"Insipid Passenger" Stories

Post by **Busnerd** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:53 pm

I have another idea, if they are the younger model IF's any they are paying a cash fare then once they pay and put everything away and start yapping away on the phone again, ask them for the concession card

but ive always been a fan of the classic, pull out straight away, leaving them holding on for dear life whilst attempting to validated their ticket and then nearly falling over when trying to get to a seat, perhaps include some swerving as well, or pull out of the stop and turn at about 45 degrees and briefly drive on the right hand edge of your lane, that way you can justify your swerving

I might keep a look out for some IF's to see what stories I can post.

But the most annoying thing is when they have been waiting at the stop for about 5 minutes for the bus to come, yet when it comes, they get on, cant find their purse and then search for money, what were you doing when you were at the stop? most likely standing and looking up the street, so why not get your god damn money ready!?

Yusry · Post by **Yusry** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:18 pm

Busnerd wrote:But the most annoying thing is when they have been waiting at the stop for about 5 minutes for the bus to come, yet when it comes, they get on, cant find their purse and then search for money, what were you doing when you were at the stop? most likely standing and looking up the street, so why not get your god damn money ready!?

Yes! This is also my pet peeve. Another permutation is the case of those queuing up to board the bus. They could have got some cash ready while queuing, but they don't. Instead they wait till they are being served by the driver before they bother to get the cash out.

mrobsessed · Post by **mrobsessed** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 10:57 am

I usually smile and shout "Hello to the person at the other end of the phone!" This gets them self-concious enough to look around and be embarrassed, or sometimes to say to their friend "The bus driver says hi." A couple of times they have handed the phone to me and we've had a brief conversation! OK, they ARE insipid, but there is a non nasty way to show them how inconsiderate they are. Really, how important is it anyway?

Windy · Post by **Windy** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:08 am

A little courtesy goes a long way!

Andy Lee · Post by **Andy Lee** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:00 pm

Windy wrote:A little courtesy goes a long way!

That has to be your most amusing post this century.

boronia · Post by **boronia** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:47 pm

I regularly notice a group of IFS (Insipid female schoolkids) who catch the 0800 train from Blacktown to Penrith.

Everyday, well after the train has arrived, they slowly meander along the platform from near the front of the set down to the last carriage to get on. (If they wanted to ride in the last carriage, you would think they could wait at that end of the platform).

Once on board they them walk back up through the train to get into the second car.

1whoknows · Post by **1whoknows** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:10 am

The phrase Insipid Female went through my mind this morning. Approaching the side door of my building (you have to flash a security pass over a reader to get in), said IF arrived at door then commenced the handbag fumble process. I walked over 30 feet whilst this was going on, flashed the card I had ready in my own hand and walked through. IF did not even take advantage of the open door but (presumably) continued the fumble after I had passed inside.

The woods are indeed full of em.

Muttley · Post by **Muttley** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:17 pm

1whoknows wrote:The phrase Insipid Female went through my mind this morning. Approaching the side door of my building (you have to flash a security pass over a reader to get in), said IF arrived at door then commenced the handbag fumble process. I walked over 30 feet whilst this was going on, flashed the card I had ready in my own hand and walked through. IF did not even take advantage of the open door but (presumably) continued the fumble after I had passed inside.

The woods are indeed full of em.

Situations like that are common at the UTS library. The library has barriers that ony UTS students can get through by swiping their ID cards (guests can access the library on request from security). The way to swipe is shown at the barriers. IFs tend to swipe without checking it was the right way, getting it wrong most times. They swear at the barriers, smack the cards on desks, then walk into the library red-faced after security shows them the right way.

kitkat271 · Post by **kitkat271** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:38 am

12th Man wrote:The way to swipe is shown at the barriers. IFs tend to swipe without checking it was the right way, getting it wrong most times.

Bit OT, but it would help immensely if the damn thing opens first time if you swipe it right ... and what's up with the swipers at knee height?

