I’ve decided to commit some of the stories down in writing. This is the story of the Elderly lady on the night bus.
This took place in Manchester on the 216 night bus services, which operated every Friday and Saturday night from midnight to 4:00 AM.
At my depot, it was generally the same few drivers who took these late shifts. While officially overtime, for many of us, these late-to-night duties became a way of life on Friday and Saturday, as our rotas were often structured to include the late-night run. Because of this consistency, we were typically assigned the same routes. We knew most of the regulars and, of course, dealt with the typical crowd of late-night drunks or party passengers heading home.
Knowing the regular customers was a bonus; there were many you might bend the rules or running times for. However, this particular event took place on the 216 starting in Manchester and Ending in Manchester Via Ashton. This sounds strange but let me explain.
The 216 was a busy night bus compared to some of the others. On this night, an elderly lady boarded in Piccadilly and scanned her pass. It wasn’t valid at that hour, but I allowed her free travel. She made a remark about taking some medication so she could sleep once she got home. Putting two and two together, it was pretty clear this lady was on sleeping tablets. Crucially, at the time, I didn’t think she had taken them yet.
I drove the route as normal. When I arrived at Ashton, I pulled up on a separate stand, as usual, which enables me to check the bus for anyone sleeping before allowing new passengers on. As I got out of the cab, I spotted the elderly lady fast asleep on the bus. I attempted to wake her.
The generally agreed-upon rules for waking passengers—which I follow—are to have two people present (if possible), try not to spook the passenger, and keep an escape route open. The escape route was a choice: you either left the doors open for their exit, or you positioned yourselves between them and the doors, making the doors your escape route in case they became violent. You treat each situation differently.
In this case, it was clear that suddenly jarring her awake wasn’t the best idea; you don’t want a sleeper turning into a heart attack case. I attempted to rouse the lady by shouting at her. Another rule is “do not touch them.” This is a good general guideline, though I would normally gently wiggle or push an arm, which was usually enough to wake someone up. This lady, however, was not waking up.
Being in Ashton, I was away from any immediate help. It wasn’t a police matter, and the inspectors had a significant distance to travel. To follow procedure, I requested a call from Communications (Comms). At this time of night, regardless of the bus’s home depot, the radio calls were routed to the Sharston depot.
They answered, and I explained the situation; they told me to wait there. A minute or two later, the radio private call tone sounded, followed by an inspector: “19165, I believe you have a sleeper.” We had a radio discussion. To prevent delaying the service—since the passenger was breathing and appeared to just be sleeping—and as I was alone in Ashton, the decision was made to travel with the woman back to Manchester while remaining in service. The inspectors would meet me there, and we also had immediate police support nearby if needed.
I traveled back to Manchester as instructed. Just before I arrived at the stand, I changed the destination to “Not in Service” and alighted the passengers. The inspectors were at the bus stop. They came on board, and I once again explained the situation. As we now had safety in numbers (more against potential liability claims than actual physical assault from this elderly lady), they spent some time trying, and even they started to wonder what they would do, as this lady simply would not wake up.
After about five minutes of trying, they finally managed to rouse her. They had a brief chat, and she explained that she had taken the sleeping pills before getting on the bus. It was clear they had taken effect much quicker than expected, and she was well and truly asleep. They double-checked she was okay, then asked me, “Are you happy to take her?”
This gives the driver the opportunity to refuse, but what harm was she doing? None, and she was awake now.
So, I flipped my numbers back on: “216 Ashton Night Service” and loaded up. The only part I was aware of was that this was my last trip, where I would finish in Ashton and return to the depot from there. If she fell asleep again, I couldn’t leave Ashton until she was dealt with. Luckily, she got off on the way back to Ashton, and I presume she made it home safe.