My dog wasn't allowed on the bus
14-March-2010
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My dog wasn't allowed on the bus

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I am writing to complain about a couple of incidents that occurred on Friday the 6th of July 2007.

The first one happened at around 1:55pm at the Merton Garage bus stop in Colliers Wood.  I was waiting for the 219 bus towards Clapham Junction with my 6 month old Border Collie puppy whom I take to work.  When the bus arrived at the aforementioned time, I walked towards the door of the bus to wait for all the people waiting before me to get in, after making sure the bus was not crowded and there was room for my dog and myself I got ready to board, out of politeness I gestured my dog at the driver and walked the step towards the bus, the driver shook his head, I stopped and asked in a very polite manner why I wasn’t allowed in with the dog, he ignored me turned his head around and closed the door on my face and without any warning he drove off.  I am very sure I do not need to explain how uncomfortable, upset and angry the rude actions of the driver made me feel.  The electronic board at this stop hasn’t been working for a week or so, and without the time to wait around I was forced to call a taxi to pick me up and take me to work.

After 12 hrs at work as a nanny caring for 3 children I finished work and waited at the Brodrick Road stop towards Wimbledon, again for a 219 bus to take me home.  I waited for 20 minutes, when the 219 came, it was the same driver!  I approached and got in with my dog, he said no again; I asked very politely and calmly why, to which he replied he didn’t want to, I said that as far as I knew (and researched) it is legal, and permissible to take dogs in buses, he said no again, I said I needed to get home, and pointed out that as he was in his cabin and the tired pup wouldn’t be too noticeable for him whilst he drove the bus.  He mostly ignored me when I spoke, and didn’t give me any reasonable answers as to why he had decided not to let me in, I begged once again to which he muttered “he didn’t have to go through this” and turned off the engine of the bus.  After asking one last time to let me in and let me get home, and after ignoring me once again, I had to step off the bus in a huge state of distress.

As he sped off I had a panic attack that lasted almost 4 minutes and left me like a wreck, I also had to wait 20 more minutes for another 219 to take me home.  In addition to the upset this experience caused me I haven’t been able to sleep as I keep re-living the humiliating experience over and over again and over and over again I feel angry, upset and confused.

Border collie - dog not allowed on the bus

I am deeply disturbed by this incident, I feel humiliated and angry.  I am an honest hard working person who has chosen to travel by public transport as the best and most environmentally friendly way to travel around London.  I am also a polite and collected individual who treated this bus driver with the up-most respect given the circumstances of which this event unfolded.  I was treated unfairly and was discriminated against for having a dog.  How am I supposed to travel?  Why is a bus driver allowed to treat me in such dismissive and rude manner?  Why is he allowed to humiliate me in front of other passengers?

I could agree there could be circumstances in which a dog poses a risk for passengers in a public bus, but a 6 month old puppy?  A half asleep six month old pup?  And what risk could it pose for a driver in a locked up cabin?  This is public transport, I am a member of the public, and the driver is driving a public transport bus, not his personally owned taxi service.

I take the 219 every day to and from work and I am very disappointed in the unfair and rude way I was treated.  It is not only the first time I am refused entry with my puppy but also that a bus driver has treated me in such an awful, inhumane and inconsiderate way.

Given my circumstances I cannot afford to pay for a taxi to make my way to and from work when I bring my dog in, so I guess I will have keep taking the 219, I just hope never to see this driver again.

London and the Borough of Merton are working very hard to become greener and more environmentally friendly, all these initiatives must be enforced with a view into making people and most certainly people that run public services aware of the benefits and also the tolerance, responsibility and professionalism required to make these schemes work for the good of all.

Surely acts like this one won't encourage any dog-owners to take the bus with their dogs, and will instead push them to keep using taxis and private cars at the expense of the environment.

What can i do now?  Is there a group i can join for a fair way to travel in London or are there any other people out there with a similar experience?

By:Claudia


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This dobbo996 sounds a complete idiot, Well trained dogs like mine do not Crap in playing fields as dobbo put it. My dog is a staffie and one of the friendliest dogs in my neighbourhood. Pensioners compliment on how friendly he is and how they didnt know dogs of this breed could be so friendly and clean. Its down to training, perhaps dobbo996 should go and see for themselves. Good luck to all responsible owners in not letting the side down by letting their dogs get out of control.
*doggofriendly  26-Feb-2010 17:19

 
Good, mutts should be banned from all public places. My local school playing field is plastered in dog crap. Mutts are only good for three things - eating, barking and crapping.
*dobbo996  15-Feb-2010 17:09

 
I once tried entering a bus with the mrs and was turned away......she is a proper dog though
*Unhappymarriedguy  28-Oct-2009 16:31

 
She justs wants compensation, period.. Much more discrominatory incidence happens daily and yet our complaints have not gotten us anywhere. I advise you got a life and stop wasting valuable space on this kind of complaints as it is irrational and has an inner agenda and trust me it would get you nowhere.
*SAVIOUR  25-Oct-2009 11:41

