To The Cold-Hearted driver of the #4 @ 4:44pm, Monday January 27th, 2014, who refused to pick me up:

I had just worked 8 hours and walked the 4 or so blocks from Second Street to catch the Oxford East at Fanshawe College. You can’t imagine how delighted I was to see you sitting there. You see, I normally work much later and was worn out from the change in shift.

Well, not so much, since you drove off just as I was struggling to get my wallet out of my pocket to get my bus ticket out, and was barely a bus length from the stop. THAN…you proceeded to drive right past, then stop for the light, as you had to wait for traffic before you could exit the college drive. And did you stop than? No.

With the icy winds biting my face causing tears, tired and barely able to see, ice-cold hands from removing my gloves to get my ticket out, and there you go. WONDERFUL. And it’s not like you didn’t see me either. Oh no… you shook your head, after looking right at me…AFTER…I’d knocked on the bus window when you stopped for the traffic.

Quite frankly, I was in shock.

Returning to London after being away for 15 years, and I dearly hope you are not the example of the sort of drivers I’ll encounter via London Transit. I’ve been riding buses for 28 years now ( a decade of that in London ) and as much as the LTC has not always been the most reliable means of transportation, I have NEVER been treated so harshly, and coldly, by a city bus driver….EVER. In all the years I’ve ridden the bus, whether it was in Mississauga, Toronto, or London, NEVER have I had the opportunity to encounter such a cold-hearted human-being such as yourself.

I am well aware that we all have our schedules to keep, but I thank my lucky stars I don’t have to know you personally, or have you on my regular time. Since I rely on public transportation, I imagine I will at some point encounter your soulless self again, yet here’s to the hope that day is not soon.

Have you thought of a new profession? Sewage treatment plant perhaps? Overnight security guard? Sorry to say, but individuals such as yourself are just really not cut out for the whole public transportation racket. I mean, really.

Perhaps someone should kindly remind you that it is longtime riders such as myself that pay your salary, and whose fares are the stuff you will one day soon (I hope) retire on. Perhaps you’ve just forgotten how lucky you are to have that job, and a nice warm seat inside. Maybe someone should mention to you that for some of us, getting to and from work requires public transportation, and often a few blocks through biting cold wind, on a cold, snowy day, after a long day at work.

And while you’re at it, maybe also exhibiting a wee dash of human kindness could brighten YOUR day – it would have mine.

PaulaB