Just a week after we reported how a Deaf woman in Manchester was allegedly subjected to an angry tirade from a Train Manager, a deaf woman from Oxford has tweeted about what she describes as a “humiliating” experience on a bus to Oxford earlier today.
Sarah Chapman, an Information Specialist who has recently researched why people don’t wear hearing aids, sent a series of tweets following the alleged incident.
Her tweets say that, following a disagreement over whether she needed to buy an additional ticket, the driver phoned his supervisor then tried to pass the phone on to her – allegedly insisting she could hear it and waving it at her, despite her telling him that she was deaf.
Oxford Tube’s manager David Rouse has responded, saying:
I expect high standards of customer care from all of my staff and any lowering of these standards will not be tolerated. Drivers receive appropriate training to enable them to give a good customer experience and this is something I will be following up with the individual concerned. However, until I receive more details from the passenger concerned I am unable to trace the coach and driver she was travelling with.
Once I have these details, the driver concerned will be identified and will be required to attend a formal interview under our internal disciplinary procedures where they will be expected to give a full explanation with regard to their performance on the day in question. Subsequently, any necessary action will be considered.
In the meantime, please accept my assurance that such matters are taken very seriously and dealt with accordingly. I am sorry that you have had cause to contact us but I thank you for bringing this matter to my attention.
Her tweets are below:
Hoping for redress when we get to Oxford after appalling behaviour towards me by Oxford Tube driver. @Limping_Chicken #deaf
— Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30) July 28, 2014
@Limping_Chicken driver said my ticket not valid for my kids (despite being return leg so came 1 way on it). He phoned supervisor…
— Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30) July 28, 2014
@Limping_Chicken …to tell me & insisted I could hear on phone, despite me saying I couldn’t as deaf. Waved phone at me & others… — Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30) July 28, 2014
@Limping_Chicken …insisting we could all hear. Wouldn’t agree to sorting on arrival & I had to buy tickets for kids. They’re upset. — Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30) July 28, 2014
@Limping_Chicken humiliating & ignorant & rude. Hope someone will sort at bus station
— Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30) July 28, 2014
Daughter’s just told me bus driver said to supervisor “she says she can’t hear but she can”!! So accused of lying too! @Limping_Chicken
— Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30) July 28, 2014
Thankful for friends who complained to @Stagecoachbus_ & kindness of strangers, including lady on bus who offered to pay for tickets
— Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30) July 28, 2014
And this from website stating kids go free except on Sat @Limping_Chickenpic.twitter.com/4V91RJhDMb
— Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30) July 28, 2014
Update: This story has now been reported in the Oxford Mail. Read their story here: http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourtown/oxford/11373900.Oxford_Tube_sorry_for_deaf_passenger_s__humiliation_/?ref=rss&utm_campaign=Oxtweets
By Charlie Swinbourne, Editor
Photo by Graham Richardson
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Nutty Nora
July 28, 2014
Disgusting! Hope they reprimand the driver & give a stern warning with a view to facing unemployment!!!
Natalya
July 28, 2014
How horrible, hope you get suitable redress Sarah and a public apology from Oxford Tube’s owners. Well done for getting yourself and your children home as well as kicking off in a way which is going to force them to deal with the issue! I hope you all have something nice to make up for the horrid experience.
Sadly the give you a phone to talk to someone at the other end isn’t uncommon. I have had that at my bank and a letting agency, the bank insisted I talked down the phone to sort some stuff which I did (and they boggled when I handed it back to the advisor without listening to it) but I stood my ground on the letting agency and refused to do the phone entirely and told them to work it out.
I think hearies really do not realise how many of us can’t hear, or can’t reliably hear a phone. Loudspeaker, especially on a mobile is just distorted noise in my experience. I can hear the noise, but made words, no chance! Some deafies/HOH folk can hear some phones and some people some of the time, so there can be no hard and fast “rule” but “Can you hear on a phone?” “no” should be respected. More education needed!
Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30)
July 28, 2014
Thank you both and, Natalya, that’s certainly my experience of loudspeakers – all noise and no clarity! Appalling that he was waving the phone at me insisting I could hear! Will he tell the next customer wanting to board his bus in a wheelchair that they can walk really?! We have a very nice holiday to look forward to but will have to start it by travelling on the Oxford Tube (including my deaf husband)! Not a great prospect at the moment but we will see how Stagecoach Bus responds to the email I sent this evening. Lovely to have so much support from friends, a fellow traveller and people on social media.
Well done standing your ground with the letting agency. It surprises me how often it seems impossible to deal with big organisations other than on the phone. I have a friend now intimately acquainted with my financial affairs as I had to deal with the Inland Revenue by phone so had to do it through her!
Cathy Alexandeŕ
July 28, 2014
I am not too surprised at this although I have not had this problem when I tell people: am sorry I cannot use the phone am deaf. Sometimes they will ask me again and I say it more forcefully that its impossible, then they seem to get the picture!
It can be very difficult for hearies to understand how the phone cannot be understood when you can speak!! There is no need for a horrible attitude though!
deaflinguist
July 28, 2014
Had it been me I might well have asked why a bus driver felt himself medically qualified to assess deafness!
