Yes, I know that "rules is rules" and I have always made it my business to teach my children and my students the importance of this, and the fact that rules, for the most part, are made for a very good reason!
It was a bright morning, though with a chilly wind, when I got on the No. 3 bus to travel into Winchester last week, and I was just one of four other passengers. When the bus stopped at the Taplings Road bus stop, a rather frail and elderly lady boarded and showed her bus pass to the driver. She said, "May I use this, please? I have a hospital appointment." Oh dear, what a huge mistake, the time was 09.25hrs - and yes, you have guessed it "rules is rules" and "Mr Jobs Worth driver" just replied "Sorry no, it's not 09.30hrs yet" and without even giving the poor soul the option of paying the £3.00 fare, the dear elderly lady looking rather forlorn just turned round and with a little struggle got off the bus to stand and wait in the cold for the next one to come. I don't think that I was the only one of the four of us on the bus who, having surveyed the empty seats, was pretty disgusted with this rather unfortunate response in the circumstances.
Of course, "rules is rules" and, if I am not mistaken, those rules were made very wisely by the County Council to ensure that those who needed public transport to travel to work in the morning were not having seats taken up by general members of the public who in general, did not have the same pressure of time. With the bus 90% empty, what was the message that "Mr Jobs Worth" was trying to give - both to the elderly lady, and to those of us who witnessed this rather unfortunate exchange?
Come on Mr Jobs Worth bus driver, show a bit of good old British common sense - you may be elderly and frail one day - and what is more, if you go through life with your eyes wide open, you will realise that so often the maxim is so often true, it is "the exception that proves the rule".
Graham Topping,
Chawton Close,
Harestock,
Winchester
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