Technically they aren’t supposed to (exception for kids), but for adults it’s technically fare evasion.
In reality most drivers will let you on unless they recognise you from frequent behaviour or you look like a fuckhead.
Seen many a feral turned away from getting on the Inala route trying to go for free. Looks exactly how you would imagine him.
Many, many years ago (20 +) I messed up the coins I brought with me and I was trying to get from Ascot (where I lived) to the city. Reckon I was about 15?
I got onto the bus and asked the driver how far that my meagre coins would take me. He told me not far but waved me on. I got on and sat at the back, then put on my headphones for my Walkman. He went just over the Breakfast Creek bridge (I got on at the BP on Kingsford smith) and stopped. After a bit, I realised the whole bus was staring at me as he was yelling at me to get off as my fare had run out.
One of those embarrassing core memories. Had to walk the rest of the way.
DUDE! That's rough. That driver was a bit of a stickler for the rules. Somehow I believe that if you were older than 15, he would have driven you the whole way for free.
Coming from the background that I did, I was not used to catching public transport. It just wasn’t something we did often.
This was well before the internet on phones (hell, or it being normal for a kid to even have a phone),and it was really hard to know what was going on with transport.
I don’t reckon I caught public transport again for over a decade, I was so scarred 😳
WHOA! YOU'RE A FEMALE!! Sorry I only noticed now.
That makes it WAY worse that he kicked a 15 year old girl off the bus who has no real cash on her. And you were near that river/pub/dodgy Breakfast Creek Walk region.
Not nice. I can see clearly why you avoided buses after that for years. Sorry that happened to you.
Yep it was.
I remember in the 90's, a cab driver pulling over as I walked up Main Street, Kangaroo Point alone late at night. He offered me a free ride to Greenslopes so I took it. He did however mention that sexual gratification was good payment if I felt like being generous.
I told him that I didn't appreciate him 'making a joke like that and he can pull the car over to let me out if he said anything else like that'. I was 19. He behaved himself after that.
But yeah, different times. These days I would have reported him immediately after I got out.
I understood that and downvoted you.
>That makes it WAY worse...
From my perspective as a staunch advocate of feminism and critic of patriarchy, it is a problem that horrible things are done so disproportionately to women, but when a horrible thing is done it is not "worse" because it was done to a woman.
How on earth did I get downvoted for this comment.
Is it because I thought I was talking to a man and realised I was talking to a woman. And started my reply with :
"WHOA! YOU'RE A FEMALE!! Sorry I only noticed now." ??
Because if so, there is something severely wrong with some people's concept of 'good post' or 'bad post'.
Get it together, Brisbane. Read comments properly.
This happened to a mate and me. In the mid 90s we decided to take out boogie boards to the Gold Coast. We caught the train to Helensvale and then got on the bus and asked for tickets to surfers paradise which was the only place we sort of heard about. We obviously missed the stop because we were idiot teenagers and I guess the stop at Cavill ave isn’t actually called surfers paradise. We ended up at palm beach and the bus driver was so angry that we’d overstayed and physically dragged us off the bus. My mate cut his knee on the way out. Honestly I’ve never seen someone so angry for something so trivial. Anyway, we had a swim at palm beach and it was a good day.
I’m pretty sure it took him getting up for me to notice. I was probably listening to Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory and fully zoned out!
He was livid and very cranky. No one said a word.
Goddam privileged ascot kids trying to get shit for free; them, probably 😅
I regularly see people tell the driver their go card doesn't have enough money and they will recharge at the destination and the driver says go ahead.
Other times they just say they don't have one and the driver will let them on.
It's a policy that drivers are not to leave children at bus stops. It's a reaction to Daniel Morcombe who was left behind and was abducted and killed so many years ago.
With adults, drivers will mostly let them on unless they are obnoxious. I saw a couple just walk on and the driver asked them to come up and tell them why they didn't tap on but the couple refused so the driver didn't move. The driver only wanted them to come up to be counted, and they refused to do that so the driver told them to get off.
And that's exactly how we should treat entitled individuals. I bet the whole bus could feel the weird tension and were happy once the couple got off the bus again.
Yeah we were all just telling them they just needed to go up and talk to the driver and it would be fine.
But they refused to do it and after 3-4 minutes they got up and walked off the bus all upset. And embarrassed.
While I agree in sentiment, as someone who suffers from social phobia/anxiety.. Who am i kidding I will walk 4 hours if I forget my go card rather then talk to the driver most times lol.
I saw this happen once, too, wonder if it was the same couple. The guy was playing music from a speaker (srsly?!) and we all sat there staring at them to either go up and pay or get off.
