Get Home when Your Bus Drives Past You
If you've been waiting for the bus but it just drives right past you, what should you do? If you haven't already made a plan with your parents, spouse or family members for such a happening, there are some sensible things you can do to still get home safely.
Steps
- Wait for the next bus. If there is another bus for the same route coming along, simply wait for it. If you don't feel safe, or it's wet, cold or too hot, find a local business or store and ask politely if you can wait inside because you feel unsafe or cold.
- Call someone you trust to come and collect you. This might be a parent or guardian if you're a child, a sibling, another family member or a trusted neighbor. It might also be a friend or someone from your church or community group. If you don't have your own phone, ask a passer-by or in a local store if you can make a local call to get someone to come and collect you. Offer to pay for the call if you can.
- Call a cab. If you have some money, get a cab home. Another option is to call home and let someone know you are coming home by cab and ask them to have the payment for the fare ready when you arrive. If that isn't possible, ask the cab to take you to the workplace of someone who can drive you home, such as a parent, spouse or other family member, and have that person pay for the cab to that place.
- Catch another form of public transportation. This might be a different bus route or a metro or train. If you need to walk a fair way to get to the other transportation, ensure that it is safe to do so.
- Walk home. If you have a safe route home even though it's long, and the weather is okay, consider walking home. This should only be attempted if you are certain that it is safe to do so though.
- Go back to your school, place of work or college and ask for help. Let someone in the front office know what has happened and ask whether anyone can assist you to get home safely.
Warnings
- If, for any reason, you feel scared, do not hesitate to call the Emergency Services for assistance. Or, you can drop into a local police station. You might be able to drop into a Neighborhood Watch designated safety house or business, if this still exists in your area.
Things You'll Need
- Bus timetable
- Cash
- Phone
