Bristol bus drove past blind passengers
Jenny Hodges, who is totally blind, said the driver failed to stop when she and her partially-sighted friend Jennifer Stirratt tried to catch a bus.
They were waiting at the Trymwood Parade bus stop in Stoke Bishop at around 5.45pm on Tuesday.
They had been waiting for 40 minutes, while five buses went in the other direction, with another registered blind friend Andy Howard, 41, of Bedminster.
They were on there way to a meeting in the city centre about tandem cycling, where sighted people ride bikes with a blind or partially-sighted person riding on the back.
Miss Hodges, 44 of Stoke Bishop, said: "There were five of us at the bus stop, three of us were registered blind, and a lady and her grandson.
"As the bus approached the lady hailed it, me and Jennifer put our sticks out, the bus slowed and started to pull in.
"Then the bus driver kindly drove past us. The sighted lady told me what happened and said there passengers aboard.
"We heard it slow and Jennifer felt the rush of wind. It was that close to the kerb.
"But it didn't open its doors. The driver drove off.
"I couldn't believe it. I said the driver is the one who needed to get his eyes tested.
"There were people on the bus, it was the right one, we've only got one on that route, and to add insult to injury five had gone the other way.
"It beggars belief, if I was on my own, how would I know it was a bus?
"I would just say they are not doing their job properly.
"We were not rowdy teenagers, we didn't have any bottles, we were five normal looking people. I'm flabbergasted."
Miss Hodges lost her sight 14 years when she was hit by a drunk driver, and lost an eye in the incident.
Her friend Mrs Stirratt, 71 of Coombe Dingle, lost her sight after a brain haemorrhage 13 years ago.
She said: "I would have thought it was perfectly obvious we were waiting for a bus.
"We moved to the edge of the pavement but it sped off.
"The lady waiting with us said 'good heavens, he's driven off' and we were left stood there.
"Another bus came along 10 minutes later.
"It was cold and it was dark, and my sight hopeless in the dark.
"I'm bloomin' annoyed, we had stood there since 5.05pm, we both had white canes.
"What did he think we were waiting for?
"If he doesn't want to pick up passengers he should drive a lorry."
Both ladies are retired but lead active lives, and Mrs Stirratt enjoys horse riding for the partially-sighted.
She said: "I am very independent, I was recently widowed but I've just got to get on with my life.
"I flatly refuse to make my home a prison.
"This has happened to me before, and it was even worse because I was going to visit my husband in hospital.
"It is frustrating. I used to drive a car but now I have to rely on buses."
Mr Howard did not have a cane but has 10 per cent vision and was escorting his friends to the meeting.
He said: "It seems ridiculous. You don't need much more indication than two people with white canes.
"If the driver didn't see that I would be quite concerned, maybe he needs to have his vision tested."
A First Bus spokesman said: “We were extremely concerned to hear about this complaint.
“We have apologised to passengers who contacted us and we are investigating what happened.
“Our drivers are trained to pick up at any stop where they can see passengers indicating they want to use the service.”
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