A woman has thanked bus passengers for rushing to her aid after a driver refused a child entry on the bus with a bike.
Joanne Thompson said she was due to get the 82 bus from Western Avenue in Speke on Sunday to attend a bike event in Lark Lane where she would meet with her husband and other children. However, her son was unable to get on the bus with the bike, something she was "unaware of".
She told the ECHO that she asked the bus driver to pass on her feedback to his manager but he became "rude and had an attitude". She said: "I took my son with his bike because we couldn't fit in the car together. Years ago you could take a bike on a bus but I wasn't aware it had changed. I panicked because I wasn't sure how we could get to Aigburth and we had no house keys but the bus driver kept saying we couldn't get on.
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"He had such an attitude. The bus was empty but he said he'd get in trouble with his inspector so I said ok, it wasn't great but I accepted that and I asked if he could relay feedback to his manager but he got annoyed. I was about to get off the bus when he muttered I shouldn't have even been trying to get on the bus.
"It was unnecessary. I told him he was being unnecessarily rude and asked for his name to make a complaint. He refused to give me his name. At this point disgruntled passengers were saying just let us on the bus."
Joanne said the bus driver was "keen to continue his route" and so began to drive away before she was off the vehicle, leaving her nine-year-old son on the pavement. She added: "I panicked because my son was left behind. These two women came flying down to help me, they jumped in and took over saying you don't leave a child behind."
The mum added the women were "absolute legends", she said: "It was only a few seconds and a few metres but what must have been going through my son's head? It would've been scary for him. I did thank the two women who stepped in to help but I would like to try and make contact with them again to thank them personally.
"Bus drivers just don't seem to be held accountable for their attitude. They could make or break someone's day and it's heart-breaking to think little things like that can ruin a person's morning. Bikes aren't allowed on buses that's fair enough but it should be more transparent, especially when we need to be more environmentally friendly."
Joanne confirmed that the next available bus arrived, allowing herself and her son to get on so they could attend the event they had been "excited for".
Arriva confirmed to the ECHO that the matter is being investigated. In the conditions updated in May 2020, it stated folded bicycles and electric scooters should "ideally be carried in a suitable carrying bag or holdall to reduce the risk of injury or damage to other passengers and their property" however, unfolded bicycles or electric scooters are "not carried in any circumstances".
