I realise that plenty of people use the bus between Edinburgh and Glasgow because it is the cheapest option, and calling for a boycott of the service is pretty melodramatic but...
Last night, a friend of mine - a fellow critic - found herself refused admission to the Megabus service to Glasgow because she 'wasn't at the right stop'. That is to say, she tried to get onto the bus at the stop just down from the Traverse (after a full day of reviewing) rather than at the bus station.
She was not drunk, or abusive, or presented a danger to anyone. In fact, she was placed in a vulnerable situation by the bus driver: had it not been for the kindness of an actor, she would have been stranded in Edinburgh.
Apparently, the 900 bus service between Glasgow and Edinburgh has a policy of refusing entry to their buses (even, as in this case, if they are not full) to young women, at night, in a part of Edinburgh that is not especially safe.
There are a great many shows about feminism at the Fringe, but I have learnt a great deal more about the behaviour of patriarchy from one bus driver.
I am unhappy that my friend was placed in a dangerous situation. She had paid for her ticket in advance, she was a single woman alone at night, but the 900 bus has a policy, so she can take her chances. That she was subsequently harassed by a drunk man just adds to the fun, doesn't it?
I don't think I like the idea of a boycott - but the train, if you are coming across to Edinburgh during off-peak hours - is barely more expensive. But I am a critic, and I like the idea of a campaign to give Megabus a one star review.
So please: go to their facebook page and give them a one star review.
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