My Bus Pet Peeves

I get 4 buses a day on average to get to and from work, which works out at over 1,000 buses a year! Over the years, I’ve witnessed some pretty annoying bus behaviours, so I thought I’d share some of the ones that annoy me the most!!

1. The anti-queuers – The people who just jump straight on the bus first, despite knowing they rocked up to the stop last. It’s just very un-British. We value order and queues.

2. The dawdlers – Those people who have been waiting at the stop for what seems like years and try to find their bus pass, loose change or load their bus app only as they’re boarding the bus. WHY THOUGH?? You had AGES to find what you need, now you’re holding everyone up!!

3. The inconsiderates – The people who always have to put their feet and bags on seats!! The shoes one is probably worse though, who wants someone else’s shoe imprint on their backside all day?! Then there are the ones who brush their hair and pull out loose strands that float onto the floor, or someone else’s lap. There are the nail filers who are also a big bloody no-no!! I don’t want to breathe in your nail dust thanks very much!!

4. The people who don’t listen – The bus driver makes an announcement that everyone needs move down the bus or stop standing on the top deck, no one moves a muscle and the bus driver refuses to move until people comply. How hard is it to just walk a couple of paces further down the bus?!?

5. The stop befores – You know the types, someone rings the bell, the bus stops and everyone gets off. Suddenly there’s a flurry of activity and someone else clambers downstairs, but they aren’t getting off the bus until the next stop! The driver has very kindly waited because they think the person is getting off at the stop we’re already stopped at, but no. 9 times out of 10, they don’t even say anything to the bus driver like “oh sorry, I want the next stop”!

6. The friends who need space – The group of teenagers/pre-teens that get on a pretty empty bus with loads of seats together but who, for some reason, decide not to sit next to each other and still proceed to have a conversation. Incredibly loudly. Usually with lots of swearing, yes bruv’s and OMGs.

7. The empty seaters – There are loads of spaces on the bus, in fact, it’s practically empty, so obviously the best place to sit is right next to me! WHY?!?!?!

8. A dog’s day out – Unless your dog is little and can sit on your lap, I think dogs belong on the floor. It may sound weird but not everyone is a massive fan of dogs and personally I don’t really want to either sit right next to one or have to spend the next two hours brushing dog hair off myself.

9. The tutters – The people who sit in the pushchair or wheelchair spaces, then sigh and tut loudly when they’re asked to vacate them because, surprise surprise, a pushchair or wheelchair user wants to use them. Surely by now you’d be aware that this might happen, right?!

10. The not a priority types – The seats downstairs are all full, including the priority seats (and I’d reckon not everyone sitting in them will fit into the priority category, although you can never, ever assume) and an elderly man with a stick gets on. Suddenly there’s something really important to be looking at out of the window, an email to answer or a riveting game of Candy Crush to play. What happened to the good old days when everyone jumped out of their seats to let someone in need sit down?

What are your bus pet peeves? Let me know in the comments below 🙂 x

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32 Comments

  1. I’ve only been on a bus to get to DC once but that was a school trip so I already knew all the weirdos. I agree with the dogs being on the floor though. I’m a germaphobe and I don’t know how well that person keeps their dogs hygiene up. I’m old school and my mother would probably slap me if I didn’t offer an older person my seat. It’s about respect.

  2. I agree with all of the above but would like to add people who get on buses with smelly food. They might be enjoying their meal but I don’t want to smell like an old kebab or burger when I get off.

  3. I haven’t gotten on a bus in years (thank god) but I can relate to every single one of these things. The dawdlers in particular irritate the hell out of me (although people like that irritate me in general). It’s like they’re actually surprised that a bus has pulled up at the stop they’re waiting at. Turds!

  4. I rarely catch buses these days, but the thing that really annoys me on public transport in general is people who think I want to listen to their music, either because it’s so loud, you can hear what’s coming out of their headphones or because they aren’t using headphones.

    1. See I get the headphones one as people generally don’t think and probably don’t realise people can hear it too, but the people who just listen to things without using them at all?? I just don’t get it!!

