Waiting in Vain: When the Bus Doesn’t Stop

There’s a deep frustration that comes from standing at a bus stop, only to watch the bus you’ve been waiting for drive right past you. No signal. No explanation. Just the driver looking straight ahead, leaving you behind.

For many transit users, especially those relying on the TTC or other major city systems, being skipped isn't rare—it’s something that happens too often. And while there are times when a bus might be full, or there’s a legitimate safety reason, it’s hard to understand why a nearly empty bus refuses to stop when people are clearly waiting.

It’s not just an inconvenience. It’s missed job interviews, late shifts, medical appointments, or standing outside longer in dangerous weather. For people with disabilities, the elderly, or parents with kids, it can feel like the system simply doesn’t care.

Transit officials often chalk it up to "operational decisions," but that answer isn’t good enough for someone stuck on the curb for another 20, 30, even 40 minutes.

When bus drivers skip stops without warning or cause, it breaks the basic promise of public transit: to serve the public. People deserve reliability, respect, and the simple courtesy of being picked up when they’re waiting in plain sight