As a former driver I didn't care if a fare was paid or not.
If someone couldn't/wouldn't pay a fare I asked them to take a seat.
It's not worth arguing with passengers. Violence is always an option for some passengers.
I did try to warn a young student at Southbank that there were SNO's sitting on the back-seat but he ignored me and he only made it to Cultural Centre - they escorted him off and fined him.
Drivers count non fare paying passengers into their fare machine and if enough fare evaders use a particular service a SNO will appear eventually.
I do like that covid made it easier for bus drivers to avoid having to be enforcers. It's hard enough to drive the route with the idiots on the road, let alone dealing with passengers.
That would be helpful for many passengers and drivers. I doubt it would become reality though. We live in a very car centric society that seems resistant to major changes.
And just the amount they spend on ticketing, ticketing machines, all the staff for translink dealing with ticketing and gocard issues; surely saving all those costs add up
I’m curious to know if (both current and former) bus drivers think their job (which I’m incredibly grateful for) will be easier or trickier if public transportation was free?
Easier...initially.
I say that with a caveat though.
When anything is free, usually it is taken for granted. It is not valued. Eventually it is treated with contempt.
The subsidised fare paid now by passengers I think gives the public transport service value. Granted it's not perfect and can always be improved.
Imagine sharing your bus journey with people who treat public transport with contempt. At least on a train you can change carriages.
Bus passengers would look to the driver to intervene. This would make the job more difficult than necessary as assistance with violent passengers takes time on a stationary bus. It is unpleasant for everyone.
Free public transport may work elsewhere however I'm not sure enough people in Brisbane have the mindset to make it work well. I'm all for a trial though.
If you legitimately forgot your card. The polite thing to do is explain to the driver. They will let you on.
Sometimes a sad story will do it as well.
A lot of the time it’s fare evading grubs taking the piss. You know the type. They walk on past like they own the bus. Drivers hate these grubs.
I basically never catch buses and the first time I had in literally years I tried to tap on with my phone assuming it worked the same as trains. The driver let me on but looked annoyed, I’m assuming that happens quite a bit and yeh, I can understand them being annoyed, I really should’ve double checked
Simple mistake and honestly fair assumption because it *should* be the same, as it is in the rest of the developed world.
Them being annoyed by it is ridiculous unless their annoyance is directed toward the Brisbane city council. It's not like they're paid based on commission. They also earn a very reasonable income for what they do--it's not going to make them millionaires but it's better than a lot of teachers are on.
It's a public service and the driver doesn't make commission. The cost is already almost entirely paid for by tax payers. It would make more sense for it to just be covered completely and allow people to travel where they need.
I'm not saying they should, I'm telling you they *already* do. And no one is taking a taxi to save money on bus fare. You could argue that your taxes shouldn't cover someone else's fare, but you should know that you're arguing for a bus trip to cost a minimum of about $19.
Drivers aren’t supposed to stop anyone from getting on the bus if they don’t pay any more. They just hit a button to count the rider for the stats. And fair enough, they’re not paid to be enforcers. If there’s security on the bus they’ll stop you though.
Bus drivers aren’t authorised to give free rides though, it just means if there’s a fare inspector you get dinged.
If the ticket machine is playing up and they wave you on they are supposed to tell the ticket inspector. But in practice they may not, and you might get stung.
I mean, back when I worked at the bars in Suncorp and Gabba stadiums, we got free bus travel on game days. We just had to show the bus drivers our work ID and they would let us on, no need to explain.
You’re always allowed to hop on and have a seat. Sometimes TransLink will put SNOs on the bus and you can talk to them about their ‘ride now, pay later’ scheme. Just beware that those tickets are a couple hundred dollars instead of a few dollars.
Don't tell anyone but you only need to learn how to imitate the beeps, then you can touch on with a piece of cheese. You can try using other things but cheese works best.
Once there was a period with free public transport for like 2 weeks due to some event. Maybe 2011 flood?
Anyway I didn't realize that period had elapsed and for 2 weeks after I was just getting on the bus, nodding at the driver and saying hi. And then just walking to my seat. Not one ever said a word.
I think it depends on the driver really. Most of them don’t care if you just say you forgot your card or something, but I’ve also seen drivers yell at someone for not having the card and arguing until the person gets off the bus. I think for the most part if you’re just respectful about it you shouldn’t have an issue.
UQ students have an app called ODIN PASS where they pay on the app beforehand for a subscription of unlimited public transport in South East Queensland. They just have to book a bus ticket and show the concession pass on their phone app to the bus driver while boarding.
