Just had to Walk Away - Intimidated and Harassed on the bus home.

Possible trigger warning...

After 6 hours straight of meetings, I got on my bus home and sat as usual on the top deck. Nice quiet bus with some other commuters. Not long out of the central city area, a bunch of teenagers got on. Rough looking types I reckoned from the estate where I used to work - hell on earth. But I decided not to judge a book and all that and stayed where I was as these 7 or 8 pieces of crap got on. They're all the same and the highlight of their day is sitting on the backseat of a double decker bus like it's cool or something. I was listening to my headphones so as not to be irritated by their random loud chatter, after all that's what headphones are for. Minding my own business, I started smelling vape crap, and kept feeling blasts of cold air directly on the back of my head, I knew this was being done deliberately when one of them moved and sat on the seat in front of me and proceeded to start blowing vape right in my face. I decided not to react and act oblivious, didn't feel particularly scared, as I can handle myself, but you know, they may just pull a knife so let it go and hope they get bored trying to get a rise out of me.

However once the vaping directly on me and in my face had no effect, they decided to start spitting on the back of my head, at which point I had to get up, tell them to fuck off, and went downstairs. The thought of random strangers' mouth fluids on me makes me utterly sick and disgusted. I thought about telling the driver but I couldn't be bothered. Why they bother having no vaping signs and CCTV all over the bus I don't know, people just vape all the time anyway. This has never really happened before so now it will make me anxious about getting the bus, which I have to. I really would have liked to teach them a lesson but I'd have been the one to get into trouble or a knife in my guts. I pity them, they're next to feral, they have no prospects and life will always be shit, sooner or later they will have kids while they are still kids, their parents are probably not much more than kids. Just now though, I'd like to take a baseball bat to each and every one of them and wipe the smiles off their faces. And then probably feel bad about it, because you know, what are they supposed to be like with the shit conditions they were born into....

You work hard, you just want to be left alone, you feel good after a hard day's work and yet you can't just be left in peace, scum like this have to completely ruin your day. It was utterly disgusting and makes my skin crawl thinking about it now, I at least took myself out of the situation rather than put up with it or get into a fight with them but I felt extremely stressed and disturbed. Ok nothing much happened and I wasn't hurt physically but I feel violated and upset, I was still shaking when I got home.

I think I will email the bus company and ask why they bother having CCTV cameras all over the frigging bus when people can be harassed and intimidated and nothing is done.

Hi @AvidFan — I’m sorry to hear you had that experience! Yuck!

I have a small modification to your plan to email the bus company. File a formal complaint with the time, the route and/or bus number/name, stating what you did to keep the situation from getting worse (i.e., trying to ignore them), and finally having to move. Note to the bus company that they should have it all on CCTV footage. At the end, ask why they bother to have the CCTV if these things continue to happen so often in spite of the cameras? I think maintaining your respectable stance by going through the formality of filing a proper complaint might go further than just having the chance to lash out at them. (And I sure do understand why you want to lash out!)

Again, I’m so sorry this happened to you. Truly not very nice. I’m glad you handled it so calmly and well!

@AvidFan , that's terrible, sorry you as to go through that, but we'll done for walking away. I would have been tempted to violence.

Let the bus company know as if it happens to someone with less self control things could get really nasty.

That is revolting, and I identify with your sentiments wholeheartedly. What else is a human-sized stool to do besides leave a trail of shit behind? Those types are so desperate to win points among themselves because that’s all they have going for them: the camaraderie among those who are pleased with their own shit.

Whatever you do about the situation, I hope it grants you peace.

