The other day I was on the way to the bus stop and my blood sugar dropped really quickly. I had nothing on me (that in itself was a daft move) but the nearest place to me was a burger king which I was conveniently just walking past and was empty. I went in there and grabbed a coke and a burger and then saw the bus I needed pull up a little way away.
I know that food is not allowed on buses, I am well aware of that fact, but it wasn't like I was going to throw it down on the floor, I was going to be eating it and sorting out my blood sugar.
I tried to step on the bus and the driver looked at me like I was some sort of bug that he quite fancied squashing. He very rudely said- "You aren't getting on here with that food".
I tried to ignore the rudeness and hostility in his voice and tried to be polite when I returned "I appreciate that but I am diabetic and my blood sugars have gone low, i'll be finished with it soon anyway can you not just let me on this once?"
He took back his hostile tone of voice and said- "You know the rules of the bus and you should have thought of that before, I aren't letting you on, you'll have to get on the next bus".
I was fuming, I didn't even know what to say. If he wanted proof, I had my iceband on my wrist, though how much more proof he needed when I was stood there shaking. The thing that added insult to injury was his total ignorance- "You should have though of that before" he had said, because usually I know exactly what time my blood sugars are going to drop! Idiot! He obviously had no knowledge of diabetes and what it can do if he thinks that we get like a days warning before out blood sugars drop, what a stupid, uneducated man.
Of course it got worse though, we rang up to complain (and eventually our complaint was put through) but the woman on the other end of the phone told my dad that I could have been lying. My dad didn't like that much, he said if someone had a heart attack on the bus would you assume they had been lying? And besides, would you not give someone the benefit of the doubt when they say something like that, just in case they dont lead such a sad life that they feel the need to lie about being a dibetic, and let them on the bus? Or is that just my naive side coming across?
Anyway the point of this post is that I let this man treat me like crap. I never use my diabetes as a way to get me out of anything or get me on anything, I never lie about it, I don't need to. And what added insult to injury was that a few days later I was on a bus where someone got on with McDonalds, no questions asked, and proceeded to leave all their rubbish on the floor, yet they were allowed to do that, so why was it ok for them, but not for me when I actually needed the food? Never let someone treat you like this man treat me, it should never ever be done.
Keep smiling :)
Love, Tutti-Frutti
xxx
OMG That was aweful treatment. I kinda understand where the driver is coming from. I drive busses and I can tell you that it used to drive me insane the way people think it's OK to drop takeaway rubbish on the floor.
ReplyDeleteAnyone boarding my bus with takeaway (or even just a can of drink) is advised to take their rubbish with them when they leave the bus, but I never refuse to take them.
Unfortunately I'm well aware that there are some really sour individuals in this trade. I'd like to think that they are in the minority, but I'm not so sure they are. It's a self perpetuating circle. They'll suffer some undeserved abuse from a passenger and then become hostile to ALL passengers. This in turn leads to them getting even more abuse, making them even more hostile.
If it's any consolation to you, just bear in mind that, THAT driver spends his entire working life in a state of depression, feeling that the whole world is working against him.
Those of us that refuse to be drawn into this downward spiral spend most of our day laughing and joking with the passengers. At the end of MY duty, I feel like I've just had a day out with my friends.