I'm a second year, and I don't ever use the HSR, like maybe 3 times in my two years. Tonight, I went out to Westdale, took two buses and none of the bus drivers said anything. On my way back from Westdale, I showed the bus driver my card, she snatched it out of my hand and rudely said " This is expired, 2.55 " So I paid, not realizing that she didn't return my student card. I spent maybe 5 minutes frantically looking for my card, half the bus was scanning the floor for me, I even went back to where the bus driver was and searched there for at least another minute. Finally I asked her whether or not she gave it back and very RUDELY said " You're not getting it back, you were going to use it for "fraudulent" use, and If i give it back now I get to call the police".

I've never heard this happen to anyone else, and I'm wondering how exactly I'm supposed to get my student card back.
Also, I was wondering if anyone of you could explain why this bus driver was acting like she was single handedly protecting all Canadian citizens from my terrorist ways. Honestly, I've never met a more unpleasant person in all my life.

Any info would be appreciated,
K thanks
Bye

call hsr and complain. I am guessing you don't know what the bus number was, but just tell them what the driver looked like, what time you were on the bus and what the route number of the bus was. Never had this happen to me before

Why would she say your card is expired? Did you try to use an old sticker?
If you have any issues with a driver, write down the 4 digit bus number (usually at the front of the bus inside, or on the side/front of the bus on the outside, along with what time you were on the bus and what route it was. Then you can call the HSR to report what happened.

Putting it in perspective, there has been a lot of fraud going on with fake tickets and stuff, some bus drivers are getting on edge about it because I'm assuming that kind of criminal behaviour will end up getting them in trouble if they don't catch it. Also, it might be that she had a really rough time with other passengers/traffic and was having a bad night. There's all kinds of reasons for people to be like that.

but I don't understand why she would take your student card? especially if you need it as identification for midterms etc.
definitely call the hsr about that.

Bus drivers can be opposite. Some are super friendly/thoughtful/helpful some can be real pains. Next time write down the bus number and maybe the stop/bus route/time to track down the driver. Definetly call HSR and complain. But I don't get why the card didn't work, everyone has the same HSR sticker

Originally Posted by lulud

I'm a second year, and I don't ever use the HSR, like maybe 3 times in my two years.

Just wondering, was your sticker this year's? Might be that you forgot to get the new sticker, or forgot to put it on.

Yea, I'm honestly confused, so I'm gonna say no? I had no idea we needed to replace stickers... and I never received anything in the mail. If that's the case then I understand why I would have had to pay the fare, and I had no problem doing so, but is she allowed to take away my student card? I didn't write the bus number down, but I knew what stop/ time etc. I guess I'll call HSR tomorrow and figure it out! Either way, there was absolutely no reason for her to talk to me the way she did, but thanks for all your help

I would have raged the **** out and did something really regrettable.. like swear or hold up the route. What if that's all I had on me for the day? Sometimes I only carry a student card and cellphone to travel light, and that would starve me for the day.

Kudos for keeping your cool. You were completely oblivious and innocent, no reason to do that to you. A lot of those pricks hate their lives and look for excuses to take it out on others. If you'd been using a December pass or an expired high school sticker.. Alright... But a Mac sticker and in that accusatory and self righteous manner? F that. Would have demanded it back and asked for her name.

Current year stickers can be picked up in the registrar office, down the hall from the osap place in Gilmore hall. You'll probably have to sign something possibly because people sell stickers to part timers and ask for new ones from time to time....

You were supposed to get your new sticker in the mail when registration is confirmed, if not then you were supposed to go to the registrar's office. And not knowing you're supposed to get a new sticker is a pretty lame excuse when each year the school year is written directly on the sticker, and it's your responsibility as a student to find these things out, to know when the bus pass is and is not valid, etc.

Having said that, no she is not allowed to take your card. At the absolute most, you could give her the sticker, which is the actual "bus pass", not your card. Your card is property of McMaster, and you're going to have to pay to get a new one. If she had called the police, you probably easily would have gotten out of it, and it was probably an empty threat anyways...the fraud that is the problem is more people selling valid stickers to people to make money, and then people who aren't eligible for the pass get it at an extremely reduced rate...using an old sticker that is so obviously not the correct bus pass doesn't quite meet the definition of fraud.