  5. This brought back memories of my (many) bus travelling days. I stopped taking the bus just a few months ago, but the one thing I actually miss about it is being able to look at my phone and reading a book on my way to/from work. But I can definitely relate to no.1, the queue-jumpers annoyed me. Although I’m too British to say anything to them! x

  6. I commute daily on the subway and the main things that get on nerves is NOISE and SMELLS. There are actually people who listen to their music on speaker rather than their headphones. And people who smell like they haven’t showered for a whole week… or conversely, people who drown themselves in perfume / cologne. Ugh!
    I agree, shoes on seats is so rude.

  7. Living in London you encounter all sorts of public transport weirdos. The sitting next to me on an empty bus is awful. Makes my anxiety go haywire. Also the drunks and the unwashed – not nice to have to breathe in their stink.

  8. I get the bus now to work every day (boo I misssss the train) and I have so many bus frustrations, some people just seem to get on the bus and loose all of their awareness of their surroundings! Also the bags!! I understand if the bus is basically empty and you aren’t sitting at the front, but once that bust starts to fill up move your bag off the seat! x

  9. YES. Straight away, number 1! Can I add to this: people who don’t wait for passengers to get off the bus before barging their way on. SO annoying. Number 6 also really gets on my nerves – why do people think they need to spread out so much? So bloody inconsiderate!

    Oh my god yes, the empty-seaters. I don’t like being boxed in on the bus – if there’s absolutely no other room then whatever. But why are you sitting on my lap when there are tonnes of empty seats!?

    Tutting full stop is so rude, I feel real anger when I hear that horrible noise.

    Wow, you summed it up so well! I feel secondhand anger on your behalf because I’m so familiar with all of these! I would also add: playing your music on a speaker/having your headphones so loud that everyone can still hear your crap tunes, people who don’t thank the bus driver, people who talk reeeeally loudly on the phone and disturb everybody else, overly smelly food, and screaming/misbehaving kids being totally ignored by their parents. I complain a LOT, lol.

    I loved this post, it filled me with righteous fury!

    Kayleigh x

    1. You have a lot of bus anger lol!!

      And yes, I may have to do a part two because I forgot about the pusher-ons, the music players – especially when they’re not wearing headphones, the loud talkers and the ignored children!! xx

  10. My biggest peeve is when you’ve pressed the buzzer and go to get off the bus and someone else is waiting to get on and they don’t let you off first. You stand there while they try and squeeze past and it’s awkward. Cool post! x

  11. Oh I loved that Holly, you’ve covered all bases there. People’s shoes on seats is a real bug bear of mine, I usually give them the death stare. And strangers striking up conversations with me. Now and again I don’t mind and can end up having a surprisingly nice chat but mostly I want to be left alone to play Scrabble on my phone!

    1. Thanks 😀 Ah yeah, I forgot about the ones who want to be your best friend!! Sometimes I like a 5 minute chat, but generally I like to be left alone too!

  12. You’re not supposed to have dogs directly on the seats. We have Poppy on our lap mostly (it keeps her from crying which is also annoying), or on the floor. Although I was a bit offended when someone told me off because she was on the seat for a second while I sorted something… because I’ve definitely sat next to people who full on smelled of piss and I’m sure they did more damage to the seat than my fussy dog.

  13. I was nodding my head reading this agreeing with every single one of your peeves. As a mummy whose son is still using pushchairs the looks I get if people who don’t need to be sitting in the allocated wheelchair or pushchair bay is annoying. I also get a little peeved when I’ve been standing at the bus stop for ages and someone walks up usually an elderly lady and just assumes that they can go on before me. Normally I would offer for them to go first but it’s the assumption that drives me batty. Also people who listen to music really loudly. I don’t want to hear the base line of their garage tune or the screaming lyrics of their favourite metal band.
    Sorry to be ranty lol.
    Nicola

    nicolajogston.com

    1. Ah yes, the people who assume they should get special treatment!! Like you say, I’d be offering anyway but still!! Yeah, the music ones drive me insane, unless I have my headphones, then I don’t mind lol xx

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