It's not fair. But it seems to be the truth. The day before yesterday I got on a bus with two friends, one of which was Yaning. Yaning showed a transfer while the second friend paid a ticket. I showed a transfer as well, the exact same one that she did, and then... The bus driver stops me.
"Let me see that," he says, gesturing at my transfer. He takes it out of my hand, uncurls it, and reads the time at the bottom. "This transfer is not valid anymore." He then proceeds to mutter something undistinguishable from the roar of the engine. All I hear is "...too late...pay another ticket..."
What is up with that? Honestly, it was the same transfer. Why is it, then, that when I show it, it suddenly becomes invalid? Now, if I hadn't been getting free tickets, and if I hadn't already been used to the poor treatment from bus drivers, (*Sarcasm* Terrible customer service! (We're learning about that in class.)) I would have been seriously pissed. This was definitely NOT the first time something like this has happened. Several times, especially when I am the last of a group of people to get on a bus, the bus driver stops me and asks to see my transfer. And the worst part is their tone. It's so cold and offending. Today, I was taking a transfer from a bus driver when I accidentally grabbed a bunch of transfers he was holding rather than the one he isolated in his hand because I was looking down the bus. Instantly, he tensed his grip. I looked up into cold eyes.
"Watch where you grab. Take ONE transfer, not the ten others." What I wouldn't give to serve a volleyball at the bus windshield...
Another time, I took a transfer from a subway station and attempted to transfer twice. As I walked past him, the bus driver gestured for me to come back.
"You can't use this."
"Why?"
"You can't transfer like this!"
"But... but other bus drivers let me..."
"I don't CARE what other bus drivers do! You can't use it!"
"But other bus drivers-"
"Did you hear me? I don't CARE what other bus drivers say. YOU CAN'T USE IT."
At that point I was so pissed that I walked off the bus, holding back my retort: And to think I used to wonder why bus drivers were assaulted daily.
Ha. I remember that. I'm not sure why they never give a second glance at my transfer. Maybe because I'm usually the first one to get on, and they don't have time to pay attention?
ReplyDeleteBus drivers don't seem to hate me, at least. But Tuesdays do. >.>
Oh, remember that time Richard went "mahamyahmahamyahmahmyah" or whatever he said to that bus driver? She closed the door on us and sped away. Sheesh. I hate door posts and chairs and desks, or things along the lines of that. I ALWAYS have to trip over them or accidentally crash into them. One time, I actually sprained my pinky because I crashed into a door post. UGH. But I'm so used to things like this now...
ReplyDeleteLOL the Richard bus incident was HILARIOUS. Except for the fact that we had to wait another half an hour for the bus. But OH WELL! xD That day was definitely awesome. :D
ReplyDeleteFor all the comments I hear about horrible TTC service, I seem to take a bus with the most cheerful, happiest bus drivers ever. I get on the bus and drop in my ticket, and they go, "Hello, how are you today? Would you like a transfer? And kindly move all the way to the back, thanks!"
ReplyDeleteOr instead of being extremely kind, they're extremely eccentric types, and I find this hilarious. One of my bus drivers was a lady with long blonde hair and huge sunglasses, chatting it up with the people on the bus like they were old friends, and swearing at the jerk who cut her off at the stoplight. Another bus driver of mine was an elderly man, who courteously insisted that the rowdy high-schoolers crowding the front step off for a moment so that the lady trying to get on in the wheelchair didn't have to squish past them.
The only real issue I have with the TTC is how late it comes. Sometimes I have to wait and wait and wait for the bus to come, since it's either really late or really early. By the time I round the corner of Corinthian after school, the bus is at the station and the stoplight is red, so there's nothing I can do except go to KFC or Mac's, which I don't usually feel like doing.
This is more of a post than a comment, isn't it...