Those gates remind me of the station gates on the London Underground. Must be where they got their inspiration from.

R-C · Post by **R-C** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:39 am

Was in drive thru at KFC the other day ... stationary another car behind me and several behind each other...

all of a sudden i hear a crack and feel car hit from behind...

IF hits my car...
thank god for the tow bar which put a nice dent and hole in her bumper bar and nothing to my car!!!!

And she drove off whilst waiting for her out side the restuarant!

Mother · Post by **Mother** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:44 pm

At about 0555 this morning our bus driver is only on his 2nd trip.

Two male passengers tender a $20.00 note each. Then the third passenger, an I-F, tenders a $50 note for a $1.70 fare.

The driver explains that he has insufficient change left to handle a $50.00.
He tells her just to go and sit down.

I-F then starts complaining, "I can't believe you don't have change!" and then continues talking to the other guys about how unreasonable bus drivers are. It sounds to me as if Ms Brainwave needs change for the day and was depending on the bus driver to provide it for her.

Sir Pompously · Post by **Sir Pompously** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:40 pm

I-F then starts complaining, "I can't believe you don't have change!" and then continues talking to the other guys about how unreasonable bus drivers are. It sounds to me as if Ms Brainwave needs change for the day and was depending on the bus driver to provide it for her.

Kinda sounds like some customers I serve at Coles. 8am, the registers only have $200 in notes (Normally $10 and $5) And people expect $200-300 cash out. Then when they are told 'I am sorry, I don't have enough cash in my drawer' or 'I am sorry, I don't have enough cash as I have to sue it for other customers change' they get all shirty and the whole 'well you should have said something when we lined up' or 'you should have a sign'. Hello, ATM like a 2 second walk! Alot of people believe a supermarket is their own piggy bank, or is the bank themselves. I have had one person ask me 'Is the money more important going to me or staying with you?' I told her 'Well I need it for other peoples change when they give me a large denomination, so me'.

Have had quite a few I.F's at coles, alot of the time if they are on their phone (And I need to serve an express and cig kiosk) Whichever one can wait until they have finished their call before I serve them. Not the same as a Bus driver having to deal with the Insipid race of persons. Maybe I might see some in Sydney, Canberra its only the odd person with a huge note or no concession card.

Andrew D · Post by **Andrew D** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 11:24 pm

PR100 wrote:Kinda sounds like some customers I serve at Coles. 8am, the registers only have $200 in notes (Normally $10 and $5) And people expect $200-300 cash out. Then when they are told 'I am sorry, I don't have enough cash in my drawer' or 'I am sorry, I don't have enough cash as I have to sue it for other customers change' they get all shirty and the whole 'well you should have said something when we lined up' or 'you should have a sign'. Hello, ATM like a 2 second walk! Alot of people believe a supermarket is their own piggy bank, or is the bank themselves.

I have to disagree with you here - if Coles promotes cash out via EFTPOS (eg. see http://www.coles.com.au/frame/build.asp ... ices/ours/ ) then they are promoting this and it is quite reasonable for customers to expect a reasonable amount of cash (say up to $200) to be available for their withdrawal. Coles' policy of only stocking registers with $200 (and in small denominations only) is the problem.

While an ATM may only be 2 seconds walk away, if it is not your own bank's atm you might be slogged $2 for using it - so why wouldn't you make use of Coles' offer to act as your bank!

Besides which, ATMs can only dispense $20 and $50 notes - and who knows, some of these customers may have been requesting the cash becuase they needed to catch a bus that morning and did not want to be amonst those ranks of IF's tendering the large notes!

Andrew D

Sir Pompously · Post by **Sir Pompously** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 11:48 pm

Andrew D wrote: I have to disagree with you here - if Coles promotes cash out via EFTPOS (eg. see http://www.coles.com.au/frame/build.asp ... ices/ours/ ) then they are promoting this and it is quite reasonable for customers to expect a reasonable amount of cash (say up to $200) to be available for their withdrawal. Coles' policy of only stocking registers with $200 (and in small denominations only) is the problem.