Thank you for the supportive comments. I just needed to vent, hopefully by tomorrow I will have let it go but it has really soured my mood for the rest of the day. I doubt there is any point contacting the bus company. One thing I detest is when people sit on the seats facing other seats, and think they're entitled to put their feet up on the opposite seat - no matter what they've been walking through, bearing in mind someone may be sitting on that seat on the next journey. There are plenty of signs saying "Please do not put feet on the seats". I wrote to the (same) bus company and asked why they don't do something to enforce this like some train companies (£50 fine) but they never replied. Stupid really, the could make more than the fares in fines, the number of people who blatantly disregard the rules and have no thought whatsoever for the next person who is going to be sitting on the seat

Spitting is assault. That would be taken very seriously here in Canada-- police would definitely attend and probably arrest them. I've taken public transit my entire life and never seen anyone get spat on. Of course, we don't have the double decker buses so the driver is closer and has a camera right in front of them. The one time I saw anyone get spat on (not on the bus), the spitter was taken away in handcuffs.

Also here they would not be allowed to vape on the bus.

I recommend calling 911 (or I think it's 999 there) next time. Or getting the driver to call the police.

I must admit you have changed my view of double decker buses! We visited London when I was 9 years old, and I used to sit at the front of the double decker buses with my younger brother and we would pretend we were driving the bus. Hence I've always looked at double deckers fondly.

Sad to hear that you had to put up with such. It is something else how so many behave especially if you just want to be left in peace. All people at least should have the right to just be left alone.

Sorry! Some of the buses have a little seat in front of the stairwell and I sometimes sit there. And I still see kids pretending to drive the bus on the front seats. The general idea is I'll gravitate to any seat where nobody can sit behind me and breathe or cough all over me for 40 minutes. Backfired this time.There are signs saying no vaping but have never once seen it enforced. You used to be allowed to smoke upstairs! Half the buses upstairs smell of weed these days. Drivers won't say anything and the only time extra staff or police get on buses is to do ticket checks and arrest fare dodgers!

The police etc wouldn't be interested here. They have a live chat app to report things but the first question is if anyone's life is in danger, if not it sends to an advice page. I think the UK is going downhill in more ways than one. Pity I'm a bit too old to emigrate!

So sorry it happened. I'd of had the same reactions. That is just disgusting and shouldn't happen to anyone, let alone you @AvidFan .

I really hope you never see them again. And that you're able to let the whole experience with the little shits go so it doesn't stain too much more of your day/evening.

It raises my hackles but I know I get protective too easy and impulsivity is dangerous.

Be safe.

Sadly I have no doubt and am convinced that much perhaps most of human society has gone downhill. There is no shortage of decent types of folks in the world, but there seems to be more permissiveness to anybody who decides to act like they can do and say anything they feel like. They are emboldened by a society that seems to lack any standards in so many ways other than the one that people should not be judged or restricted by their actions.

I used to be one of those asshole types you describe.....when I was 12 or 13 years old in the city of Hong Kong where I grew up.
On the double decker buses, in movie theaters on the cross harbor ferry......my friends and I liked to harass people mindlessly. We'd pick on people whom we thought wouldn't or couldn't retaliate. Occasionally we'd miscalculate and like the bullies we were we'd back off gutlessly.
We were shoplifters and vandals too.
All of us had shitty home lives and we were just dishing out the trickle down f****d uppness of our own lives.
That was more than 50 years ago now.

I'm sorry for it.

I'm sorry this happend, sometimes venting makes me feel better, I hope you can feel better soon.
Hugs

Indeed, I felt a wave of compassion for them come over me this morning, it was there under the anger and resentment. To paraphrase the late Thich Nhat Hanh, if I'd been born into the world with their parents, their conditions, and their predispositions, I'd be the same. Somehow I learned early on to respect others. It's frustrating as I've worked with disadvantaged kids and some are just gold waiting to have the mud wiped off, but they're the ones who actually want to engage.

I've sent an email to the bus company under General Feedback, citing the incident, that vaping is rife, and about customer health and safety. Nothing will be done but at least I've drawn attention to it.

Wow, I'm late to this and I'm so sorry you had to experience something like this. I'm glad you emailed the bus company and left them a General Feedback. Nobody should take that type of harassment. You did the right thing. Vaping shouldn't be allowed on the bus in the first place. Let us know if any update happens on your situation.

I didn't receive a response, but fortunately my journeys since then have been free of incidents!! Thank you for commenting 🤗