Types of Passengers that a Bus Captain will be amused - Part 2

Non beckons

These are classic Bus Commuters or Passengers type. 

Once as I was approaching the bus stop near to where St. Joseph Church in Bukit Timah road; after a Sunday mass; there are some 80 people waiting at that bus stop. As I am getting nearer to the bus stop, no one flag or beckon for my service.

Internally, I told myself, how can it be, with so many people waiting for buses, surely, there will be a couple of them will take my bus service to Jurong.

Nevertheless, I still pulled the bus in,  stop it and opened the front door. To my horror, none boarded the bus.

I was red-faced then and then. Looked like a clown for a moment.

Form that day onwards, I have decided, that, by the time, the bus is 1/3 into the bus stop cutout perimeter; and if no know wants to raise his/her hand to flag or beckon for my bus service; I will just drive off and good luck and please be happy waiting for the next bus to call.

Non Ringer

On the non-ringer type, they assumption is that, the BC will stop at every bus stop regardless whether the bus stop has anyone waiting to board or take the bus or not. They also assumed that the BC will as a default will open the rear door for them to alight. Sorry both assumption is not correct.

Of course, I will stop the bus at the bus stop, if there is pax waiting for me and want to use my service. However, at time during lull period of the day, some bus stop hardly has any pax for us to make the unnecessary stop. 

On several occasion, whenever the pax missed his/her intended bus stop to alight, will walk to the front and confronted me, by questioning, why I did not stop the bus just now. I told them, there is no bus stopping ringer been activated, and he give me harsh look (fortunately, he did not punch me as in the case of SBS on 20^th Jan 2016). 

So, dear pax, I wish to seek your kindness understanding, if you need to alight, please indicated your intention earlier by the pressing or pushing the bus stopping buzzer. 

FYI, for inter-town bus services, for every 200 to 400M, a bus stop will be convenient located to service you, ya.

Thank You.

Google map man

This type of pax expects me to know the location or destination that they wish to go. FYI, BC is duty bound to know where are the Bus Stops are, period.

Once I pick up this man and he wanted to go a an un-marked HDB construction site along the svc route 904 that I was plying. 

He request was, he wanted to go to this construction site, “Gate-2”. I told him point blank, I have no idea which one is Gate-2. But I bring you to the nearest bus stop and you can walk further down to see which one is your Gate-2 lah. Vanakam.

Hitch-hiker

This type of pax, his operandi modulus, will be that, he carried a knack-sack bag with him, with several pockets; after boarding the bus, he will search each and every of the pockets for money to pay for his fare. After several bus stop of travelling, he still could not manage to find any fare-card(ezlink) or money to pay for his fare. 

So I have to stop the bus and alight him. Fortunately, this kind of incident is rare. Perhaps, there among us, are really in such a dire strait. Nevertheless, I wish him well.

To prevent been slapped with a $20/- fine by PTC, This is an exception and not a rule; if indeed you have no money to travel on an unfortunate day; just courteously info the BC and make a humble request to waive the fare.

Pax with Swollen leg

From my observation, usually, the women folks will encountered much of this water retention to their leg and foot.

One cannot imagine how swollen and the degree of pain this woman folks have to endure daily.

I remembered at this bus stop in Taman Jurong. I was driving this good work horse Mercedes 0405 bus with a “3-storey height” step to climb before you can get into the bus.

As standard operational instruction, I need to keep a 0.5M gap between the bus stop pavement and the left side of the bus; But on that day, I just drive the bus close to pavement till the tyre already touches or kissed the cement kerb in order to allow this poor lady to climb the said 3steps. 

I was sadden to see how she difficult and struggled for her to get on board. I did told her, to please wait for another 15mins at this bus stop, as the “flat-bed” bus is coming soon. However, she told me, she will be late for her medical appointment in Bukit Batok (i.e. the coughing hill) polyclinic.

Fyi, together with LTA, my company to date have replaced almost all the 3-storey high steps bus with the new “flat-bed” type of buses to service You.

Concession Card misused

This is another classic pax type and it is still on-going; they assume, the BC do not know what concession card type there using when boarding the bus.

BC knows the type of card you are actually using. But many a time, I give you the benefit of the doubt.

There were many incidences that, the specific cards are been misused. The wheel chair card has been used by able body pax that can walk on two; adult using children fare card and more.

To quote, On several occasion, there was this young maiden whom boards the bus at Taman Jurong using a senior citizen card. The 1^st and 2^nd trip, I  just let her be. On the 3^rd round, after she has boarded the bus and tap in, immediate next bus stop; I stopped the bus, after securing the handbrake and setting the drive to neutral position; I  approached her. And ask politely, “hi miss, do you know that you are using a senior citizen card to pay for the fare?”; she was dumb founded and remain silent with a smile. 

Then I told her, for the next trip, please use the correct fare concession card. The consequence is that, if one day, you met with the ticket inspector, you will be fine with a compound amount of S$20/-.

Safe to say, the Malay community commuter is best bus pax that truly respect the amount of fare been due to them. Syabas.

CB and F* School Girls and Boys

In full daylight and in their full school uniform, these girls and boys will utter this 4LW for the music to my ear and the rest of the commuting pax. (usually on feeder services).

Not sure, what kind of school work pressure or frustration do they have. The girls will usually use CB only, and the boys will use both CB and F*. I felt awkward with this type of student pax and luckily only a handful of them are as such. But it is on-going.

I do not remember whether my company has any SOP on this kind of situation; whereby, I can order them to be ejected from the rest of the journey. Fortunately, the “mother” word was not included in their profanity.