My house (like every house I’ve ever lived in – -except one in Adelaide) is on a hill. Towards the bottom of my Street, there’s a busy bus stop. The actual sign that signifies the bus area is about five metres uphill from where the sheltered seat is, and it’s a marked incline. Across the street from the bus stop is a retirement home. Put two and two together folks, what do you get?
The occasion of older Australians (who are always exceptionally well-dressed) who have sat down on the seat to get a moment’s rest because their replaced hip is killing them, and then when the bus comes, everyone fifty years their junior standing and waiting all file on to the bus, and have processed their tickets and sat down while our older brothers or sisters are still negotiating the tricky task of getting up from the bus seat and walking up a hill.
You’d imagine that the kindly bus driver would calmly wait, with a bus full of people, and perhaps even help the elderly lady/gent on board.
You imagined wrong. They heartless bastards drive off, lest they be kept waiting by a person with a pensioner ticket.
You have seen your Grandparents try and get up from a chair haven’t you? It’s a mission to get creaky old joints to move at all, and then to walk up a hill, it’s always a shuffle and not a sprint.
I have seen it a few times, clear as day the driver spots the older potential in the rear vision mirror, calculates their ETA at the bus door, and then weights up whether they’ll wait for them or dive into the traffic that’s just opened up. Sometimes, when I’m walking down my hill, I see this happening and madly signal the driver to stop driving off and let the older guy/girl on, even knocking on the bus door – but they just shake their heads with a “shoulda been ready” look and drive off.
I’m sure that the bus driver has good reason to pull away from the kerb and leave a shuffling grey person alone on the footpath, I’m sure they’ve a schedule to keep or left the oven on or something. I really do hope that the thought process that goes on in their heads is a rational one, and that they can sleep at night.
It happened the other day when both myself and another random guy tried to flag the bus down, and he still drove off.
I get really mad yet the older person just shrugs, yet another young whipper-snapper showing them disrespect, no big deal.
I can’t stand it.
We are all going to die old and wrinkly and happy.
So be nice to old people as often as you can.
They have great stories, sage-like advice and no matter what you think, were wilder than you’d ever imagine in their 20′s.
xx aa
The only difference between them and us is they got there first.
I hate the bus, I have refused to catch one ever since i was in year 9. I would rather hitch hike with a serial killer then catch a bus.
That’s the difference between Melbourne and Sydney my friend! We actually get off the tram to help old people and people with children on. If the tram driver doesn’t stop, everyone starts shouting and thumping the doors. Next time get the bus number plate! Makes me so angry! We’re all on the bus/tram together! SHARIIIING!!!
Actually I think the EXACT same thing happened to me in Sydney once! I felt so rejected. Saw the driver laughing in the rear view mirror: “Stupid Melburnians!”
Lovely blog Andrew – Maybe you could forward it to the bus company – you might get some action. The drivers are usually controlled by The Man and are thus very reluctant to stop. Who knows,you may need that bus stop yourself one day…….
xxx
doesn’t only happen in Sydney, it occurs in Hobart and its not just the oldies who get left behind.
i on many occasion have been left less than 5 seconds from the bus stop becuase the driver couldn’t be bothered waiting…or perhaps, because i use an electric wheelchair, couldn’t be bothered getting the ramp out for me (which would significantly cut the wait time). and because the next wheelie accessable bus isn’t for another hour, i have to cruise the 2-3 ks to work so i won’t be late.
i complained, i would be told i should have booked via the wheelie booking number – which i refuse to do becuase i believe i should be able to be as spontaneous as the next person.
now that i’ve done ranting, if you’re a music/scenery/good story fan, go see 4 – a doco based around Vivaldi’s Four Seasons…its good!
Maybe you can speak to someone in your local council and ask them to move the shelter closer to the bus sign area because of this. I don’t know that they’re any better though We have private buses in our area and I must say the drivers seem to know the locals (elderly and primary school children) and are fairly good.
Our morning bus driver was very good and would wait for you to cross the road, run up the street, and jump on the bus. All with a smile and a cheery good morning.
Pity they can’t all be the same.
The older people in our community deserve respect from each and every one of us. They too are someones great grandparents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles.
Having recently been in Hawaii, not only do the bus drivers lower the bus entrance right down to street level so the oldies can get on and off without having to bust a knee, when there is a passenger in a wheelchair the driver actually stops the bus, lowers the lifting device, gets out, wheels the passenger onto the lift, and then buckles the wheelchair safely onto the bus. Then of course they do the same when the happy traveller has reached their destination. In Sydney you would be lucky just to get a bus with a wheelchair space! But of course, Hawaii thrives on tourism, not like we do down here in Sydney *cough*.
Sorry, I have to go back to “Beach Etiquette”. Having been at the beach today, what a glorious day it’s been, I was disgusted at the number of guys making revolting sounds with their mouths and spitting.So NO SPITTING. It’s sickening.
I have an idea!
Get one of those buses you can hire, like the free ones to the RSL’s they have, and you drive the oldies around.
All problems solved!
I’d go ape if this happened to my Nanna
I love my Nanna!