The last two postings have been about Amy Wootten and her attempt to get an innocent driver into trouble. Now it’s my turn to be on the receiving end.
Friday I did the Test Valley school run, you may remember that I’ve posted about Test Valley School once or twice before :-) In case you need reminding click here for the details. It was the usual unruly charging onto the bus, refusal to show passes start until the Deputy Headteacher came over to the bus, unloaded them and told them to board singly and to show me their passes. It wasn’t long before one girl held up her pass on which her thumb, just by accident I’m sure, covered up the expiry date of the pass. “Sorry I can’t read the date” I said. Would you believe it? It expired last year! I showed the pass to the Deputy Headteacher commenting that this was why we needed to check passes. “But you’re not xxxxx” he said to the girl! This girl was using an expired pass with another pupil’s name on it. “I’ll get off the bus” the girl said. I told her in front of the teacher that I’d take her home now but she’d have to pay in future unless she had a valid pass. Since more pupils boarded and I talked for a couple of minutes with the teacher I’ve no idea whether the girl stayed on the bus or got off.
Monday I’m told that there’s been a complaint from a parent that I refused travel to their daughter from Test Valley School!
I think it’s pretty clear that I can defend myself against this one with the support of the Deputy Headteacher. But why should I have to? The little bitch must have got off the bus, ‘phoned home and said the driver wouldn’t let her on the bus while ‘forgetting’ to tell Mum the rest of the story and the fact that she wasn’t refused travel to get home that afternoon, only free travel thereafter.
wessex bletherer // Mar 5, 2010 at 19:45
Parents are so gullible. Here is just one example. I used to work on the Stagecoach complaint line. I took a phone call from daddy that daughter had missed the 69 bus to Fareham because it had left 12 mins. early from Winchester Bus Stn. She would now be late home. I checked with the Controller there, who rubbished the claim as he had been speaking to the driver in his cab, and then watched him leave one minute late. Daughter was obviously off with her mates instead of going straight home. I called Daddy back with the facts. Silence followed by the threat that he would be back if it turned out we were lying…..As I say, I USED to work on the complaint line.