Think twice before you ruin someone's day!!!

[andy474x]

I know, I know, cue overly dramatic self-pity post.

Well, it ain't really like that. Just let me finish.

For the last month, I've been fighting a silent battle with a public transportation employee. I'm on internship at a public health dental clinic in Salem, MA. I live in Boston, and long story short, my commute consists of taking a bus and 2 subway lines just to get to the out-of-town bus that runs to Salem. It's a solid 90 minute commute on a good day, and yeah, it sucks!

The Salem bus leaves the station as scheduled at 7:10 every morning, and this grumpy prick bus driver shuts his door a couple minutes before he leaves each day, and if you don't make his deadline, you're not getting on. He's still sitting at the station, at the curb, waiting to leave... but if you tap on the door, he just wags his finger condescendingly and then ignores you, as he sits and waits the last couple minutes. I've seen him do it to others as well, I've tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but there's really no reason I can think of that he does this. Now, taking a bus and two subway trains just to get to this bus, there are a lot of variables that can slow a person down. So if I roll up to his door at 7:09, it's damn frustrating to be ignored at the door of this bus. Today, he did it to me again. And I hollered at him, but let's just say I didn't totally open the floodgates.

Now let me tell you how this ruins my day. The next bus doesn't leave for another 30 minutes. I get a coffee and a muffin at the pleasant little place around the corner. I put some earbuds in, listen to music, and enjoy, as I wait for the next bus. When I get to work, no one hassles me, they know my commute sucks. I start treating patients, and my day goes on like any other. So how does it ruin MY day? Not at all.

But it ain't all about me.

We see emergency patients in the morning. People are waiting for their appointments, often in pain, my colleagues are waiting for me too. It throws a wrench in their day. And that frustrates me, and probably them, though they're too polite to say so.

Now I don't get paid to work here, but I'm no volunteering saint either. I was assigned to work here as part of my curriculum. I'm not asking for that sympathy. But when that bus driver screws me over, it's not really me, it's these people I'm going out to help.

I think it's no coincidence the way the members on this forum are. Good things come to good, decent people, that's why we can afford this stuff! That's why "pay it forward" happens here! So, because I genuinely think those here are the type that seek to do right: have some heart. Don't be the bus driver. If you mess up someone's day for no reason, you might be knocking over the first domino.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Video tape that ass-hat sitting there, refusing to open the door, and post it on you tube. Surely your local news station will pick up the story if you send them the link.

Few things feel as good as having the last laugh; especially when someone really deserves a foot in their ass.

 

[TheRockGuitarGuy]

Wow. Disappointing to learn that a public employee fails to serve the community that he is paid to serve... and to hear that he is so demonstrative in his defiance is offensive. I agree, share these negative experiences via social media with the appropriate transit authority, the news outlets and your network of friends. Make your voice a public one in the social sphere.

 

[rugerpc]

This guy MUST have a supervisor or someone he answers to. Take the official route and hit him where it really hurts - in his wallet. Perhaps there are guidelines he is not following.

Lodge a formal complaint. Repeat the complaint every time you witness the action - whether it is you on the wrong side of the door or not.

Nothin' says screwup like a fine, docked pay or a lost job.

 

[Drew]

Dude...just get there on time. If you can't roll out of bed and get to the bus station then that is on you. There is a reason these guys dont let someone on after a certain time. It prevents people from making a habit out of getting there at the last second. Next thing you know, the bus is constantly leaving late. This goes higher than this driver. It's actually policy in most cases.

 

[John Beef]

Dude...just get there on time. If you can't roll out of bed and get to the bus station then that is on you. There is a reason these guys dont let someone on after a certain time. It prevents people from making a habit out of getting there at the last second. Next thing you know, the bus is constantly leaving late. This goes higher than this driver. It's actually policy in most cases.

You must be a troll. Did you not read his post? He's rolling out of bed on time. He's also taking a bus and 2 subway trips to get this this bus, the schedules of which he cannot control.

 

[László]

One day I went to return a book to the library. There is a return window right next to a long desk, like at a hotel lobby. There is no barrier whatsoever between anything behind the window and behind the long desk. It's a little window into the very same part of the room.

There was no one at the window. I saw one woman behind the desk, and handed her the book, since there wasn't anyone at the window.

"I can't take that, you have to return books at the window," said she.

I figured maybe they have a special book return person to follow some procedure or other, so I went over to the window and rang the bell.

The same woman who was at the desk got up off her stool, walked over to the window as though she had never seen me two seconds earlier, and said, "May I help you?"

I handed her the book, and laughed my ass off. People and their silly rules!

 

[Michael B]

Betcha he opens the door when he sees you filming him with a watch in the picture, or better yet, someone elses phone so the time is official! Let us know how this goes...

 

[HANGAR18]

Everyone has a boss so complaining up his chain of command might be the right way to handle the situation. Video helps.
But I'd be more likely to just stand in front of the bus and make him (and everyone else) late. Video helps here too.

 

[toothace]

Are you at Tufts Andy474x?

 

[andy474x]

Are you at Tufts Andy474x?

Yep!

Thanks for the advice guys, his supervisor will be getting a written complaint. And maybe video evidence if the opportunity presents itself. Don't like to be that kind of guy, but this guy has it coming.

 

[jfine]

Give a monkey a badge, and he thinks he rules the universe...
The guy sounds like a real jacka$$. Good luck with your quest to get him out of there. He deserves to lose his job.

 

[alantig]

Two things...one, in college, we used to gripe about the food. One of my buddies took to putting somewhat humorous notes on his tray when we took them back. One day, one of the employees grabbed him - the guy running the cafeteria wanted to see him. Told him they'd been reading the notes - and asked what we wanted to see changed. Very cool.

Two - last year, down to WVU for senior day, my daughter's last day to march in color guard. My wife has knee problems, so we took the handicap bus to avoid a quarter-mile walk from the dropoff of the regular bus. Bus shows up close to the time we figure we have to leave to make pre-game. Bus gets pretty full pretty quick - driver asks if anyone has a kid playing. My wife said, "In band, and she's a senior so we need to make pre-game." We're sitting RIGHT BEHIND the driver. He said, "We're going to give it about five minutes to see if anyone else shows up." This is the handicap bus, remember? There's ONE OPEN SEAT. ONE. We're not waiting for someone to show up - we're sitting there so the driver can have a smoke with his buddy driving the next handicap bus that's sitting right behind us. We got to the stadium just in time to catch pregame (and I got some good pics), but not from our seats. And my daughter was looking to see if we were there.

Some people are just jagoffs, but report him. Things can't always be the way we want them, but that kind of indifference? No thank you.

 

[Rookie]

Disappointing to learn that a public employee fails to serve the community that he is paid to serve...

That's what I call "welcome to the new millennium, where no one cares."
First, it's Boston, and I'm sure the driver is a die hard union member, so he'll never be fired. And he certainly can't be shamed or embarrased.
It seems like ALL public servants, even up to the congress and higher are only in it for themselves.

Here's the light at the end of the tunnel. Remember, this is temporary. You'll move on to a better place, and the stinkin' bus driver will be stuck in Boston traffic forever.
I keep thinking "Someday, a cabin in the woods". Maybe Wyoming. Real America.


Aside: I had a coworker who got mad at Avis, so he returned the car with a dozen raw clams under the spare tire. I'm thinking they had to crush that car in a month. Payback.