Their Attitude Is Totally Bus-ted

(I am catching a bus to my aunt’s house. This route is a loop, and buses go in both directions around the loop. This means that even though they are the same route, one takes 20 minutes to get to where I’m going and the other takes an hour and a half. I can’t remember which is which, as I don’t use the bus there often.)

Me: “Hello, does this bus go up [Street #1] or [Street #2]?”

Driver: “[Street #1].”

Me: “Okay, thanks.”

(I pay and take my ticket, but before I can sit down:)

Driver: *as if he had never said anything* “I go up [Street #2] and down [Street #1].”

Me: “Oh… Well… I already paid. Can I get a refund?”

Driver: “No.”

Me: “Um… Well, I don’t have any more cash for my fare on the correct bus. Can you radio them and tell them I paid?”

(This is common in my town for minor stuff like this; most bus drivers will happily help.)

Driver: *very angrily* “No! Sit down or get off; you’re holding me up!”

(Stunned at his sudden aggressive attitude, I turn around and go to get off the bus.)

Driver: *shouting after me* “Learn where you’re going!”

Me: *I have had enough at this point and have had a second to gather my thoughts, so I shout back* “Learn your f****** job!”

(I called up to complain. When I did, I told them I swore at him, for the sake of full disclosure. The woman said, “Well, I can see here that this isn’t the first incident with that driver, so that’s probably fair enough!” She apologised sincerely and arranged for the next bus to let me on for free, through the same radio system the rude driver could have used.)