From the description of his agitated behaviour, I would have said that it then became an H&S issue for him to drive or to have the responsibility of conveying passengers over these distances, and it will have alarmed his supervisor on both grounds to hear all this. Hopefully you will therefore have that supervisor’s support in escalating your complaint.
Good on you for complaining Sarah, and glad you had support from fellow passengers: while these incidents are deplorable, it is heartening to see that the Great British Public are supportive in these situations.
Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30)
July 29, 2014
Yes the support from people I do and don’t know, in person and via social media, has been wonderful. That has been a very good thing for my daughters to see.
Catherine Finch
July 28, 2014
I get this inconsistency with bus drivers about whether I should pay extra for my child. Some insist that my disabled pass means that I have to pay full fare for my under 5 year-old who would normally get on free. Most however are happy to let me & my son on board for for free. But there’s always the odd officious driver who just likes to make life difficult because he/she can.
I’ve not had to speak to someone on the phone about it, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened in the future. Appalling treatment. Hope they apologise and discipline//sack or train deaf awareness to that driver
Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30)
July 29, 2014
It hasn’t occurred to me to apply for a disabled pass – though I have one for the train (which has felt quite justified as I do sometimes get on the wrong one, as relying on display boards!). I don’t want the driver to lose his job; I do want the company to take it seriously and ensure their staff are all better informed. Aside from the deaf issue, his was an appalling display of bad manners to a customer and ignorance of basic company policy on ticketing.
Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30)
July 29, 2014
I have received the following response from Stagecoach bus company. I’m glad to see they are taking this seriously.
“Thank you for your email from which I was sorry to learn that you had a less than satisfactory experience with our Oxford Tube service.
I can assure you that we expect very high standards of professionalism and customer care from all of our staff and any lowering of these standards is clearly not acceptable.
The driver concerned will be identified and will be required to attend a formal interview where they will be expected to give a full explanation with regard to their performance on the day in question. Subsequently, any necessary action will be considered.
Your email has been passed on to Davis Rouse, who will investigate and respond as quickly as possible and within one week.
In the meantime, I would ask that you accept our sincere apologies for any distress and inconvenience caused by this incident along with our assurance that such matters are taken very seriously and dealt with accordingly.
I am sorry that you have had cause to contact us but I thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.”
Alison
July 29, 2014
Hi Sarah am glad that you have got a response from Stagecoach and they are taking it all seriously.
On another note re the above have you applied for a bus pass? You can get one for local travel and it is also free to use on any bus in other towns. Your husband can apply for one as well (check with your local council more info here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-disabled-bus-pass
Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30)
July 30, 2014
Thank you Alison – I’ll look into it. I had no idea!
Bus Driver
July 30, 2014
I am also deaf, and have to put up with things like this all day, EVERY day…not from bus drivers, but from passengers on the buses!
Also, it might help if you read the “small print” on these “kids travel free” offers…As a person with a disability, would it be correct to assume that you were traveling on a CONCESSIONARY ticket? If this is the case, then the children WOULD have to be paid for.
I am fed up to the back teeth with people using “disability” as an excuse for everything…the poor driver had probably ha a really bad day; which is more than possible driving in and out of London.
Now your whining has probably cost him his job, and who is going to foot the bill for his family now? The TAX PAYERS!
Congratulations…I hope you feel proud of yourself!
Congratulations also to “Alison”, suggesting that you AND your husband can have bus passes…Again, PAID for by the tax-payer!
I am afraid that I have withheld MY name, because I am also a bus driver!
Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30)
August 1, 2014
I’m sorry you feel so angry. No, I wasn’t travelling on a concessionary ticket. The Oxford Tube manager has confirmed that the children were entitled to travel free on my regular adult ticket. Aside from the disability issue, there were some basic failings here about customer service and knowledge of basic ticketing policy, which the company needs to address.
Natalya
July 31, 2014
Thanks Sarah, my letting agency are small and nice (the bank were scarier and rubbish). Harder to avoid in a situation like the Oxford Tube which was contentious and you had children who didn’t want fusses being made.
As for Inland Revenue, I think you might find http://natalyad.dreamwidth.org/5892.html interesting. Basically, I sued them HMRC as they are now for disability discrimination over exactly the issue with phones you mention. HMRC repeatedly failed to understand that it is *THEIR* duty to make reasonable adjustments for me the customer, not mine to adjust for them by getting someone to call. In my case I simply didn’t have anyone who was competent with money and every time I’ve allowed a hearie to ‘call for me’ I’ve lost control of decision making and felt horribly disempowered so I simply avoid it where possible these days (which isn’t always but is a LOT of the time).
Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30)
August 1, 2014
Thanks Natalya – I will look into that. I feel for you! I’m fortunate to have a friend who is brilliant at helping me with such things but not everyone’s so lucky.
Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30)
August 1, 2014
I am pleased to have had a response from Oxford a Tube manager David Rouse who is investigating what happened on Monday and meanwhile will refund us for Monday’s journey, having confirmed that the girls were entitled to ravel free in my adult ticket. He has also sent us a free period return for our next journey.