While an ATM may only be 2 seconds walk away, if it is not your own bank's atm you might be slogged $2 for using it - so why wouldn't you make use of Coles' offer to act as your bank!

Besides which, ATMs can only dispense $20 and $50 notes - and who knows, some of these customers may have been requesting the cash becuase they needed to catch a bus that morning and did not want to be amonst those ranks of IF's tendering the large notes!

Andrew D

I have no problem with the people who get '$3 for the bus' or something small (Like $10 or $20), its when we open we only are allowed to have max $200 in notes in the drawer with no change drawer in until 9-9:30 am. Imagine walking around a store with bags of money ranging from $400-500 in notes, 11 bags at our store. You would be a sitting duck for a robbery, hence the $200 limit. People seem to expect the max $200-300 limit at 7 or 8 am when we have just opened and have had very few customers coming through and they want us to have it, but we can't. All good to cite what the man up in the office chair puts on the website but unfortunently they get the easy life and it never works like that on store level. And believe me, within easy walk (I mean no more than about 2-3 min) there are three reditellers, 2 Comm bank, 2 St George, 1 BOQ, 1 Nat bank and 1 Westpac. Good places for getting out large sums. The problem I have is that people cannot understand that when we don't have enough money, we just don't have enough money.

boronia · Post by **boronia** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 9:03 am

The answer to this problem would be to put signs on the registers saying "CASH OUT LIMIT $xx" until such time as sufficient funds are available.

I'm sure most reasonable people could handle this situation. It would be no worse than going to an ATM and finding the "This machine is currently out of service" notice flashing.

Post by **Busnerd** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 9:34 pm

I believe PR100 is correct, it is unreasonable to expect large sums of money at that time of day, furthermore, what do they need that much money for at 8am? nothing is open anyway. And im sure they wouldnt need the money until after 9 in which the bank would be open anyway to cater to their large withdrawls. A lot of the time people say, can i get some cash out (always after all purchases have been scanned) and if its early morning i say "how much were you after" and if they say $400 i will usually say "well, i only have one fifty dollar note, so i can save your transaction and you could get the money out at the service desk, or..." im usually cut of by then with an ok, or, il just get this much then, or, dont worry about it. But it does seem stupid.

Then theres the opposite, whenever im on express i get IF's, on their phones, paying for a water with a $50 causing me to run out of change. I had some stupid girl last week who bought a few small items and got like $10 cash out whilst the EFT was processing i asked to check her bag and she angrily replied "um, why would i be buying stuff if i was stealing"...to which i didnt really give a XXX, its a condition of entry, so dont get shitty at me for checking your bag, i really dont care about your feelings of whatever crap is in your school bag, im just doing my job.

And of course i told the story later and laughed at the IF

mrobsessed · Post by **mrobsessed** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:27 pm

I took a group from a country high school to Perth this morning....IF comes up with a bag (no exaggeration) 1m square on wheels! Some kids have only a back pack or a small wheeled bag, but this thing was huge!

Yusry · Post by **Yusry** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:48 pm

I wanted to post this before I left for Singapore, but I forgot. So here goes....

IF boards X92 in the city and wants to get down at Kensington. Bus driver cruises (or rather, speeds) past the bus stop and only sets down at Kingsford 9-ways. IF was not happy and says 'This bus DOES stop at Kensington'. Driver says 'Call State Transit', closes the doors and zooms off.

Big evil smile on my face as I look at the IF.

Rail Bus · Post by **Rail Bus** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:57 am

The I.F comes in all age groups.

I recently had one at Caringbah station. I was on my last trip before going off for my second Meal Break and later school runs. The O.I.F was trying to get a bus to somewhere down Denman Rd. No matter how much I tried to tell her that I don't go there, she insisted I do and that she had to get home by 3pm. I suggested to her that if she started walking now, she might make it in time. With those well palced words, I closed the doors and drove off.

