Heavily pregnant-but kicked off bus in Rainham

[Late Again]

Heavily pregnant - but kicked off bus in Rainham for not having exact change

Ramzy Alwakeel, Reporter
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
5:46 PM


A heavily pregnant woman and her young daughter were kicked off a bus by an unsympathetic driver for not having exact change.

Jemma Wheeler, 31, was taking her three-year-old daughter Ronni to playschool in Rainham on Monday morning. She boarded a 165 bus at Cherry Tree Lane and tried to pay the £2.40 fare with three pound coins as her Oyster card was damaged.
But despite offering to let the driver keep the extra 60p, she was told: ‘Correct change, or get off.’”
Jemma said she was unable to walk her daughter to Brittons Babes in Ford Lane as she is eight months pregnant.
As a result, Ronni had to miss seeing her friends and go home with her mum.
“It was embarrassing,” said Jemma, of Hubert Road. “If he’d accepted the extra 60p or offered a change ticket I could have got my daughter to school.
“The bus had already turned up late so there was no way I was going to get her there on time.
“My daughter was upset because she was late for playschool, and there was a bus full of people watching – so I got off before I started crying.
“Later my husband phoned the company and was told bus drivers are encouraged not to carry change for their own safety – but nowhere on the bus does it say you have to have the correct money.”
Mike Weston, operations director at London Buses, said: “We are sorry to hear about the problems reported by Ms Wheeler when she tried to board the route 165 on Cherry Tree Lane on Monday.
“We expect the bus operators who run the routes to ensure their drivers have a cash float so they can give small amounts of change to passengers. Where it’s not possible for them to issue the correct change, there are other options available that would still allow a passenger to travel.
“We have asked First, who operate the route, to investigate this incident and will take any necessary action as a matter of priority.”
www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/heavily_pregnant_but_kicked_off_bus_in_rainham_for_not_having_exact_change_1_1833649

[romfordbuses]

Saw this the other day...

There seem's to be more to this story that hasn't been reported.

[Volvo]

If that is true that is disgusting personally

[greeny253]

It's drivers like that who ultimately make this job crap for the rest of us. I'm inclined to agree that there is more to this than what we are seeing here.

[Deleted]

Jan 31, 2013 11:32:39 GMT romfordbuses said:

Saw this the other day...

There seem's to be more to this story that hasn't been reported.

There always is, people really shouldn't jump to conclusions

[Deleted]

Well meanwhile in China www.liveleak.com/view?i=2c0_1355036017

Well why is it a health and safety issue for drivers not giving out change.
They got to realise they are public servants and they suppose to serve the public.
my advice to the mother is never give the oyster card to the kids thats how it gets broken.

I predict there will be some legal cases coming about it.

Screw Health And Safety PC laws

[romfordbuses]

Jan 31, 2013 14:50:25 GMT @freebbc said:

They got to realise they are public servants and they suppose to serve the public.

You've opened up a whole can of worms by saying that buddy!

[Deleted]

Jan 31, 2013 15:07:19 GMT romfordbuses said:

Jan 31, 2013 14:50:25 GMT @freebbc said:

They got to realise they are public servants and they suppose to serve the public.

You've opened up a whole can of worms by saying that buddy!

As the people pay their taxes, it goes into the budgets of the public services like transport as well. Regardless if the bus company is outsourced, they are still public servants as they transport people.

I am very glad TFL got Contactless payments, so why dont the people upgrade their bank cards to get a contactless card. So they can pay it with the bank card for emergencies.

Plus all drivers got to know what they are serving for the public.

What could you expect, the mother would end up giving birth on the bus so the driver would end up telling people to evacuate the bus because of emergency. and the driver would end up driving her to a local hospital.

So its really down to the company as they really need lessons on Maths.

[IanF]

Jan 31, 2013 15:07:19 GMT romfordbuses said:

Jan 31, 2013 14:50:25 GMT @freebbc said:

They got to realise they are public servants and they suppose to serve the public.

You've opened up a whole can of worms by saying that buddy!

Cue bus drivers rants ;D ;D ;D

[Deleted]

Jan 31, 2013 11:24:18 GMT Late Again said:

Heavily pregnant - but kicked off bus in Rainham for not having exact change

Ramzy Alwakeel, Reporter
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
5:46 PM


A heavily pregnant woman and her young daughter were kicked off a bus by an unsympathetic driver for not having exact change.

