MAY I, through your paper, explain what happened to my daughter on a bus journey to Manchester.

People complain about the buses not turning up on time, or not turning up at all, but have they thought what bus drivers have to put up with these days?

They not only drive the bus, but also have to take fares.

At one time they had someone doing that job, as my daughter did for a few years. Now my son is a bus driver.

One night, my daughter got on his bus, which was going to Manchester.

After a while, a man got on and sat a few seats in front of her.

After about five minutes she heard a noise, and soon realised the man was relieving himself on the seat. When he had finished, he decided he would change seats as that one was wet.

My daughter used her mobile to ring her brother. By then, the man was getting off the bus, so my son cordoned off the seats so no one would sit on them. The man did not seem ashamed.

On the journey back from Manchester, this fellow got on the bus again and was so drunk that, soon after taking his seat, he was sick all over the place. My daughter told the bus driver what had happened.

That is not all drivers have to put up with.

They have to put up with noisy and rowdy children going to and coming from school.

They always seem to have music blaring away.

Half the teenagers also put their feet on the seats as though they have been standing all day, I don’t know how they will go on when they start work.

I started work aged 14 and had to walk to a mill, so please give a thought to the bus drivers, and a thank you now and again, when the traffic and weather is bad.

It would make their day.

Mrs A H Shaw, Crossdale Road, Breightmet