Taunton Deane Community Transport

I I am a 71yr old lady who lives in Wellington and have been using the community bus for a few years now. I have had an atoric heart valve replacement and have a lot of breathing difficulties when i walk and headaches so a bus that can pick me up from my front door take me to town to the library and back again has been amazing. I have got to know the regular customers on the bus and they are all friendly and helpful and often have little chats whilst on the bus. recently booked to go on the community bus and have always found it helpful and drivers have been understanding if i have not had the cash to pay the £2.50 together with my bus pass. A few times this has happened over the last few years but i have always paid on the way back or if they have a card machine with my bank card. In fact paying by cash has been difficult for me as i am in the habit of no longer carrying cash around due to also suffering with sleep apnea and have a habit of falling asleep whilst travelling and my children have told me not to carry cash in my bag in case i fall asleep and i get mugged. In this regard the Community bus has again, been the safer option for me and the drivers (who are varied) know me and know that if i dont have the £2.50 on me its because i have not specifically been able to get to a cash point to get the £2.50 and will allow me to go to the ATM near the library once dropped of and to give it to them on the way back and those who have a machine i have been able to use the machine either going or on the way back.

However the last journey i made with the Community bus i was picked up at around 9.20am and as soon as i got on the bus this particular drive who i have met before some time ago, started asking for the cash and i said that i didnt have it on me and that i would get it in Taunton. i was really unhappy as she went on to say about the times this has happened before and that she will let me off this time but wont again. Her tone of voice, facial expression and body language was quite hostile i know this from my 20years working as a child protection social worker and subsequently, a family counsellor and i do try to give everyone unconditional positive regard even if i do not agree with them i never swear or shout and yet i try to be congruent and genuine with them to let them know i am not happy about something. I was not happy at the way this lady was addressing me in front of everyone and made me feel like i was a child back at school. I was being told off for not having the £2.50 cash and that this driver could not wait for me to get it from the ATM. i have never refused to pay and have always paid as previously mentioned either going there or coming back. I consider myself to be a conientious person and not the sort to try and get away with paying £2.50! Therefore, to be spoken to in this manner seemed inappropriate and was quite loud like she was really telling me off and it was extremely embarassing for me as everyone on the bus could hear and i felt soo ashamed i just wanted to die and my anxiety and stress levels soared to the extent i started to get heart palpatations and i had already had a warning from my doctor that my blood pressure was high. I just sat quietly at this point feeling really down and not wanting to go to town now. Eventually when i arrived at the library i was unable to settle to read any books or access the computers as i felt unwell and could not wait for the bus to come and take me home but was worried about what the driver would say as i was unable to walk to the ATM to get the cash and just had my bank card on me. I decided to phone the office to let them know how i felt and to ensure that i was not going to be anxious again on the way back. I spoke to two people who apologised about the driver's attitude and i thanked them as they advised that they would speak to the manager and he would call me. I received a call from the manager as advised who stated that there has been a few times previously with the problem with the cash and he said he had spoken to the driver so i guess she may have said something about it. i tried to explain to him about my health difficulties however, he did not seem to be listening and said that from now on the deal is that i pay when i get on and asked me if i had my bank card on me. This seemed an odd question to ask as he would have known from the driver that i had my bank card with me otherwise how would i get cash from the ATM by the library.

I confirmed to him that i had my bank card on me and he then said ' then why didn't you pay with your card' i then asked him why i wasn't told by the driver that she had a card machine otherwise of course i could have paid and the driver knew i had a bank card otherwise how would i get the money from the ATM. The manager said that he didn't know why the driver didn't tell me about the card machine but this was the deal that i had to pay with my bank card when i get on otherwise i would not be allowed to book again and i agreed that this was absolutely fine and of course would have done so if i had known about the card machine and was left wondering why the driver didn't tell me or ask me to use my bank card - i had assumed because she never mentioned the card machine and heard me say i can get the cash from the ATM that she didn't have a card machine or maybe she just wanted to have a go at me.

Once back on the bus, i said to her quietly, i have my bank card and the driver said 'yes i heard'. i then said its a pity that you didn't let me know you had a card machine then you wouldn't have had to shout at me. i said 'shout' as it was loud enough for all to hear and she said 'i didn't shout'. i just said that i didn't agree and felt that she had shouted even though i didn't shout back at her. Then the couple who had been chatting to her and she was talking nicely to them had heard it all and said 'no the driver wasn't shouting at you she was trying to help you' and then offered to do her a letter as the driver said 'you don't know what trouble you have caused me'. i said i had to phone the office and tried again to explain my health difficulties and the possibility of having another heart attack, but it was falling on deaf ears and even people i don't know were taking sides with her i felt that maybe i was the one in the wrong but didn't know what to do.

I kept silent for the rest of the journey and thanked the driver when i arrived home. However, also for the sake of the wider community, i live in (other vulnerable people used this bus). I am going to take this further (local counsellor) as surely a person with health difficulties who is an older person, should not be treated in this way over £2.50 - especially as i always pay it and have never refused to pay - they have truly made me feel like i am a criminal even though i have a clear dbs check and would not dream of stealing £2.50. My whole life's work (40yrs) of working in this country has been about treating people with respect and not speaking to people rudely like this is what i get now. its not right, its not ok it is emotional abuse, i am so unhappy about it.