Blessed buses

[cosmolinguist]

I'm getting a bit "Brian Blessed in clavdivs" now on the subject of buses. "Is there any bus driver in Manchester who understands that they're supposed to stop for white cane users?"

I was livid about this yesterday because I was waiting (in record-breaking heat, carrying a very heavy bag of books) for a 278 that was so late I was beginning to worry I'd missed it (even though I'd gotten to the bus stop early). It's only once an hour though, and my commute has taught me that these east-west buses think nothing of being fifteen minutes late.

It did finally turn up. And zoomed right past me, my white cane, and my outstretched arm. I was so shocked and so angry. I'd already been imagining the relief of being on the bus, out of the sun, putting my bag down, and here my little future was dissolving in front of me.

The 278 is easily the most frustrating bus for me to get because not only is it once an hour, not only is this not the first time lately that one has failed to stop for me, but I feel especially helpless when these kinds of things happen on that route.

As little satisfaction as I get when I complain about Stagecoach buses (the most I ever got was a free bus ticket, a cruel joke for someone with a disabled pass who gets free travel, and that was only when I complained formally about a bus that was the last one of the night that blatantly ignored me), at least they reply to tweets. This bus is run on some days of the week by a company called Diamond and on the others by Manchester Community Transport which I think means the council?

The last time one zoomed past me (I bolted to the next stop which I knew wasn't far away, and a passenger on the bus who saw me hit the button so it'd stop for me, and when I told the driver he's supposed to stop for people with white canes he wouldn't even look at me and just said "Didn't see you love" as quickly as possible), a friend tagged the council and whoever runs their social media said this wasn't them, it's this Diamond NW company. Who I then tweeted and they never acknowledged it at all. I didn't know if the council would be any more helpful when it's an MCT bus and I just didn't have the heart to try.

I stomped all the way to Reddish, in the heat, with the heavy books (which were delightedly received by the friend I was visiting, so it was totally worth it). I expected the exertion to burn off the anger, but I was still mad when I got there. Maybe not quite shouting like Brian Blessed in my head any more, but not far off.

It's because I just have no recourse, no expectation that my having to walk in the heat and discomfort will be recognized as an entirely avoidable thing, no hope that anything will be done to improve it. I am reliant on this system, I can't make it any better. and I hate that.

Comments

[kaberett]

Unsolicited advice Alex?

And yeah, this is utter fuckin' bullshit.

[cosmolinguist]

Feel free, though the spoon forecast for me being able to follow through with advice is not great right now so no offense if I don't do any of it. ;)

[kaberett]

I am genuinely bolshy enough that I'd be tempted to call a taxi every time this happened (if possible having made a note of the bus numberplate but definitely of time/date/etc, which is enough to identify the driver), keep the receipt, and claim the money back off the council. It'd be a fight but it might Make The Damn Point. (It does also, of course, require having a slush fund.)

[momentsmusicaux]

Ha! I like that plan!

All I had was that you should shout like Brian Blessed not in your head, but at the bus driver.

[cosmolinguist]

I usually do when this kind of thing happens. This time I didn't only because some prick happened to be walking down the street right next to me as the bus went by and said "maybe it wasn't in service" and seemed to think I was overreacting when I said I saw the "278" on it.

[barakta]

Nice whataboutery :(

[cosmolinguist]

Yeah, it really didn't help. I was ready to swear at him too.

[barakta]

I too was thinking get a taxi, get a receipt and complain and demand they refund your taxi.

I will add this to my plotting disability rights org "draft complaint documents" list.

[cosmolinguist]

It is a good idea for the list. :)

[lilysea]

Aaaaaargh.

So much empathy / solidarity on this one.

I keep having buses sail past me (even while the driver makes eye contact with me!) because they don't wanna be bothered having to lower the wheelchair ramp.

[sir_guinglain]

Looking at the internet, Manchester Community Transport are a 'social enterprise', now a subsidiary of a larger group, HCT, though they receive grants from councils to operate. Diamond are part of one of the smaller bus conglomerate, Rotala. None of which explains your mistreatment by the bus drivers.

[cosmolinguist]

No, but it's good to know. Thank you for looking it up. :)

[davidgillon]

None of which explains your mistreatment by the bus drivers.

It's fairly standard that bus schedules don't allow for _any_ delays, up to and including time to deploy the wheelchair ramp, and that drivers are harassed by management if they fall behind schedule. Doesn't make their behaviour right, but that's generally the reason for drivers skipping stops.

[mrs_leroy_brown]

That is frankly disgusting!

Can I suggest writing to your MP? It won't be a quick resolution, but their case worker will contact the council and/or bus company, and in the past I have found when I need a response from soulless factions (*cough* DWP) that a letter to my MP got a response, even if it was a weak one.

The reason I say this is, as a council officer, I know that the partnership between public transport private companies and local authorities is often fractured with siloed thinking and not my responsibility/budget guv attitudes. Your MP will have a shit tonne of clout with the council and politicians need to know how disabled people are being (in this case literally) ignored.

[cosmolinguist]

Thanks for the perspective. I hadn't thought of writing to my MP.

[po8crg]

If you're writing a letter, you could copy it to Andy Burnham. He keeps saying he's trying to sort the buses out.

[silveradept]

That's unacceptable behavior.

My personally terrible self suggests that if it would do any damage or look like it would, to use the white cane in such a way that the driver has to stop or risk injuring his own fool self, but that's me.

[cosmolinguist]

It's not logistically possible, but it may be something I daydream about. :)

[worlds_of_smoke]

UGH. It drives me crazy when buses drive past me. It's even worse when I don't bring my fucking walker because I don't feel like pushing it through a field full of gopher holes and my leg is numb because I've already hit my standing time limit.

[jesse_the_k]

Arrrrrgggghhhh!

[finding_helena]

Ugh, that's ridiculous! They shouldn't be acting that way.