Living in the country,
as I do, means I rely heavily on buses to get from point a to point b. I catch the bus to and from school every day. I discovered a few months ago that bus companies, the ones who don't do my school bus run, are absolute cunts. I didn't normally travel into town after school, but one day I did, and this is how I discovered how big a pack of cunts V-Line are (they control the city transit buses in my town too for some reason).

I'd been on one of my rare trips into town after school to buy a present for a friend's 18th. I was standing at the bus stop, waiting for the 4:20 bus to come so I could get home. Mum was busy with Uni so she couldn't get me, my brother doesn't drive, I couldn't drive home and my dad was in hospital. So I really, *Really* needed that bus.
So there's me, minding my own business, when Prick rocks up. Now some people here may know about Prick - he's a very nasty, very frightening ex of mine who stalked me until I took him to court and the judge gave him a "word of advice" to leave me alone. The judge, after accusing me of lying about Prick for my own amusement, then told me I needed to pull myself together and stop being like every other girl he sees in front of him wanting an AVO. never mind the fact we have one of the highest domestic violence and sexual assault stats in the whole region, apparently we're all lying whores.
So yes, I'm now suitably uncomfortable and nervous and it is with great relief I see the bus roll up and I jump on board.
Me and the driver chat a while since we know each other fairly well (he lives about 300 metres from me), while we wait for the bus to fill up. I haven't bought my ticket yet and then he says,

"Look love, you're going to have to catch another bus - your stop has been pulled from the list - I can't stop there anymore. I'm not allowed."
I know it isn't rational - but I begin to panic slightly, particularly because I've noticed that Prick is close enough to hear every word we've said. The bus driver tells me to go to the station and to catch the bus from there. It doesn't leave for another hour and a half. Fair play to him, he's not nasty about it and he does seem concerned about me when he realises how upset I am, plus he's only doing his job and following orders.
Nevertheless, I don't kick up a fuss and I walk the five blocks very quickly to the station.

I get to the station after having Prick follow me for most of the way there. Except now I don't know which bus to catch. So I go in and ask the V-Line man which bus I'm supposed to catch, explaining about Prick, and the apparent bus change I wasn't told about (they're supposed to put a notice out to regular country bus travellers) and on the verge of tears as I'm trying to keep control of myself, only to be told,

"It's not our problem, find your own way home."

My arguments and pleas for an exception were unheeded and I eventually sat out on the waiting bench, feeling extremely panicky and frightened. I had to wait an hour and a half for a bus that went out my way, and even then, I had a lot of trouble convincing him to stop at my usual stop. I sat there, the whole way home, feeling both relieved I actually had a way home, and furious that I had been put in that situation by people in melbourne who have no idea how far it is and how difficult it can be if you're underage and live out of town.

Apparently V-Line had decided that the fact my stop was on a *slight* curve was too unsafe. They'd also decided that another stop I would catch was too curvy and dangerous. Nevermind the fact that the roads were flat and you could see for miles in either direction, it was apparently "Just too dangerous" for them to risk it. The fact my bus had stopped there twice a day every day for the past 8 years with no accidents or even near misses was just not good enough.

It's been a few months and all I can think is just what utter cunts the people who decided to pull my (and other major) bus stops are.
(Poppet some assembly required., Fri 26 Jun 2009, 10:59, 12 replies)

I noticed when I was there
that the road rules in Victoria seem far too strict. A friend of mine in Melbourne was pulled and fined for doing 101km/h in a 100 limit. On a motorway/freeway/highway/whatever you call them over there. That's 62mph to us Brits. Not exactly fast.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 26 Jun 2009, 11:14, closed)

Was your mate a pom?
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Fri 26 Jun 2009, 11:17, closed)

No
Born and bred Aussie. Lives up in the Dandenongs.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 26 Jun 2009, 11:20, closed)

beautiful area up there
I used to live about an hourish away from the dandenongs.
(Poppet some assembly required., Fri 26 Jun 2009, 11:24, closed)

Yes, very nice indeed
They're up near Kallista. Fortunately managed to avoid the fires last year, but it was a close thing.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 26 Jun 2009, 11:32, closed)

depends on where you are and who catches you I guess.
There's a copper in Port Fairy (the town where I work) who would book his own grandmother if he could find a reason. He's a total prick. The guy at the station who works for V-line is the same. He LOVES rules and if he can't find any, he makes his own up just for amusement. But there are some who'll be a bit nicer and give a little leeway.
(Poppet some assembly required., Fri 26 Jun 2009, 11:20, closed)

Driving along the Great Ocean Road
which is a road made for fun if ever there was one, we overtook a Subaru Impreza WRX, which was doing slightly under the limit. I didn't know they could go that slowly!

Not that we were really speeding (well, not much, especially by British standards) but the limits seem way too low on certain stretches. The USA's the same. And to be honest, it's spreading here now too. But in the UK, I can sort of understand it. We've got far too many people, in the south east especially, and it's very crowded.

But in parts of Australia there's nobody for miles. Same in the US. I was pulled in Death Valley for driving a little too fast. But there's nothing to hit!
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 26 Jun 2009, 11:24, closed)

mmmm well not much I can do.
but it's a response to all the accidents there were years and years ago - used to be much higher apparently. I don't remember it - I was too little.
(Poppet some assembly required., Fri 26 Jun 2009, 11:27, closed)

Yes, I know
Not really a complaint, just a comment. And a bit of a rant. I like a good rant from time to time, and this is one of my pet subjects!
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 26 Jun 2009, 11:30, closed)

Didn't you know?
Only poor people and failures take the bus. Screw people who can't drive, or just prefer to not burn petrol.
(Scritty Bakerman., Sun 28 Jun 2009, 15:18, closed)

Didn't you know?
Some people here are actually not legally old enough to drive without a supervising driver. In fact - it's not just here - it's world wide! Who would have known eh?
(Poppet some assembly required., Mon 29 Jun 2009, 2:25, closed)

That bus company blokey
does sound like a complete and utter twat. Seems that Jobsworth's are universal.
(RVD420 has his world coming down on, Wed 1 Jul 2009, 17:35, closed)