Transport woes - your views online

An Edinburgh woman was forced to walk home alone late at night after a Lothian Buses driver asked her to get off because her bank card was declined

Anne Marie Boyd

This has happened to my 15-year-old daughter a couple of times. One evening the driver of the Lothian bus told her to get off the bus as her card didn't work, she had money on her card. A stagecoach driver saw her upset at the bus stop and checked she was OK and then let her on his bus wasn't interested in her paying, just wanted to make sure she safely got back home.

Allen Sives

Bus company should be ashamed of themselves. For the sake of a bus fare surely she should have been let on to travel home. She could have phoned up next day and paid the fare. Driver should be ashamed of himself. What if it was another driver and his daughter trying to get home. Say no more

Alan Gerrard

My debit card has been declined on buses. This happens when you tap it too much and it wants a PIN number to allow further contactless use. This is fine in a shop etc with a card reader but you can’t use a PIN number on a bus. The solution is to put a pin in when making purchases every so often, carry some lose change or carry a credit card as well as your debit card. I’ve seen this happen to people and normally the driver lets them on. This woman should have been allowed on the bus. £1.80. Seriously! I’d have offered to pay for her if I’d been on the bus!

Gordon Peddie

Used to be a bus driver - not forLothian. In these circumstances I would have let her on. Same for kids in the dark if they have forgotten their pass and don't have cash. You gauge the situation and decide accordingly. Could I have got in trouble for doing it? Probably, but surely being a decent human comes first.

Sinead Ward

Happened to me on more than one occasion and the bus drivers don’t entertain it. I’ve even shown the driver I had money in my account but that didn’t work - he still refused. The system is temperamental - my card doesn’t work at times but the Apple Pay with the same card on my phone works. I hope she got home OK.

Sandie Boal

I offered to pay for a child refused on the bus recently (kids get free travel anyway). I paid and the driver was angry with me. Said I made him look a fool. My own child lost his bus pass recently and had to walk home. This child was saying the same, but I was the bad guy apparently.

Emma Palmer

Everyone’s always ready to blame the bus driver! It’s only this woman’s side of the story here. She may have been aggressive or very drunk! Always two sides to a story.

Madeline Love

That driver should have taken her. This is so awful, poor woman. I hope he gets a written warning and told to never leave a woman alone.

Pearl Buchanan

There is always two sides to the story. The bus has CCTV if she wants to take this further.

Di Ane

Sadly happened to my 16-year-old. Not late, but dark and alone.

Caroline Edie

My very pregnant daughter in the pouring rain was not allowed to travel on an LRT bus. Realising on getting on she'd lost her purse she asked the driver to let her on and she'd get us to meet her at her stop and pay. He refused. We complained, they couldn't have cared less.

Lorna Sutton

Absolutely ridiculous - our youngsters need the whole community to help them stay safe. So many times our kids have hit unexpected problems trying to get home. Would expect more compassion from Lothian Buses.

Caroline Hood

Shocking – driver should have let her stay on the bus.

Veronica Galligan

OMG, that is shocking. What if she had been attacked?

Louise Wilson

Cards don't always work, and for no obvious reason. I have had cards declined, but the same cards have worked right afterwards, elsewhere. It's a good idea not to depend on one card, I always make sure I have at least two methods of payment now, if I need to use a bus.

Jacqueline Manson

Should have waited until police came, I think they would have made sure she got home safely. Disgusting a bus driver can do that to a female.

Ann Mitchell

Not acceptable! No excuse can be made about this. She should have been made safe and allowed to board this bus. If this had happened to my 18-year-old granddaughter or even my daughter who is in her 40s I would be considering legal options.

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