Would you have helped this girl?

[divegirl]

Words fail me!

http://www.dailymail....s-20p-short-fare.html

Just to add, a month or so ago my daughter [age 15] got on the wrong bus home. After phoning me near hysterical the driver stopped the bus, tokk her phone and told me he would look after her. He kept her on the bus the whole way back round the route [free of charge] and waited until a friend turned up to collect her.

IMO that is how it should be!

Lisa x

[divegirl]

lol...my daughter was hysterical not the driver....

[EvianBaby]

On more than one occasion London bus drivers have taken pity on me and quietly waved me on when it has transpired my Oyster card has run out of money.

[Brenden]

Of course, and I hope that driver is hanging his head in shame - wonder if he has young daughters. So pleased your daughter had a decent human being look after her. What is it with these jobsworths.

[divegirl]

To me it beggars belief.... suffering that vile attack for the sake of 20p. Lets hope they can all live with themselves, I don't think I could.

I know we see all manner of 'scams' in this day and age but....20p!!!!!

[jno]

that is how it should be!

Well, I dunno... that's asking quite a lot of strangers, when it was your daughter's own fault. It's nice if it happens but "should be" is putting it a bit strong. And EvianBaby should be topping up her card rather than relying on other passengers to pay her fare too (because that's what's happening if the driver doesn't collect from her). I hope they let you off outside the debtors' prison, EB!

But in the case linked to, yes, I would have helped the girl.

[ummmm]

Absolutely.

I've been let on the bus free because I didn't have the right change. I've also been given a free taxi ride because I was lost in Birmingham with no phone and no money.

[divegirl]

Oh believe me, child number 2 will not make that mistake again in hurry. But it restores my faith in human kindness that he helped.

Lisa x

[mrsmaveric]

this should never have happened...ok the driver and passengers were not to have known what was going to happen to the poor girl..but common sense by the driver should have prevailed..and a bit of humanity shown by her fellow passengers...this girls life has been ruined for 20p..20p for gods sake...i hope all involved can live with what happened to her i know i couldnt if i was 1 of them...

[tiggerblue10]

It happens regularly on the buses I get on and I've given money on a few occasions. As soon as I know I'm down to my last £5 on my oyster card I top it up at lunch time.

[andy-hughes]

I also find it hard to believe that anyone is put off a bus without either the driver or any passengerrs offering to give (what's with this 'lend' mentioned in the paper!) her 20p for the rest of her fare.

This event shames the people involved, and our society as a whole where such selfishness can exist.

[Mick-Talbot]

If she was trying to get on the bus with no money at all, I could understand it
But she was only 20p short of a £5 fare ..... surely the driver knew it was genuine . In these circumstances I would have given the woman the 20p.

[ojread2]

I've done much the same thing in my previous life as a bus driver
Young girl got on my bus and didn't have a clue where she was or how to get to where she needed to be. She needed to get to a place off my route but on the way back to the depot

She was already late home so I let her use my mobile to call home, and although I had to finish my journey, I told her to tell her mum I would be dropping her off in so and so place. Mum was there to meet her

[venator]

I'd certainly have helped, and have done so in the past in similar situations.

I wonder if this girl actually asked passengers for the 20p? The Mail report doesn't say so.

There are always people hanging round asking for money "to get home", but it's never as little as 20p.

Could be the passengers saw someone arguing with the driver, and didn't want to get involved in the row.

[mccfluff]

i've paid a bus fare to get someone home before. im surprised that no-one gave ger the 20p

[sunny-dave]

Appalling - also hateful that 'colleagues' of the driver are trying to plant some weaselly idea that there was more to the 'being thrown off the bus' than was said in court - without (of course) actually saying anything concrete that could be challenged ...

[ojread2]

Oh, didnt read the story before I typed - I thought i was an article about the driver who helped your daughter divegirl

The driver nor the passengers could ever had been able to see this happening and it was not down to them what happened to this poor girl. So many get on the bus with no money or just short of the fare, you have no idea. If you let them all travel the fares go up for everyone else
However, at that time of night, I think I would definitely paid the 20p myself and in fact there are rules in place to assist passengers with no fare or short of fare

[rowanwitch]

I'd pay a youngsters fare ...probably as an evening saver ticket in case they needed to use more than one bus... I believe random acts of kindness even out over time

[ummmm]

Yes, if it happened in the middle of the day, fair enough. This was the early hours of the morning.

[rowanwitch]

Even middle of the day....rapes and attacks don't only happen under cover of darkness. But buying the ticket not giving cash

[SlackAlice]

I was a London bus driver for 33yrs and would have allowed the girl to travel either by waving her through quietly or even better by adding 20p from my pocket to give her a valid ticket, depends on the time of day and circumstances.

Better my conscience would be clear and happy at the end of the day. I've probably been caught out by clever 'sods' at some point but I don't care!