Dogs not allowed on some buses
I travel on buses and trains daily for my work during the week and shopping or leisure weekends. I have done this for a fair number of years and have never seen anything close to what I witnessed yesterday.
I boarded the bus as normal and then two stops along the road a young lad tried to get on the bus with his puppy dog (staff/lab cross) apparently. He had come from another town by bus and wanted to make his return journey home but was refused entry by the bus driver. He told the driver he had travelled on three buses to get where he was and now wanted to go back home. If the other three other drivers had allowed him and the dog to travel, why couldnt he get on this bus?
The bus wasn't at all crowded, there were probably only about 12 people on it at most, but the driver shouted at the lad "Get off my bus". The lad continued to repeat himself and in the end the driver switched the engine off and we just sat there. The young man was probably about 16-17 year-old, but in all honesty didnt raise his voice or show any kind of aggression whatsoever. Meanwhile, the driver just ignored him and sat there.
People on the bus were getting agitated by now and started to shout abuse at the driver and the lad. One man told the lad to get off or he would put him off, to which he replied, "Whats the problem, three other buses allowed me to travel?"
We were stationary for around 25 minutes until another bus on the same route pulled in. The young man got off our bus and onto the other bus; no problems with the dog at all and off he went. We still had to sit and wait for the police to arrive. Along with a fellow passenger, I went to the driver and asked if he could cancel the police so that we could be on our merry way and let the police deal with a more deserving case. Was this the right thing for the driver to do in the first place?
The dog certainly didn't look like a threat and I could have understood if the puppy had been an adult dog, but it was three months old for goodness sake! At the very least, bus companies should have a clear and consistent policy about dogs on buses.
By: Patricia
Comments from visitors
+1
Click to rate 
Report
+10
Click to rate Report
-8
Click to rate Report
-7
Click to rate Report
+5
Click to rate Report
http://www.guidehorse.org/photo_page.htm
http://www.guidehorse.org/
-9
Click to rate Report
Guide horse???
-6
Click to rate Report
Had it been a guide horse for the blind you might have been allowed on.
+1
Click to rate Report
-3
Click to rate Report
Apart from guide dogs there seems to be no way to predict whether drivers will let dogs on a bus. They usually, depending on the area, have the discretion to choose what to do in each situation and are not always consistent.
-3
Click to rate Report
another anon - 21-Jul-10 21:18
-9
Click to rate Report
Now my dog is a Staffie at 17months, I sometimes don't even bother trying to get the bus with my dog because stupid drivers like that doesn't help when you have to get from A to B to mesh up your day just over a dog being on the bus even though I am paying for the service, if the journey is walkable for myself and my dog then we would walk it =]
-7
Click to rate Report
It's drivers like this that give the other pleasant, friendly and helpful bus drivers a bad name
-4
Click to rate Report
Youthful Griper - 12-May-10 20:40
Q: What is TfL’s policy on admitting dogs onto buses?
A: Passengers can bring an assistance dog on board without charge. Passengers can also take on any other dog or inoffensive animal, unless there is a good reason for the driver to refuse it (such as if the animal is dangerous or likely to upset other passengers).
Q: Why do I have to take my pet dog on the upper deck of a double deck bus?
A: The driver can use his/her discretion to direct passengers with animals or anything else brought on board to a part of the bus where they might be out of the way according to Passenger Service Vehicle regulations. This is normally to the upper deck on double-deck buses, and is not intended to inconvenience passengers with pets but to safeguard the interests of the majority of people on board.
The exception is dogs for the blind, because of mobility issues.
-6
Click to rate Report
Youthful Griper - 12-May-10 20:38
-6
Click to rate Report
I've never had trouble getting my dog on the bus but have been asked to take her up the back which annoyed me as enclosed spaces frighten her and its not like people wouldnt have to pass her anyway when we got off.
-7
Click to rate Report
+8
Click to rate Report
-9
Click to rate Report
-5
Click to rate Report
+8
Click to rate Report