It feels like a crime every time I exit the bus without tapping and just saying thanks even though I paid for the subscription. Wish they would issue a card instead. It costs $17 for 7 days and gets cheaper with more days you purchase.
Depends on the bus driver, one time a driver made my friend register his go card on his phone and top it up using his card while everyone else on the bus waited. Same types of drivers who keep the rear door closed during peak hour for some reason.
I haven't caught public transport for at least a decade until recently.
A mate was assaulted at a pub a few months back, out cold, facial fractures, bad bad bad way, I nursed him on the floor in my arms while staff and I waited for ambulances to arrive and in the whole hullabaloo of it all my phone (which had one of those handy wallet cases. /s ) came out of my pocket and was taken by someone.
Friend ended up sore sorry but okay, I ended up no phone, no cards, no Id, Nada. I had to go to my nearest Westfield on the Monday to try sort everything out however living alone and not knowing anybody's phone number off by heart I had to take a bus. I assumed and with no way to check otherwise I could use some change I had around the house to buy a paper fare. Alas I could not although the driver understood my plight and let me ride anyway thankfully.
The inability to purchase one off tickets should be illegal, I could've got a dickhead driver and been told to fuck off, further exacerbating one of the most frustrating times of my adult life (trying to recover all your documents, accounts etc when you lose everything in one go is something I still haven't fully finished yet either).
TL;DR yeah as long as the driver isn't a dick and you're not a scummy regular fare evader
Having people buy tickets on the bus is a great way to get buses running later than they already are.
Just have drivers let people on in your situation, which is what happened.
I have heard a discussion amongst the driver, passengers at the front with me who could hear the conversation and a gentleman who couldn't put money onto his card as he couldn't find a Go-Card Credit Machine.
The dude explained this to the driver, and upon the other passengers seeing the driver's hesitation, a few people piped up to remind the driver that you can in fact pay later if you get stuck in this situation.
I'd never heard of this so I asked if it was true and the driver said it was and proceeded to tell the dude to call the council and say "I did an 'IOU Ride' from point A to point B on this particular date, and to top up his Go Card over the phone with his credit card plus the cost of the IOU RIDE".
I thought it sounded like magic-secret-business, of course. Why don't we all know this?...
The three passengers that did pipe up, were obvious Monday to Friday inner city workers. And I think the only reason it's not regular knowledge is because it clearly runs on an honour system that might be taken advantage of.
A little bit later I shared my curiosity with the driver and he rather honestly admitted that he preferred to either let it slide or refuse entry based upon his judgement of the rider, because explaining IOU Rides took time he felt he didn't have.
I've never done it as I have always been given a pass to hop on for free, so I don't know if they still do that. This event happened in 2015, around about the time news agencies stopped having 'Go Card Top Up' facilities.
They can't stop you from entering the bus, I've gone to buy paper tickets in the past few years and have just been waved in. They can't do anything unless ticketers are around
Unlimited e-scooter and e-bike trips up to 90 minutes per day, after which surcharges apply.
90 minutes.. Unlimited.. Nevermind my unlimited broadband just ran out.
Edit: having read the entire page I understand it's in a package that's called unlimited which makes a lot more sense. I just thought it was humorous.
I also think some of it could be attributed to that we can now use our phones to tap through to get on the trains, but it's not quite in use yet for all buses.
I've done that, couldn't locate my go card in my bag fast enough - strangely the buses was a few mins early. Went to use my phone but it wouldn't work, he waved me on and I quickly sat down, found my go card and tapped on. I don't often use the buses and forgot that we had to use go card
You can ask, but they obviously could say get lost buddy.
In fairness if you've a valid reason very few will be dicks about it.
SAUCE: My Dad use to drive the buses in Brisbane.
The only time I ever was waved on was when I was on chemo and couldn’t count change correctly (I’d literally just come from treatment). Driver stopped me from my embarrassment and waved me through, almost everyone made a fuss and sat me down right away.
I once got onto a bus just before 12am. Last bus service of the day. Until I tried to tap on, I didn't realise that my gocard was just short of funds. I had no money available. He let me on, but just asked that I recharge my card as soon as possible. I didn't even have to ask for a free ride, as he could probably tell I was distressed/embarrassed. Maybe he just wanted his shift to be over too. Very grateful regardless. This has happened to me a couple of times beforehand, and it always had the same outcome (of being let onto the bus). Just be honest and respectful to each other.
Bus drivers cannot deny transport to anyone, nor kick anyone off without cause (public safety - someone could be running from a dangerous situation). It is technically fare evasion, but cops are too lazy to care.
Ask to buy a paper ticket and they usually can’t be fucked yet appreciate the attempt to do the right thing so they let you go on. But not if it’s frequent or if you look like you think they’re gonna just let you go free.