 
Dog allergies are very common so why should you be allowed to take it into a cramped public space?
*Jack  19-Oct-2009 23:24

 
hi, I live in Lincolnshire and I have rottweiler, and I havnt had any problems taking my dog on a bus. I think alot of it is down to the individual drivers position if they accept dogs or not. Maybe if you had offered to pay for the dog, I pay for mine, maybe he would have accepted. Also, alot of peopke have a fear of dogs, maybe the driver did, we have to consider everybody else. As for lack of sleep over this, well, as a counsellor, I believe there must be an underlying problem which ws triggered by this event. Maybe, you could consider getting a dog sitter to care for your dog while you are at work, you should have considered all options before you took on a dog.
*jae  19-Sep-2009 21:36

 
If you want to really experience distress and humiliation then try being a blind person travelling on the overcrowded buses that run in East London. Guide dogs are not meant to go upstairs and the only safe seat is the fold down seat in the wheelchair space. This is usually full of unfolded pushchairs and Transport for London says that guide dog owners have no priority in using this seat.Also, have you noticed how these seats are being taken away to save on maintenance costs?

TFL claim that guide dogs will fit under the seats. Try backing a large labrador under a seat on a moving bus! It's about the same as getting a horse under your dining table ( provided that people are sitting at the table, your dining room is full of standing people and travelling at 30 mph and ,oh yes, you are blind!.). I travel regularly with a blind person and it is becoming a nightmare. No one cares if the dogs get trodden on, hurt and distressed.

Then TFL has the cheek to make it clear on its website that guide dogs are not allowed to block the aisle. So where are they meant to sit? Transport For London does not give a damn about blind people. Guide dogs are wonderful, loyal, hard working animals and both they and their owners deserve better.
*Vicki  31-Jul-2009 01:05

 
Yet another reason to avoid the crowded, inconvenient, overpriced, noisy, smelly and simply awful UK public transport.
*Congo  29-Jul-2009 08:39

 
Oh and Sam; Disco was right- your comments are rather idiotic.

Dogs are allowed on public transport providing they do not block the gangway or disturb other passengers. Get over it! Obviously the driver can use his discretion for "undesireables" but you'd probably have difficulty getting one on the bus in the first place!

Your over the top comments are laughable!

Although I am respectful of other peoples religious views; if said people have chosen to live in a country where dogs are commonplace and it is against their religion to "touch or be near them" they are free to leave!

And yes. Dogs are just for walking... YAWN.
*another dog owner- Wimbledon  29-Jul-2009 02:48

 
I agree with you for the most part; you should have been allowed on the bus with your dog. Had that been me, once on the bus I wouldn't have got off. He coud've sat there all day long- he is the one who would have got in trouble.

But with regards to your panic attack and not being able to sleep... P-lease! Ive never heard such nonsense. Sounds more likely you're after a compensation pay out than being particularly bothered that on this occasion you had to fork out for a cab.
*another dog owner- Wimbledon  29-Jul-2009 02:27

 
drivers on london buses are rude to people every day of the week, dog or no dog. if you had a panic attack over this incident and are deeply disturbed by it as you explain above I think you need to seek medical help. Maybe it is a symptom of a deeper problem if you don't have the fortitude to be able to deal with life's minor inconveniences. Or maybe you're just being a little bit over dramatic about the situation to get sympathy from us??

another question? did the dog buy a ticket? maybe the bus driver just didn't want any freeloaders on his watch...
*realist  28-Jul-2009 22:14

 
Dogs are individuals just like people, you get the odd bad apple but you must remember not to tarnish them all with the same brush.

I used to be scared of dogs but decided to try and overcome this fear because it was like a mental shackle and it frustrated me. I decided to start observing dogs and their behaviour and soon realised that not all dogs bark when people walk by and that not all dogs look like they want to bite, infact I noticed that some dogs are sweet, friendly, loyal and loving.

The great thing is that I now respect dogs and dog owners as individuals.

My point being that if the Dog was acting wild and crazy, then the bus driver in question cannot be blamed for putting the safety of the passengers first. If however he was being an idiot like so many bus drivers (You know the ones that drive past the bus stop even though the bus is half empty, or who can see that your running for the stop and your only about 10 feet away and they drive past laughing, or drive through red lights, or worst of all those Ahole bus drivers that speed up for about 5 seconds when they spot a puddle on the bus land and splash passers by) Then I recommend writing down their Number Plate, make a note of the time and date and bus number and then make a written complaint to TFL and keep following it up until you get an apology.

I say this because we as individuals need to stand up for ourselves, instead of living in fear of getting in trouble. MY ADVISE IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN IS NEXT TIME LET THE BUS DRIVER STOP THE ENGINE, LET HIM RADIO HIS DEPOT AND CALL THE POLICE, BECAUSE YOU ARE PERFECTLY WITHIN YOUR RIGHTS TO TAKE YOUR DOG ON A BUS (AS LONG AS IT’S NOT A DANGER TO ANYONE) IT WILL BE HIM WHO LOOKS THE FOOL AND GETS INTO TROUBLE BY HIS BOSSES AND FOR WASTING POLICE TIME. ALSO REMEMBER HE CAN'T LIED BECAUSE BUSESS HAVE CCTV AND THIS IS ALL THE PROOF YOU NEED TO PROVE IT WAS THE BUS DRIVER BEING THE AHOLE ALL ALONG.
*The Realest  24-Jul-2009 21:29


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