London buses carry around 6.5 million passengers per day. Almost every Londoner seems to have at least one shocking story for the dinner table about this experience. Most parents and friends give the advice to look down and not get involved, however, why do we do this? Let’s stop ignoring basic acts of hatred, turn our music down and say something.

One in eight drivers have been spat at in the last year while 86% have been verbally abused and 2% physically assaulted according to Unite union. What urges humanity to treat other people this way? When speaking to a regular commuter on London buses he said ‘its just a matter of wrong place wrong time’ another traveller explaining that ‘the last thing you want in the morning is to be told you have run out of money on your oyster card and therefore you are going to be late for work’. This contradicts and destroys the notoriously polite British stereotype that we have become so accustomed to. Were our ancestors merely better raised and therefore more sensitive to others? Or has the world just lost all its morality to the bustle and crowds of rush hour?

So, what happens after you leave the bus tutting and in extreme cases even spitting at London’s innocent drivers? Despite TFLs policy that ‘victims’ of ‘antisocial behaviour’ should be reported to the police; at least half of incidents are not reported because of the fear of being blamed according to Unite. This corruption means passive aggressive (or often just aggressive) commuters get away with their uncalled-for animosity due to societies power complex reducing bus drivers’ rights and empowering self-righteous business men and women. Not only is there a fear of being blamed in these instances but surveyed drivers also said that when they reported assaults, employers would not give them paid time off to report it. Vulnerable drivers wouldn’t have this problem if we stopped punishing them for our disorganisation and grumpiness in the morning.

Merely being a decent human being when travelling on London buses can go a long way in making someone else’s life a lot less miserable. Everyone is preaching about grand acts of charity and steps to creating world peace but why don’t we start with this small stuff first?

By Noa Holt, JCoSS