS FORCED ME TO ABANDON THIS CONCEPT AND UNLEASH THE ANGER IN VERBAL FORM TO ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN OR ELSE MY HEAD WILL EXPLODE!!!!
Okay, I will stop writing in caps locks now because it's really annoying but just take the anger it represents and apply it to the following and that will more accurately represent how I feel, okay?
Right, so I had a really relaxing morning. I got up fairly early. My fridge was full, my cupboard was full, my breakfast was yum, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I was naughty and didn't go to the gym (for which my leg muscles will probably thank me for later). Everything was relaxed as I walked in the glittering sunlight towards THE BUS STOP.
As I approached THE BUS STOP, but was still on the other side of the street, I happened to notice that the BUS WAS COMING and that if I did not RUN TO HAIL it, I would MISS IT. So I ran across the road, to THE BUS STOP, because I don't like making an entire bus sit and wait for me to cross the road. Upon approaching the curb in front of THE BUS STOP I was very nearly clipped by THE BUS. I was somewhat affronted by this as there was ample time to BREAK and AVOID squashing me like a MUSHY BANANA but I figured it was just a bit of an oversteer on the part of THE BUS DRIVER.
So I got on THE BUS, and this is how the conversation went:
Me: "Hello there! Can I buy a student ticket please?"THE BUS DRIVER: "Show me your student pass. Now." (The tone was very deadpan, with a pretty strong undertone that would be represented best verbally with a collection of curse words). Me: "Oh. Sure, okay". My hands were full, I was carrying a heavy backpack and my wallet was at the bottom of it, but okay, that's a fair enough question. I'll admit I should have thought of that, but it's hard to exercise that sort of forsight when you're SPRINTING to avoid missing THE BUS. I produced the item demanded cheerfully (no really, I did). THE BUS DRIVER: "THAT'S EXPIRED. YOU HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE".
Now, this is something I can bare to be told. Hell I don't care if I have to pay the extra $1.50 or whatever it is. But the TONE this guy used made it sound like I like to kill puppies and actively seek to break the law with my holier than thou uni student intellectualism. Or something like that. So...
Me: "Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude or anything but I don't feel I need to be spoken with in that attitude. (I was actually really tempted to add "and you can address me as 'Miss' thankyou very much", but then realised I was channeling my mother). I'm actually on my way to update my card, just so you know". THE BUS DRIVER: "WELL THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM. I'M PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER, THE GOVERNMENT MAKES THE RULES AND IMPLEMENTS THE FINES AND I AM MERELY PROTECTING YOU FROM BEING SUBJECTED TO A $500 FINE."
Me: (Visibly annoyed but not really in the mood to argue, which those who know me personally will know is a mood that doesn't come along very often). "Okay then. Here is four dollars to pay for the full price adult fare. I'm sorry about that."
THE BUS DRIVER: "IT'S ONLY THREE DOLLARS, YOU TAKE THAT EXTRA ONE DOLLAR COIN BACK!!!!!!!!" (read that last bit as though Gollum from Lord of the Rings was saying "My Precioussssssssssssssssssssss" - as if I am miraculously supposed to know how much the adult fare is, obviously usually obtaining THE STUDENT FARE).
Me: (Trying best I can not to fully cut sick at this person's ridiculous attitude, and thinking the fact that no one else on the bus was listening in and sticking up for me must mean I should probably just go along with it, even if I do think it's stupid). Okay, look, what was your name? Michael is it?
THE BUS DRIVER: "YES MY NAME IS MICHAEL, I DRIVE BUS NUMBER (whatever it was) AND THE TIME IS NOW 10.30" (he threw the time in because it was obvious I was thinking of making a complaint to his supervisors).
Me: Okay I'll be remembering that. (I go to sit down).
THE BUS DRIVER: "YOU HAVE NOT VALIDATED YOUR TICKET, THAT IS A $500 FINE, THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA MAKES THESE RULES TO PROTECT SOCIETY FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU. I AM PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER" (okay that's not an exact quote but you get the gist).
Me: (gets up to validate the ticket, and mutters under my breath) "Protecting my arse" at which point I am given a rather poignant glare and the strong impression that if I mutter under my breath like that again I will be off this bus young lady.
This incident fucked me off for a number of reasons:
a) I made a mistake but I didn't actively mean to do anything wrong. I wasn't aware my card had expired yet. I also didn't know how much the adult fare was and I couldn't get a word in to ask because he was lecturing me on how he's enforcing the government's rights.
b) He just assumed I knew how the fuck the Adelaide bus system worked, that I caught that line often (which I don't having only recently moved to that suburb, and usually drive) and should know exactly when it arrives (somewhere in the conversation he also threw in that he wasn't supposed to stop for me at all because I hailed the bus stop about two meters before reaching the bus stop, having sprinted there to make sure I made it when it arrived). I could have been a little old lady who never leaves the house, a new immigrant to Australia, or someone who wears a business suit and whose limo had just broken down that morning, and my treatment would have been the same - apparently, if I had been any of these people, I would have been a complete idiot because I did not know exactly what time the bus arrived, and deserved to be left rotting by the side of the road.
c) I didn't get a chance to explain myself.
d) The guy completely skimped on the fact that the bus is a public service and that the government created the service to help people to get to the city in the morning, not to yell at them and ruin their morning and make them wonder what the heck their taxes are doing being spent paying rude losers like him.
e) No one on the bus said anything to stick up with me, and I don't think it's because I really did anything wrong but because Adelaide bus drivers are known for being pricks. The fact that that's accepted without anyone bothering to argue against it is just stupid. What happened to the everyday faces of Adelaide being friendly and showing the city sights and making Adelaide seem like a nice place that isn't filled with anal retentive pseudo-intellectuals?
f) I'm 21, and was spoken to as if I was five, which is just plain insulting. I don't like to kill puppies and this guy was insinuating that I take the food from starving children by inadvertantly asking for a student ticket when my card was invalid.
f) It ruined my morning, as well as the morning of the girl at the Adelaide Metro office who had to listen to me rant about this to her when I rang up to complain. (They said they'd get back to me in the next ten days, which is good).
In short - God bless my new car. Screw fossil fuels, screw global warming, screw congested traffic, screw expensive parking fees. I'll drive the 7 minutes or so to the city any day.
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