As for school kids...

We have one particualr school that we serve, along with STA and Connex. I have the mis-fortune to get the little horrors from this particular High School up to four days a week. Everyday is the same question: "Is this Caringbah station?" or "Is this Alice St?" They are told to read the desto. It seems that kids these days can't read. Most of the brats from this school have learnt that when they see me, they have to have passes and fares ready or cop sarcastic comments.
A classic example of a yonger I.F was on Monday. It boards my bus at Caringbah station and holds its T-card to the reader. As she did, I told her tat she can't use that as it's school holidays, and that it's only for travel to and from school. Then she asks for a Child ticket at 80c. Having time to kill still, I ask for proof of age. She shows me a bus pass. "That's not a concession card." I told her. Then she says "I've got my Learners (licence)." As if a D/L is proof of Concession entitlement???

Needless to say, the I.F parted with $1.70, like it or not.

This is how it is: the bus company is a business, NOT a charity. Pay up or get off. Simple!

Yesterday was another case of the I.F. 5 people board the bus, of which two are under 16. I ask the other 3 for Concession cards when a child fare is asked for. Two of the twurps didn't know what one was!

"Just how stupid do you think I am?" was my reply! Again, $1.70 was charged for all those without the cards.

No doubt this afternoons shift will result in another tale to tell...

bubzie · Post by **bubzie** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:16 pm

This morning, i was on a peak-hour bus to the city. Anyway, an older i.f came on, and asked for a one way fare, and paid with a $100 note.

I'm amazed the driver actulary did have enough change!!!

Yusry · Post by **Yusry** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:17 pm

bubzie wrote:This morning, i was on a peak-hour bus to the city. Anyway, an older i.f came on, and asked for a one way fare, and paid with a $100 note.

I'm amazed the driver actulary did have enough change!!!

Oooohhh... I hope the driver gave change in $1 coins.

crimsontide · Post by **crimsontide** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 9:52 pm

Another IF sighting tonight at Hornsby while waiting for a Taxi.
Two IF's about 16-17, one talking away on the mobile dropping the
f-bomb every second word, complaining they had been waiting hours for a taxi to get to Dee Why kept saying they had money etc and drivers wouldn't take them
Tried to be helpful and suggest they would be better served going to Wynyard and getting a bus up to Dee Why (not to mention a hell of alot cheaper)
One IF said there were no buses after 9pm

, a lady waiting at the rank tried to put them straight as she used to live in the insular peninsula but to no avail.
About 10mins later a taxi comes along, and after a couple of minutes talking to the driver after they got in finally head off presumably towards Dee Why.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:22 pm

By the sounds of it the drivers didn't want to touch them with a 40 foot barge poll by the way they looked and acted.

Young girls do runners too.

Rail Bus · Post by **Rail Bus** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:27 pm

The I.F struck again on Monday in my case.

I was just about to depart Caringbah station on the last trip of my shift when an I.F comes up to me and asks for a ticket to Miranda. "I'm not going to Miranda." was my polite reply. "You're joking!" came the reply. Seeing that this was going nowhere, and being at the end of a very long day, I replied with a smart reply: "Yes, I'm joking! That's why it says Dolans Bay on the front!" Again the I.F suggests I'm joking. I decided to play her game, and suggested that yes I was joking, and that I was having a Comedy Festival. The I.F went back to its insipid phone and wandered off in the direction of a train. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say!

When serious, straight answers don't work, comedy often does.

crimsontide · Post by **crimsontide** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 7:18 pm

Swift obsessor wrote:By the sounds of it the drivers didn't want to touch them with a 40 foot barge poll by the way they looked and acted.

Young girls do runners too.

Can't say I blame the drivers, busy enough on a Friday night and to miss out on fare(s) thanks to a runner.