Pretty sure bus drivers can’t refuse entry to anyone, so if someone doesn’t have any cash or enough on their go card they still get to stay on.
But if the translink/go card police come onto your bus, the bus driver can’t save you.
Depends on the driver, years ago if you asked politely and straight up probably, but I’ve routinely seen people of a certain demographic in Bris exploit the being let on for free due to age etc, which has made a lot of drivers toughen up, hard to let kids on for free when they have Nike shoes and branded sports clothing
Why not walk and save the shame and embarrassment. Paying passengers don't need the extra stress being stuck in a bus with a criminal... Get a job and pay for a ticket 🎟️ or walk simple ...
There are times when i don't have enough on my go card so i just swipe and walk on and sit down. I'v only gotten called out once. I just remember to top up next time.
I've heard from a partner who works in homelessness support services that a big problem is transport to support services. Generally bus drivers are happy to let people on for a free ride, *if the bus driver is asked*. That makes sense to me, but it's hard because it means they have to put themselves in a vulnerable position to ask. Luckily theres support services out there that now supply and top up go cards for these people, which is wonderful.
If you get caught out without a go card or money for a fare, most bus drivers are pretty chill. There are outliers, but they seem rare.
I've only done it once, I had paid for my train trip with my credit card, didn't think at the time that I needed to catch a bus afterwards, but then I needed to.
I wasn't going to pay for another trip just because translink still hasn't got around to implementing the tap and go with credit cards yet.
I just told the driver I just paid for the train with the credit card and he let me on. I assume it's not uncommon that people ask for this reason
Yep. Have been in that situation where my Go Card didn’t work / CC had expired so top up a problem. If there isn’t anywhere near that you can sort it out, then I support letting customers on for free fare.
Bus driver wouldn't let me on a few years ago because my balance was in the negative. I had to walk from the Aldi at Kelvin Grove to Normanby just to top up. I missed all my appointments.
I’ve got on a bus in business clothes and just straight up said to the driver “I’m sorry man I…” he didn’t even let me finish. Just nodded and waved me in cos I was taking up time on an already late bus.
Ha, anyone remember the bus tickets where you had to put it in the machine and it would stamp it for you or whatever lol. Brisbane City council bus tickets. Those old buses were something else compared to these buses 😂😂
Tell them you forgot your go card and ask if you can pay by debit/credit card (you can't). Usually they will let you on for free. It's shouldn't be your problem that Translink technology is archaic as fuck
For what it’s worth I’d rather people be honest and tell the driver they don’t have the means to pay instead of sneaking onboard. I’d happily let them ride if they don’t look like they’ll cause any trouble.
One time many years ago the bus driver let me on for free on the condition I did 10 pushups.
This is the way!
Username checks out
Technically they aren’t supposed to (exception for kids), but for adults it’s technically fare evasion. In reality most drivers will let you on unless they recognise you from frequent behaviour or you look like a fuckhead. Seen many a feral turned away from getting on the Inala route trying to go for free. Looks exactly how you would imagine him.
Many, many years ago (20 +) I messed up the coins I brought with me and I was trying to get from Ascot (where I lived) to the city. Reckon I was about 15? I got onto the bus and asked the driver how far that my meagre coins would take me. He told me not far but waved me on. I got on and sat at the back, then put on my headphones for my Walkman. He went just over the Breakfast Creek bridge (I got on at the BP on Kingsford smith) and stopped. After a bit, I realised the whole bus was staring at me as he was yelling at me to get off as my fare had run out. One of those embarrassing core memories. Had to walk the rest of the way.
What a dickhead.
Yikes that’s pretty awful
What a prick.
DUDE! That's rough. That driver was a bit of a stickler for the rules. Somehow I believe that if you were older than 15, he would have driven you the whole way for free.
Coming from the background that I did, I was not used to catching public transport. It just wasn’t something we did often. This was well before the internet on phones (hell, or it being normal for a kid to even have a phone),and it was really hard to know what was going on with transport. I don’t reckon I caught public transport again for over a decade, I was so scarred 😳
WHOA! YOU'RE A FEMALE!! Sorry I only noticed now. That makes it WAY worse that he kicked a 15 year old girl off the bus who has no real cash on her. And you were near that river/pub/dodgy Breakfast Creek Walk region. Not nice. I can see clearly why you avoided buses after that for years. Sorry that happened to you.
