If You Were A Tour Guide Would You Wait For Passengers Who Are Late?
@arthurchappell (44941)
Preston, England
February 11, 2017 4:38am CST
I have been on many tourist bus and coach excursions where drivers have let passengers out with instructions to be back by a certain time. Inevitably, some passengers come back late, sometimes thirty minutes or more late and the drivers have waited for them. Only a few times have I seen drivers actually bold enough to leave late passengers behind and drive off. If I was a driver on such a journey I would also abandon the late-comers. Would you? I might make exceptions for disabled passengers or those with children in their group.
Supposing your bus was due to leave at 11pm. Would you leave at 11pm, or wait until 11.30 pm or later? With mobile phone access there seems little excuse to hold everyone up.
Arthur Chappell
21 people like this
24 responses
@garymarsh6 (24119)
• United Kingdom
11 Feb 17
I think it is extremely rude, discourteous and selfish for people who delay departure. You know on cruise ships they will only wait for passengers who are late who are on a ships tour and the bus is held up. You miss departure it is your responsibility to get yourself to the next port.
If I were a bus driver I would give five minutes and then that is it. A train won't wait for you to get your rear on the train neither will a plane. People are just so dumb......I was only 5 minutes late they could have waited. Really? Oh blimey Arthur look how you have hit a raw nerve with me! LOL
4 people like this
@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
11 Feb 17
I think I would build a certain amount of wait time into the schedule but once that time had passed, I would pull out. To be sure, it would be clearly stated in the contract that such would happen to tardy passengers.
The problem with waiting once is that some would take it as license to be that late every time.
3 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
11 Feb 17
i'd give them a minute or two then leave.i have a schedule to keep to.
disabled i might hold up for but that's it.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (190074)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Feb 17
Yes, I would too. Can't keep everyone waiting because a few aren't punctual. I would wait five or ten minutes but not a half an hour. I think that is too much.
2 people like this
@xFiacre (14809)
• Ireland
11 Feb 17
@arthurchappell Leave them I say. I would always get back early myself so as not to inconvenience others, and I'd be afraid of getting driver like me who would leave at the appointed time. Six o'clock is when the big hand is at 12 and the little hand is at six. No other configuration is acceptable.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
11 Feb 17
I guess that depends on the nature of the business.
If they are long distance bus driver, then they do not have to wait for passengers.
They need to stick to the schedule.
Those passengers who are late can make arrangement to catch other buses.
If you are referring to those overseas tour group, they have to wait for the tourists.
The other tourists can show their displeasure at the late comers because coming late means less time for other attractions.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
11 Feb 17
As a tourist on such buses, this situation has infuriated me. As a driver, I don't know how to handle the situation. I am sure there are legal and company guidelines and instructions concerning this.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43685)
• Denver, Colorado
11 Feb 17
People that have absolutely no consideration for others should be left to fend for themselves.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (209231)
• United States
12 Feb 17
I think I would give such passengers a warning, and tell them should it happen again, they would be left behind.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153529)
• India
12 Feb 17
Why only late comers here I even start parties at the time that is announced no matter how important those guests are - their grand appearance notwithstanding.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
12 Feb 17
@allknowing I have the opposite problem with parties - I turn up at the stated start times and find the hosts totally unprepared and most guests arriving hours later often already drunk - I hate that - if you want your party to start at 9 don't put 7 on the invites
1 person likes this
@luisadannointed (11886)
• Philippines
11 Feb 17
If we were just about to begin the tour I will leave them.... But if they got lost during the tour of for whatever reason it is now my responsibility no matter how annoying it is to know that they are safe in a foreign land. God bless.
2 people like this
@lokisdad (4226)
• United States
12 Feb 17
If I was on a schedule waiting would be a problem. I would have probably told them they had to be back 5-10 minutes before we actually had to leave. So if we had to leave at 12pm I would tell them be back at 11:55 am and wait til 12:05pm to actually leave allowing someone a little more time to get back without messing up the schedule. Sometimes unexpected things happen.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
12 Feb 17
it's a hard call, if this is a tour with many legs, and they have paid for the whole trip, what do you do? When is too late, too late? I'd think I want a cell they could call, or text, and everyone's numbers, so if an problem arose, they could notify me. but I think I'd have a cutoff time, IE we never wait longer than X minutes without prior notification, so you had best text me!
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
11 Feb 17
I might give them five minutes leeway, but I tend to be a stickler for being on time. If we cater to those who are always late, we are punishing those who are on time.
2 people like this
