I Never Wait for the Bus — A Brisbane Driver Explains Why Safety Comes First
Running late to catch a bus and watching it pull away can feel infuriating, but a Brisbane bus driver has offered an explanation. An anonymous driver has provided a detailed list of reasons explaining why allowing passengers on board after the doors have closed can create a dangerous situation — and cause broader delays. The driver explained in an online forum that when a bus is running on schedule, or even late, he 'simply won't wait' for a passenger running to catch the bus after the doors have closed — and the main reason has to do with safety. 'Once we shut our doors, we are under no obligation to reopen our doors,' he explained. 'At this point I am focusing on exiting the stop safely, so my attention is on my offside (right mirror) and I am no longer checking my nearside (left mirror).' He explained that once the turning indicator has been switched on, it alerts traffic behind the bus that it now intends to depart — and any delay in this creates confusion or even a potential accident scenario. The driver also expressly cautioned late-running passengers against trying to knock on the closed glass door to get the driver's attention. 'Please don’t tap on the door as it is distracting and dangerous, as you are diverting our attention from where it needs to be,' he pleaded.
Once We Shut Our Doors We Are Under No Obligation to Reopen
A Brisbane bus driver has offered an explanation for why they deny entry to late passengers once the door has closed. The bus driver said: 'There have also been people hit by buses and other vehicles trying to run for buses.' The main argument is safety: 'If I wait for one person here and two people there, this causes delays,' he explained. 'If I stop 30 seconds longer than I need to on 20 occasions during my shift, then I am 10 minutes late. That is even before you add in the missed traffic lights. And then everyone is upset at me for running late. What is worse? Waiting for one person who may think I am doing it to be nasty, or delaying several hundred people over a duration of a shift and everyone hates me because of this?' The driver did, however, comment that there are particular extenuating circumstances where he would permit a slight delay. 'I won’t wait unless it is clear they are elderly or have a disability, or the weather is bad,' he said. The bus driver shared a lengthy explanation about why they couldn't delay for late-running passengers - with the reasons boiling down to safety and efficiency. 'If I see I am running early, I will wait,' he explained. 'I will use every opportunity I have to wait to ensure I don’t arrive at my next timing point early. I do everything I can to help people while providing the safest and most efficient service possible.' The driver even played devil's advocate in his explanation post, saying he understood that 'buses run late all the time', which can be very 'frustrating' for commuters. 'We do everything we can to try to remain on time while providing a safe service,' he offered. 'However, there are plenty of reasons why we are late which are out of our control, such as traffic, accidents, breakdowns, medical emergencies, unruly passengers, the list goes on.' The Aussie driver added that there are also a number of simple but helpful things that all 'passengers can do to improve the efficiency of the service'. He recommended 'being at the bus stop five minutes before the bus arrives', as well as having your 'method of payment ready' before you hop on board. 'We are all in this together, so we could all try to work together to have the safest and most efficient bus system we can get with the current infrastructure we have,' he concluded.
Delays, Efficiency and How Passengers Can Help
The frank and honest explanation was much appreciated by many local Brisbane commuters. 'Thank you for taking the time to write this!' read one of a number of thankful replies. 'The best explanation I\'ve ever read…' agreed another. 'Thanks for unravelling some of the secret mysteries of the world!' another person added. 'Is one person more important than the 50 other people on the bus?' one person mused. 'Also, it is not the bus driver\'s fault if people have poor time management.' Another agreed: 'If you\'re not waiting on me because I\'m running for the bus, or thirty seconds late … well, I\'ll probably still be annoyed, but that\'s on me. No arguments.' The discussion also lit up with comments about poor treatment they\'d observed bus drivers receiving - not only from late-running passengers but in other circumstances. To this point, the driver who shared the post offered his philosophy. 'We do cop a lot of crap from passengers, but I was told by a senior driver many years ago to assume my uniform is made out of Teflon (the non-stick pan coating) and to not let it affect me,' he shared. 'Same advice I now pass onto newer drivers.' The driver also suggested a few simple but helpful things passengers can do to ensure efficiency on buses, by being at the stop ahead of the bus\' arrival and having their payment method ready. 'We are all in this together, so we could all try to work together to have the safest and most efficient bus system we can get with the current infrastructure we have,' he concluded.