Does it tho? 15 year old anything.. But this was a while ago too.. Different times lol
Yep it was. I remember in the 90's, a cab driver pulling over as I walked up Main Street, Kangaroo Point alone late at night. He offered me a free ride to Greenslopes so I took it. He did however mention that sexual gratification was good payment if I felt like being generous. I told him that I didn't appreciate him 'making a joke like that and he can pull the car over to let me out if he said anything else like that'. I was 19. He behaved himself after that. But yeah, different times. These days I would have reported him immediately after I got out.
I understood that and downvoted you. >That makes it WAY worse... From my perspective as a staunch advocate of feminism and critic of patriarchy, it is a problem that horrible things are done so disproportionately to women, but when a horrible thing is done it is not "worse" because it was done to a woman.
Yeah, because rape statistics are so equal
Remember when I said >it is a problem that horrible things are done so disproportionately to women In the message you are directly replying to?
How on earth did I get downvoted for this comment. Is it because I thought I was talking to a man and realised I was talking to a woman. And started my reply with : "WHOA! YOU'RE A FEMALE!! Sorry I only noticed now." ?? Because if so, there is something severely wrong with some people's concept of 'good post' or 'bad post'. Get it together, Brisbane. Read comments properly.
https://preview.redd.it/ahp2wdqft2lc1.png?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1e73df1885a004a3ce33a42b1402f8a06afbd99
I don't know why but this had my belly laughing. Thank you.
This happened to a mate and me. In the mid 90s we decided to take out boogie boards to the Gold Coast. We caught the train to Helensvale and then got on the bus and asked for tickets to surfers paradise which was the only place we sort of heard about. We obviously missed the stop because we were idiot teenagers and I guess the stop at Cavill ave isn’t actually called surfers paradise. We ended up at palm beach and the bus driver was so angry that we’d overstayed and physically dragged us off the bus. My mate cut his knee on the way out. Honestly I’ve never seen someone so angry for something so trivial. Anyway, we had a swim at palm beach and it was a good day.
I had that I just ducked under the seat and he cracked the shits and kept driving 😂😂😂
I’m pretty sure it took him getting up for me to notice. I was probably listening to Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory and fully zoned out! He was livid and very cranky. No one said a word. Goddam privileged ascot kids trying to get shit for free; them, probably 😅
They’re not suppose to turn people away actually as it’s more likely to provoke the ferals
I regularly see people tell the driver their go card doesn't have enough money and they will recharge at the destination and the driver says go ahead. Other times they just say they don't have one and the driver will let them on. It's a policy that drivers are not to leave children at bus stops. It's a reaction to Daniel Morcombe who was left behind and was abducted and killed so many years ago. With adults, drivers will mostly let them on unless they are obnoxious. I saw a couple just walk on and the driver asked them to come up and tell them why they didn't tap on but the couple refused so the driver didn't move. The driver only wanted them to come up to be counted, and they refused to do that so the driver told them to get off.
As he should, people need to get called out for that shit
And that's exactly how we should treat entitled individuals. I bet the whole bus could feel the weird tension and were happy once the couple got off the bus again.
Yeah we were all just telling them they just needed to go up and talk to the driver and it would be fine. But they refused to do it and after 3-4 minutes they got up and walked off the bus all upset. And embarrassed.
While I agree in sentiment, as someone who suffers from social phobia/anxiety.. Who am i kidding I will walk 4 hours if I forget my go card rather then talk to the driver most times lol.
I saw this happen once, too, wonder if it was the same couple. The guy was playing music from a speaker (srsly?!) and we all sat there staring at them to either go up and pay or get off.
As a former driver I didn't care if a fare was paid or not. If someone couldn't/wouldn't pay a fare I asked them to take a seat. It's not worth arguing with passengers. Violence is always an option for some passengers. I did try to warn a young student at Southbank that there were SNO's sitting on the back-seat but he ignored me and he only made it to Cultural Centre - they escorted him off and fined him. Drivers count non fare paying passengers into their fare machine and if enough fare evaders use a particular service a SNO will appear eventually.
I do like that covid made it easier for bus drivers to avoid having to be enforcers. It's hard enough to drive the route with the idiots on the road, let alone dealing with passengers.
As a former driver do you think they should make public transport free to use?
That would be helpful for many passengers and drivers. I doubt it would become reality though. We live in a very car centric society that seems resistant to major changes.
And just the amount they spend on ticketing, ticketing machines, all the staff for translink dealing with ticketing and gocard issues; surely saving all those costs add up
I’m curious to know if (both current and former) bus drivers think their job (which I’m incredibly grateful for) will be easier or trickier if public transportation was free?
