(01 Sep 2021, 8:51 am)MurdnunoC wrote I somewhat agree. Safety has never really been a concern of mine whilst waiting at a bus station late at night. But I am conscious of the fact that I am getting older and it may be of great importance to me in 10 or 15 years time. 

Like you I have never felt unsafe in a bus station, however I have felt unsafe on a bus before and have documented the experience here.


To add a little bit more to the story, it got tense for me because I was sitting at the back of the bus, a row or so in front of them, and didn't know how things would pan out. Despite there being CCTV onboard and the driver having a radio to alert the police if anything happened, I was fully aware that I was outnumbered in an enclosed environment with little choice other than to take a battering or to fight back (and probably still take a battering). As the journey progressed I became more anxious and paranoid that something would kick-off and I had to mentally prepare myself for that outcome. Luckily, nothing happened, and perhaps, in hindsight, my anxiety and paranoia got the better of me but it doesn't take away from the fact that, as a passenger, it was a really unpleasant experience - albeit not one which would put me off from travelling on public transport - but for some it might. Now, if that scenario happened in a bus station then I'd at least have the option of fight or flight (I'm still nimble and fit enough to run-away). On the bus, I felt the option of flight was taken from me.

My autism increases the level of anxiety and general feelings of uneasiness at times especially if people are loud and if anyone is speaking in a generally threatening tone even when I'm not involved, noise is a bigger trigger as highlighted in some of my cringe posts I made back in the old days of this forum which mercifully I can deal with better now although still flawed in that regard.

I have had some bad experiences in my time, I was threatened in Gateshead Interchange when attempting to board an X21 as I was having to skirt my way round those boarding the 21 that arrived in front that blocked my path, I couldn't bring myself to get on the bus with said person who threatened me so instead was left there in a state of distress, handily security nowhere to be found.

I also remember travelling on the X22 to Durham on Christmas Eve sat downstairs on an OmniDekka and two drunks kept hassling me to use my phone which I declined and this got me irrate and was threatened as a result, I had to retreat onto the top deck and ended up staying up there until I was certain they had alighted the bus in Durham although think they actually got off at Plawsworth.

I also got shoved against my local bus stop one night for no reason other than they thought it was funny.