'I told him that I could not drop him off': Bus driver schools rude passenger with deserved malicious compliance

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Feb 20, 2024 6:00 AM EST

Public transport is an essential service for literally billions of people, but not everybody feels like they have to act with gratitude about this. We only have to experience the school bus or the subway to see some sights that probably shouldn't be seen by anyone. 

In particular, bus drivers can have it hard when it comes to dealing with the general public. Unlike train drivers, they have no choice but to have face-to-face interaction with every single one of their passengers. 

This can become problematic when the people they are trying to get from A to B are uncooperative and even abusive, as one driver recalled when posting to Reddit. Explaining how a passenger had become belligerent after he wrongly claimed that he had missed a stop, the Redditor revealed how he had got his revenge without having to bend the rules. Needless to say, everyone else was on his side. 

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  • 01
    r/ r/MaliciousCompliance u/Unthanked_Bus_Driver • 2d Passenger abuses me, the bus driver? Enjoy walking 4 kilometers home. M
    via Unthanked_Bus_Driver
  • 02
    I'm a bus driver. Passengers have to press a 'stop' button if they want the bus to stop at the next stop. Pressing the stop button flicks on a huge banner on the front of the bus, along with making a loud buzz. There are multiple stop buttons on the bus. The condition of buses are quite bad here, some of the stop buttons are faulty. It's usually not a big deal as passengers can see if the banner is flicked on, and if it's not, the passenger can just press another button or verbally tell me to st
    via Unthanked_Bus_Driver
  • 03
    However, it just doesn't register with some passengers that there is a huge, visible and audible banner. Unfortunately, these same passengers tend to lose their minds easily. It was 9:30pm and I was driving between two large suburbs, let's call them Sunnydale and Riverdale, a passenger must have pressed the stop button but it didn't register on the banner. As I drove past the stop he yelled, "OI YA DOG C*NT, YA MISSED ME STOP D*CKHEAD".
    via Unthanked_Bus_Driver
  • 04
    I apologised and tried to explain to him that the button must have been faulty and that I would drop him at the next stop. I told him that I could not drop him off on the side of the road because I would get in trouble from the bus company as they have GPS tracking whenever I open the bus door. The passenger just yelled, "STOP TALKING OPEN THE DOOR YA BLACK C*NT". AND
    via Unthanked_Bus_Driver
  • 05
    I stopped at the next stop, about 500 meters ahead, but the passenger yelled, "JUST GO TO RIVERVDALE MATE I AIN'T WALKING" Now, what the passenger didn't know was that since Sunnyvale was a bigger town, the last bus from Sunnyvale to Riverdale was later than the last bus from Riverdale to Sunnyvale. He would be stranded at Riverdale, 4km away from his stop.
    via Unthanked_Bus_Driver
  • 06
    So I kept driving to Riverdale, as the passenger requested. I dropped him and the other passengers off and closed the door. I could see him checking the posted timetable on the bus stop. I put my bus into gear and pulled out. I heard him exclaim, "HEY WAIT!' as I did SO.
    via Unthanked_Bus_Driver
  • 07
    Unfortunately, I could not have dropped him back to his stop even if I wanted to. I have a strict schedule and change route numbers after each trip. My schedule now was to fill up the bus with diesel and head back to the depot I filled up my bus and headed back to the bus depot. As I drove back, I saw him walking on the side of the road. From 500 meters to 4000 meters.
    via Unthanked_Bus_Driver
  • 08
    taylorranhome 2d Now that's what I call 'Straya
    via taylorranhome
  • 09
    spidernole 2d I have always said don't off people fixing your food or keeping you alive. I will add "driving your bus."
    via spidernole
  • 10
    SnooRobots4443 2d Awesome! It's not too difficult to be nice! I've taken the bus to work for 23 years, I go out of my to be nice to the drivers. You guys get some unruly passengers!
    via SnooRobots4443
  • 11
    Research Mediocre3592 2d Did you give him a wave as you went by? : Reply 474 Unthanked_Bus_Driver OP • 2d Nah, gotta keep both hands on the wheel.
    via ResearchMediocre3592
  • 12
    RevRagnarok 2d OPEN THE DOOR YA BLACK C*NT I'm kinda surprised you wouldn't immediately kick them off for something like that. O : Reply 489 Unthanked_Bus_Driver OP 2d Unruly passengers are not cute little puppies, and I'm no superman.
    via RevRagnarok
  • 13
    Cheezburger Image 9882770432
    via bukitbukit
  • 14
    okmustardman 2d I'm surprised you aren't allowed to stop between stops at night. For safety reasons? I've had drivers that have stopped closer to my road many times. But I'm a female and polite to drivers. Reply 48 ↓ SeanBZA 2d Buses have to stop at designated stops, especially those that are run properly. Though by me buses and taxis will stop anywhere to pick up and drop off passengers, I have seen minibus taxis stop in the taxi lane on the freeway to drop off passengers rather than take an ex
    via okmustardman
  • 15
    eionmac 2d Well done. My Dad was a bus driver. Some of his regular passengers were very helpful and friendly. One always 'moaned' about the service (time table could not be kept because of heavy road use and slow downs). He refused to let them get on bus thereafter. Bus Company agreed. No person to give verbal or physical abuse to employees rule.He wrote letter to local paper, it published it. The response against the complainer was enormous. He was photographed for an article on 'abusive passen
    via eionmac
  • 16
    tashax2022 2d Also a bus driver. Always get people who miss their stop. Then shout as its my fault they haven't pressed the stop button. Also people seem to have forgotten how to hail a bus by putting the hand out. Then they call the office to complain we didn't stop. Fortunately we have cameras so boss can see and tell customer they need to stick hand out. Very good boss always has our back
    via tashax2022
  • 17
    ACatNamedCitrus 2d Why are people treating some people in an awful way? Some people like you are just trying to do your job. Why do some people feel the need to yell or disrespect the people who are working? That is so mean! You really didn't deserve this! I feel so bad for you!
    via ACatNamedCitrus
  • 18
    AntGlobal4580 1d This is why you always, ALWAYS #thankthedriver
    via AntGlobal4580
  • 19
    Auirom 2d I've mentioned this to coworkers and customers I deal with. Almost every job has some form of customer service. Some more than all. You just don't mess with people on customer service. They can screw up your day. The nicer you are the easier it is to get what you want. It's really not that hard. Morale of the story is to just be nice period. I get we have bad days but if you're gonna be an ... Well grandma always said to treat others how you want to be treated
    via Auirom
  • 20
    diente_de_leon 2d Good job! Not sure what kind of moron thinks it's a good idea to abuse the person who is literally in charge of their safety while transporting them to their desired destination.
    via diente_de_leon

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malicious compliance australia reddit thread Reddit public transport bus
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