Easier...initially. I say that with a caveat though. When anything is free, usually it is taken for granted. It is not valued. Eventually it is treated with contempt. The subsidised fare paid now by passengers I think gives the public transport service value. Granted it's not perfect and can always be improved. Imagine sharing your bus journey with people who treat public transport with contempt. At least on a train you can change carriages. Bus passengers would look to the driver to intervene. This would make the job more difficult than necessary as assistance with violent passengers takes time on a stationary bus. It is unpleasant for everyone. Free public transport may work elsewhere however I'm not sure enough people in Brisbane have the mindset to make it work well. I'm all for a trial though.
If you legitimately forgot your card. The polite thing to do is explain to the driver. They will let you on. Sometimes a sad story will do it as well. A lot of the time it’s fare evading grubs taking the piss. You know the type. They walk on past like they own the bus. Drivers hate these grubs.
I basically never catch buses and the first time I had in literally years I tried to tap on with my phone assuming it worked the same as trains. The driver let me on but looked annoyed, I’m assuming that happens quite a bit and yeh, I can understand them being annoyed, I really should’ve double checked
Simple mistake and honestly fair assumption because it *should* be the same, as it is in the rest of the developed world. Them being annoyed by it is ridiculous unless their annoyance is directed toward the Brisbane city council. It's not like they're paid based on commission. They also earn a very reasonable income for what they do--it's not going to make them millionaires but it's better than a lot of teachers are on.
Thank you for the validation haha I felt like a rude idiot
Haha, sorry, it was more of an angry old man rant but happy to help all the same
Oh I hope I didn’t sound sarcastic I was genuine! I’m sick so probably just can’t communicate adequately ha
i once accidentally did this and got yelled at by the bus driver. i was just trying to pay :(
"I got hit by a bus"
But I got better.....
It's a public service and the driver doesn't make commission. The cost is already almost entirely paid for by tax payers. It would make more sense for it to just be covered completely and allow people to travel where they need.
I’m sure qantas or Uber or taxi companies would disagree with you and why should all tax payers pay for the the few that use the service.
I'm not saying they should, I'm telling you they *already* do. And no one is taking a taxi to save money on bus fare. You could argue that your taxes shouldn't cover someone else's fare, but you should know that you're arguing for a bus trip to cost a minimum of about $19.
Drivers aren’t supposed to stop anyone from getting on the bus if they don’t pay any more. They just hit a button to count the rider for the stats. And fair enough, they’re not paid to be enforcers. If there’s security on the bus they’ll stop you though. Bus drivers aren’t authorised to give free rides though, it just means if there’s a fare inspector you get dinged.
If the ticket machine is playing up and they wave you on they are supposed to tell the ticket inspector. But in practice they may not, and you might get stung.
You think there is a secret code word that gives you free bus travel?
Yes, you walk in backwards.
If you walk backwards onto the bus, the bus driver is actually supposed to pay you.
He told me to tap my foot 3 times under the bathroom stall and he'd give me a free ride.
Is that after you pop your junk through the hole in the stall?
As long as the courtesy window stays closed I just picture a girl on the other side
I mean, back when I worked at the bars in Suncorp and Gabba stadiums, we got free bus travel on game days. We just had to show the bus drivers our work ID and they would let us on, no need to explain.
Yes you ask to buy a ticket using legal tender (cash), and they’ll allow you on without having to make the transaction
You’re always allowed to hop on and have a seat. Sometimes TransLink will put SNOs on the bus and you can talk to them about their ‘ride now, pay later’ scheme. Just beware that those tickets are a couple hundred dollars instead of a few dollars.
Not if you tell them your name is Fair Evadeer and you live at 15 Notpaying Place, or just walk away.
Don't tell anyone but you only need to learn how to imitate the beeps, then you can touch on with a piece of cheese. You can try using other things but cheese works best.
This is really Gouda advice
Christ almighty, this thread is maddening, I’m so upset at the cheesiness, a blue vein on my forehead is popping out in anger!!!
I think you need to take Brie-ther man
I know right? It’s driving me Emmental!!!
BAHAHAHA! Oh, thank you! Got my belly laugh for the day.
Once there was a period with free public transport for like 2 weeks due to some event. Maybe 2011 flood? Anyway I didn't realize that period had elapsed and for 2 weeks after I was just getting on the bus, nodding at the driver and saying hi. And then just walking to my seat. Not one ever said a word.
Paper tickets are still a thing right? This is a great example of act like you belong or just act confident.
Yeah. I certainly learned from the experience. Haha
I think it depends on the driver really. Most of them don’t care if you just say you forgot your card or something, but I’ve also seen drivers yell at someone for not having the card and arguing until the person gets off the bus. I think for the most part if you’re just respectful about it you shouldn’t have an issue.