Jemma Wheeler, 31, was taking her three-year-old daughter Ronni to playschool in Rainham on Monday morning. She boarded a 165 bus at Cherry Tree Lane and tried to pay the £2.40 fare with three pound coins as her Oyster card was damaged.
But despite offering to let the driver keep the extra 60p, she was told: ‘Correct change, or get off.’”
Jemma said she was unable to walk her daughter to Brittons Babes in Ford Lane as she is eight months pregnant.
As a result, Ronni had to miss seeing her friends and go home with her mum.
“It was embarrassing,” said Jemma, of Hubert Road. “If he’d accepted the extra 60p or offered a change ticket I could have got my daughter to school.
“The bus had already turned up late so there was no way I was going to get her there on time.
“My daughter was upset because she was late for playschool, and there was a bus full of people watching – so I got off before I started crying.
“Later my husband phoned the company and was told bus drivers are encouraged not to carry change for their own safety – but nowhere on the bus does it say you have to have the correct money.”
Mike Weston, operations director at London Buses, said: “We are sorry to hear about the problems reported by Ms Wheeler when she tried to board the route 165 on Cherry Tree Lane on Monday.
“We expect the bus operators who run the routes to ensure their drivers have a cash float so they can give small amounts of change to passengers. Where it’s not possible for them to issue the correct change, there are other options available that would still allow a passenger to travel.
“We have asked First, who operate the route, to investigate this incident and will take any necessary action as a matter of priority.”
www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/heavily_pregnant_but_kicked_off_bus_in_rainham_for_not_having_exact_change_1_1833649

Drivers are not supposed to carry change for their own safety..........what???

I was on an Arriva bus outside London recently and the driver took £90 off the bloke in front of me for a monthly ticket.

[snoggle]

Jan 31, 2013 14:50:25 GMT @freebbc said:

Well meanwhile in China www.liveleak.com/view?i=2c0_1355036017

Well why is it a health and safety issue for drivers not giving out change.
They got to realise they are public servants and they suppose to serve the public.
my advice to the mother is never give the oyster card to the kids thats how it gets broken.

I predict there will be some legal cases coming about it.

Screw Health And Safety PC laws

More nonsense.

I can't see anywhere in the article that says her children damaged the Oyster card. Why do you jump to such conclusions or do you know the family personally?

There is plenty of evidence on various blogs where events like this one are never as straightforward as the press likes to present them. This is why those in an official position are saying there will be a full investigation before they condemn the driver, operator or the lady and her children.

You do have an extraordinarily naive view of the benefit of health and safety rules and legislation. Those rules ensure we don't routinely kill people when they're at work or in public spaces and why public transport is an extremely safe way to travel. Do you really want more train crashes, more people killed on building sites or in factories or your food to become more dangerous because there are not rules as to how it is made or grown?

[Deleted]

What a load of tosh. They expect company's to provide a float ? Since when. ? She suggested the driver keeps the 60p. Have you seen the people in that area. They need the benefits too much to let a driver keep 60p.

I ain't gonna start on that public servant rubbish either.

[Deleted]

Jan 31, 2013 15:59:02 GMT @chazaroo said:

What a load of tosh. They expect company's to provide a float ? Since when. ? She suggested the driver keeps the 60p. Have you seen the people in that area. They need the benefits too much to let a driver keep 60p.

You are right, so its the driver that refuses to take the contract to keep the change. But the bus companies are basically outsourced sub contractors. TFL need to expand on the rule onto serving the commuters. I once remembered today a young girl only said to the bus driver "i only got £3 sorry" and the bus driver taps the ticket button and gave her 60p change.

I ain't gonna start on that public servant rubbish either.

Regardless if your a empolyee for "Go Ahead". The routes which you drive on are Contracted by TFL. So it means your serving under the roundel of London Transport for the people of London when you sit on the very seat of the drivers seat. Beside you get privileges when you work for a firm which is sub contracted by TFL.

So if you were in the situation and the pregnant woman has no correct change and her waters break. would you get the bus out of service and take her to the hospital or get the ambulance which takes long to arrive?

You cant rely on the rules too much if you want to make a good reputation for yourself and the company.

What would you pick, Respect for the community or only care about money £££ ?

[Jack]

Jan 31, 2013 16:27:28 GMT @freebbc said:

Jan 31, 2013 15:59:02 GMT @chazaroo said:

What a load of tosh. They expect company's to provide a float ? Since when. ? She suggested the driver keeps the 60p. Have you seen the people in that area. They need the benefits too much to let a driver keep 60p.

You are right, so its the driver that refuses to take the contract to keep the change. But the bus companies are basically outsourced sub contractors. TFL need to expand on the rule onto serving the commuters. I once remembered today a young girl only said to the bus driver "i only got £3 sorry" and the bus driver taps the ticket button and gave her 60p change.

I ain't gonna start on that public servant rubbish either.

Regardless if your a empolyee for "Go Ahead". The routes which you drive on are Contracted by TFL. So it means your serving under the roundel of London Transport for the people of London when you sit on the very seat of the drivers seat. Beside you get privileges when you work for a firm which is sub contracted by TFL.

So if you were in the situation and the pregnant woman has no correct change and her waters break. would you get the bus out of service and take her to the hospital or get the ambulance which takes long to arrive?

You cant rely on the rules too much if you want to make a good reputation for yourself and the company.

What would you pick, Respect for the community or only care about money £££ ?

Why am I reading this rubbish! Your taking the situation of of context. I would love to see you surive as a bus driver. Your views would soon leave you as billy no mates!

[romfordbuses]

freebbc, You really are digging yourself a deeper hole.