Misogynistic bus driver

[denny]

Absolutely livid after yet another run in with this woman hating bully! He is late fifties , slim with grey hair and beard and routinely delights in making young mums getting on his bus feel as intimidated as possible. I know the majority of b drivers and men in general are lovely but this man really gets me angry! It's not even that he is a jobsworth and I am more than happy to stick to the rules it's more in his vile attitude. You most likely would know if you've come across him, my first run in with him when I was heavily pregnant reduced me to tears. I know there's nothing to be done but I really felt I needed a rant!

[zeban]

What bus number does he drive? He sounds horrid.

[denny]

Today he was on the p4 going through Dulwich village but I've also come across him on the 37 when I've been going from east Dulwich to herne hill. He is a just a mean spirited individual I shouldn't let him get to me!

[zeban]

It's not easy sometimes though. Well if I'm ever on the 37 (I get it everyday) I'll look out for him making people feel like crap and will definitely stand up for you.

[anna_r]

Do you think this is the same man?

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,501557,501579#msg-501579

From what I've heard, description matches

[denny]

Thanks zeban! Yes Anna I'm sure it is him, I've come across the odd grumpy driver (def have to put up with alit of crap from the public im sure!) but most of them are lovely and helpful. This guy is just unbelievably aggressive on purpose

[Cora]

Worth writing his bus registration down or noting the time and bus and complaining to the bus company. If there's another thread about him it is not just you he's upsetting, so you can point out it is not just you that has been affected and he is not serving his company properly by treating customers this way.

[ClareC]

If it is the same chap he is really very unpleasant! A real nasty piece of work and totally unprovoked. I've just had a second baby and need to go to Brixton to register the birth with a Phil and Teds....... Fingers crossed I don't get him on the 37!! Can't even opt to drive as had a C Section!

[Otta]

Out of interest, why can't you register the birth in camberwell? Has anyone considered reporting this bloke?

[Ruth_Baldock]

Otta; kings is actually in Lambeth so the births need to be registered at lambeth town hall; bit of a buggEr, I wanted to register Cheeky S in camberwell because it's opposite our house, practically.

Clare- I'd offer you and the babes a lift if I drove!

[sillywoman]

Even though Kings is in Lambeth you can still register your babies at Southwark (or Lewisham) if you ask. This is because there are no hospitals technically in Southwark, and two in Lambeth. So Lambeth registry office is always inundated. To ease this a little they have an agreement that if you live in Lewisham or Southwark, you can register your babies birth at those registry offices.

[Otta]

Yeah, we registered our daughter in camberwell, and she was born in Tommy's. They contact Lambeth and sort it.

[ClareC]

Otta Wrote:

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> Out of interest, why can't you register the birth

> in camberwell? Has anyone considered reporting

> this bloke?

The info Kings give you all states Brixton..... I didn't know there was a place in Camberwell though, is it the place on the A202? If they have shorter waiting lists and do allow Lambeth births to be registered that would be great, I will give them a call. The number 12 should be an easier option than the 37!

Thanks Ruth :-)

[buggie]

We registered Bugglet at Southwark Town Hall without a problem - they have a lambeth person based there to do the registering - much easier than trooping over to Brixton, especially as we are all Southwark residents!

[Otta]

It's the registry office Clare. 12 stops more or less outside, just before you get in to Camberwell.

[Alec John Moore]

It is worth complaining to the bus company. They will take it seriously and reply to you with how they have dealt with your complaint. I've done it twice over the last few years and it is gratifying to know that my complaint is being heard. The last time was when a driver chastised me as I got on the bus with my two younger children aged 4 and 7. I was carrying their book bags, lunch bags, scooters and my own bag. My 4 year old very helpfully put his hand out to stop the bus. Apparently this was wrong and I was told off. I queried his statement since I was confident my child was safe and I didn't think it his responsibility to tell me how to look after my kids. I then proceeded to take down the details of the bus - route number, bus stop, time of incident etc and I think I also clocked his PSV licence. I used my Blackberry since I didn't have a pen and paper to hand. I then went online when I got home and completed a form. A little later I got a response from the company.

If there is a driver who is persistently behaving in a way that intimidates passengers through language or behaviour then this can be revealed through persistent complaints on the part of passengers and hopefully it will be stopped. I know it needs presence of mind to get the details down but the benefit is that you don't need to engage with the individual, just report him to his managers.

Good luck

[Annie456]

Definitely complain to TFL and include anon quotes from the forum.

I complained about a driver only this morning after he shut his doors on me and drove off (I'm 6 mo PG)

[ClareC]

I did complain at the time..... Was told they would investigate but don't update complainant as to outcome. Didnt give me any confidence anything would be done. I genuinely haven't used that bus since!

[Alec John Moore]

Hi ClareC, sorry to be pedantic but what method did you use to complain? In the interests of sharing approaches that might work it could be useful to know if your approach differed from others. I see that it is possible to make a complaint online using the tfl website.

[ClareC]

I called the bus station in Camberwell and was put through to somebody that dealt with complaints. I was given a reference number and it all seemed legitimate at the time.

[monniemae]

I'm interested in successful complaints too, I rang TFL in tears a couple of years ago after a driver on the 343 went completely psycho when I asked for my change at the end of the journey (as he'd told me to), chasing me off the bus and threatening to F* me up and various other nasties.. the only reason I didn't tell the police was because TFL promised me he would be interviewed and a manager would call me and I would be invited in and bla bla and no one ever called me back and claimed my reference number was invalid. So I gave up, and lived in fear of ever bumping into him again. *chastises self for not being more forthright / following up at the time*

[monniemae]

NB only really horrid driver I've ever had, most are lovely, I'm only (still) shocked that such an outrageously aggressive incident never got followed up and in fact "disappeared" from their log, even though the girl who took my complaint was apparently horrified too..

[denny]

Good advice about taking the details of the bus I will definitely do that if It happens again. The bus was busy and I had 3 children a scooter and a cricket bag the size of me! For some reason the driver refused to move the bus until I put the (fairly small) scooter in the luggage rack. Then I had the issue of trying to retrieve it before I got off the bus leaving my 2 year old in the buggy being held up by the five year old while the ten year old held the cricket bag and then back to the back doors as ofcourse no way we would have been let out the front. It just made an already stressful journey much worse. I have been using the buses with this scooter for the last 4 years and NEVER has a driver asked me to do that. I always hook it on the buggy or sit with it. Really it was bizarre and all done in such an unpleasant manner

[Annie456]

If you complain via the TFL website it asks whether you would like to be notified of the outcome and you can select either email or phone. I went for email so I have everything in writing.

[Fuschia]

ClareC Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I did complain at the time..... Was told they

> would investigate but don't update complainant as

> to outcome. Didnt give me any confidence anything

> would be done. I genuinely haven't used that bus

> since!

Yes that's the response I got to my first complaint

Second time i expressly asked for a written response but it was not forthcoming, they said for 'data protectiOn issues'