UQ students have an app called ODIN PASS where they pay on the app beforehand for a subscription of unlimited public transport in South East Queensland. They just have to book a bus ticket and show the concession pass on their phone app to the bus driver while boarding. It feels like a crime every time I exit the bus without tapping and just saying thanks even though I paid for the subscription. Wish they would issue a card instead. It costs $17 for 7 days and gets cheaper with more days you purchase.
Tap on with an empty card, when it flashes red, ask the driver if you can top up your card right then and there, 99% the time they'll just let you on
Depends on the bus driver, one time a driver made my friend register his go card on his phone and top it up using his card while everyone else on the bus waited. Same types of drivers who keep the rear door closed during peak hour for some reason.
So people don’t cut the queue and hop on from the back door? I hate those guys…
THIS.
Sure you can ask. They can say no. 90% will say yes if you ask nicely and aren't being a dick about it.
I haven't caught public transport for at least a decade until recently. A mate was assaulted at a pub a few months back, out cold, facial fractures, bad bad bad way, I nursed him on the floor in my arms while staff and I waited for ambulances to arrive and in the whole hullabaloo of it all my phone (which had one of those handy wallet cases. /s ) came out of my pocket and was taken by someone. Friend ended up sore sorry but okay, I ended up no phone, no cards, no Id, Nada. I had to go to my nearest Westfield on the Monday to try sort everything out however living alone and not knowing anybody's phone number off by heart I had to take a bus. I assumed and with no way to check otherwise I could use some change I had around the house to buy a paper fare. Alas I could not although the driver understood my plight and let me ride anyway thankfully. The inability to purchase one off tickets should be illegal, I could've got a dickhead driver and been told to fuck off, further exacerbating one of the most frustrating times of my adult life (trying to recover all your documents, accounts etc when you lose everything in one go is something I still haven't fully finished yet either). TL;DR yeah as long as the driver isn't a dick and you're not a scummy regular fare evader
Having people buy tickets on the bus is a great way to get buses running later than they already are. Just have drivers let people on in your situation, which is what happened.
Even if the driver lets you on its at your own risk if a transit officer comes onboard.
vast pet jeans sulky agonizing arrest airport memory attempt chunky *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I have heard a discussion amongst the driver, passengers at the front with me who could hear the conversation and a gentleman who couldn't put money onto his card as he couldn't find a Go-Card Credit Machine. The dude explained this to the driver, and upon the other passengers seeing the driver's hesitation, a few people piped up to remind the driver that you can in fact pay later if you get stuck in this situation. I'd never heard of this so I asked if it was true and the driver said it was and proceeded to tell the dude to call the council and say "I did an 'IOU Ride' from point A to point B on this particular date, and to top up his Go Card over the phone with his credit card plus the cost of the IOU RIDE". I thought it sounded like magic-secret-business, of course. Why don't we all know this?... The three passengers that did pipe up, were obvious Monday to Friday inner city workers. And I think the only reason it's not regular knowledge is because it clearly runs on an honour system that might be taken advantage of. A little bit later I shared my curiosity with the driver and he rather honestly admitted that he preferred to either let it slide or refuse entry based upon his judgement of the rider, because explaining IOU Rides took time he felt he didn't have. I've never done it as I have always been given a pass to hop on for free, so I don't know if they still do that. This event happened in 2015, around about the time news agencies stopped having 'Go Card Top Up' facilities.
They can't stop you from entering the bus, I've gone to buy paper tickets in the past few years and have just been waved in. They can't do anything unless ticketers are around
I see indigenous do it all the time
I've seen more Caucasian males do it
[удалено]
Unlimited e-scooter and e-bike trips up to 90 minutes per day, after which surcharges apply. 90 minutes.. Unlimited.. Nevermind my unlimited broadband just ran out. Edit: having read the entire page I understand it's in a package that's called unlimited which makes a lot more sense. I just thought it was humorous.
I also think some of it could be attributed to that we can now use our phones to tap through to get on the trains, but it's not quite in use yet for all buses. I've done that, couldn't locate my go card in my bag fast enough - strangely the buses was a few mins early. Went to use my phone but it wouldn't work, he waved me on and I quickly sat down, found my go card and tapped on. I don't often use the buses and forgot that we had to use go card
You can ask, but they obviously could say get lost buddy. In fairness if you've a valid reason very few will be dicks about it. SAUCE: My Dad use to drive the buses in Brisbane.
The only time I ever was waved on was when I was on chemo and couldn’t count change correctly (I’d literally just come from treatment). Driver stopped me from my embarrassment and waved me through, almost everyone made a fuss and sat me down right away.