I would definitely complain to HSR, and don't let them ignore the complaint. There's also an information line through the police department that you can call to ask questions (about if something is legal or not, policies/procedures, etc), so you can do that to help figure out your options.

Thanks for the advice guys, I finally got through to HSR and they told me that they're not authorized to take away your student cards unless you use someone else's. The worst part is that she made it seem like she was following some sort of set of rules, and that there was some sort of system that brought the card back to McMaster University. The guy on the phone told me she took it to the lost and found office....

That means she lied, more or less stole my card, and pretended she found my card on the bus.
I have to go downtown to go get it, and I've already filed out a complaint.
For future reference, if anyone takes your student card, expired sticker or not, go crazy on them because they have no right.
I want to punch myself for being so stupid and naive... ugh I hate going downtown....

One bad experience with a bus driver shouldn't lead you to hate going downtown :/ sounds to me like you've never been on public transit before in your life.
Anyway, glad you got things resolved.

Your sticker should have come with you in the mail (along with ur student card since ur first year). The HSR sticker is a purple box this year surrounding the words HSR in the middle of your sticker. Last year was orange.

Originally Posted by lulud

Thanks for the advice guys, I finally got through to HSR and they told me that they're not authorized to take away your student cards unless you use someone else's. The worst part is that she made it seem like she was following some sort of set of rules, and that there was some sort of system that brought the card back to McMaster University. The guy on the phone told me she took it to the lost and found office....

That means she lied, more or less stole my card, and pretended she found my card on the bus.
I have to go downtown to go get it, and I've already filed out a complaint.
For future reference, if anyone takes your student card, expired sticker or not, go crazy on them because they have no right.
I want to punch myself for being so stupid and naive... ugh I hate going downtown....

I'll be heading back to mac for 9, I can pick it up for you if you want, if its downtown, or is it on the mountain?

Originally Posted by lulud

Thanks for the advice guys, I finally got through to HSR and they told me that they're not authorized to take away your student cards unless you use someone else's. The worst part is that she made it seem like she was following some sort of set of rules, and that there was some sort of system that brought the card back to McMaster University. The guy on the phone told me she took it to the lost and found office....

That means she lied, more or less stole my card, and pretended she found my card on the bus.
I have to go downtown to go get it, and I've already filed out a complaint.
For future reference, if anyone takes your student card, expired sticker or not, go crazy on them because they have no right.
I want to punch myself for being so stupid and naive... ugh I hate going downtown....

It has nothing to do with going downtown, it's about taking public transit and knowing how to use your bus pass And some people's personalities are just non-confrontational in general...if a bus driver is getting angry at them and they're holding up the bus, some people just get flustered and will do what they're told. Different people deal with situations differently.

Yes, you should have known that she had no right to take your card, and you also should have known that you need a new sticker each year, but at the same time she should not have lied to you and taken your card, and your ignorance doesn't excuse her behaviour. I'm not surprised she made it seem like she was following rules, what else could she do to intimidate you? Because that's really what it was, using her position to intimidate you, most likely taking out her own frustrations on you for no real reason. I hope something comes out of the complaint, and it doesn't just go into a black hole.

Originally Posted by Leeoku

Your sticker should have come with you in the mail (along with ur student card since ur first year). The HSR sticker is a purple box this year surrounding the words HSR in the middle of your sticker. Last year was orange.

The OP isn't first year, otherwise how would they have an expired sticker from last year?

I don't like going downtown because I don't like downtown Hamilton,and you're right I'm not used to public transportation in Hamilton, otherwise I would have known about the sticker. Lesson learned. When I get it back I'll get that lovely purple sticker, first thing. And to Ryan C, that is EXTREMELY kind you and I really appreciate it but it doesn't seem fair to make you pick it up, plus they might need another form of I.D. before they hand it over. But thank you, thank you, thank you