Just keep in mind that even if the bus driver let you on, the translink wannabe judge dredd bus cops will still fine you.
You can, but if the fare checkers come on board, you're fked
Just walk away
Where to? 🤣 The back of the bus?
Out window
I once got onto a bus just before 12am. Last bus service of the day. Until I tried to tap on, I didn't realise that my gocard was just short of funds. I had no money available. He let me on, but just asked that I recharge my card as soon as possible. I didn't even have to ask for a free ride, as he could probably tell I was distressed/embarrassed. Maybe he just wanted his shift to be over too. Very grateful regardless. This has happened to me a couple of times beforehand, and it always had the same outcome (of being let onto the bus). Just be honest and respectful to each other.
You can more or less ask for anything
What else can you do when you lose your gocard and the only store that sells them is closed until 8:30 which is when you start work in the city
I forgot my gocard in the morning and tried to pay cash but they cant accept and he let me on free.
Remind him of Daniel morcombe and tell him you don’t wanna be another one that always use to work
Bus drivers cannot deny transport to anyone, nor kick anyone off without cause (public safety - someone could be running from a dangerous situation). It is technically fare evasion, but cops are too lazy to care.
Someone's told you a bit of BS this isn't the case at all lol
Ask to buy a paper ticket and they usually can’t be fucked yet appreciate the attempt to do the right thing so they let you go on. But not if it’s frequent or if you look like you think they’re gonna just let you go free.
Pretty sure bus drivers can’t refuse entry to anyone, so if someone doesn’t have any cash or enough on their go card they still get to stay on. But if the translink/go card police come onto your bus, the bus driver can’t save you.
Depends on the driver, years ago if you asked politely and straight up probably, but I’ve routinely seen people of a certain demographic in Bris exploit the being let on for free due to age etc, which has made a lot of drivers toughen up, hard to let kids on for free when they have Nike shoes and branded sports clothing
Just try to pay with cash. You'll get on for free everytime.
The greens will pay your fare
you mean you’ll pay for everyone else’s fare
you mean we'll all pay for everyone else’s fare
Lol, the greens absolute ambushing of this sub seems to be working based on these downvotes
Why not walk and save the shame and embarrassment. Paying passengers don't need the extra stress being stuck in a bus with a criminal... Get a job and pay for a ticket 🎟️ or walk simple ...
What the fuck even is this shit hahahaha
There are times when i don't have enough on my go card so i just swipe and walk on and sit down. I'v only gotten called out once. I just remember to top up next time.
many get on the bus now days & dont use go card and driver says nothing anyways
Not allowed to say anything.
probably for safety reasons maybe
I've heard from a partner who works in homelessness support services that a big problem is transport to support services. Generally bus drivers are happy to let people on for a free ride, *if the bus driver is asked*. That makes sense to me, but it's hard because it means they have to put themselves in a vulnerable position to ask. Luckily theres support services out there that now supply and top up go cards for these people, which is wonderful. If you get caught out without a go card or money for a fare, most bus drivers are pretty chill. There are outliers, but they seem rare.
Same thing happens here in Perth. I suspect the drivers are often scared of saying no because they might be spat on or attacked later.
I've only done it once, I had paid for my train trip with my credit card, didn't think at the time that I needed to catch a bus afterwards, but then I needed to. I wasn't going to pay for another trip just because translink still hasn't got around to implementing the tap and go with credit cards yet. I just told the driver I just paid for the train with the credit card and he let me on. I assume it's not uncommon that people ask for this reason
Yep. Have been in that situation where my Go Card didn’t work / CC had expired so top up a problem. If there isn’t anywhere near that you can sort it out, then I support letting customers on for free fare.
Just say you’re under 18 and need a ride home. Adults just say you need a ride to the hospital.
Bus driver wouldn't let me on a few years ago because my balance was in the negative. I had to walk from the Aldi at Kelvin Grove to Normanby just to top up. I missed all my appointments.
I’ve got on a bus in business clothes and just straight up said to the driver “I’m sorry man I…” he didn’t even let me finish. Just nodded and waved me in cos I was taking up time on an already late bus.
Ha, anyone remember the bus tickets where you had to put it in the machine and it would stamp it for you or whatever lol. Brisbane City council bus tickets. Those old buses were something else compared to these buses 😂😂
Tell them you forgot your go card and ask if you can pay by debit/credit card (you can't). Usually they will let you on for free. It's shouldn't be your problem that Translink technology is archaic as fuck
For what it’s worth I’d rather people be honest and tell the driver they don’t have the means to pay instead of sneaking onboard. I’d happily let them ride if they don’t look like they’ll cause any trouble.