REGARDING the letters about the 87-year-old man trying to board a bus before all the passengers had alighted.

This is easily done as people waiting to get on the bus are unable to see the full length of the aisle inside the bus and assume everyone has alighted when there is a significant gap between passengers getting off.

This occurs when some passengers are very slow, ie the aged or a woman with a pram has to take time to manipulate it into the aisle.

The first person waiting to board thinks everyone has gone and prepares to board. This has happened to me, but I was saved any embarrassment by the bus driver raising his hand to stop me.

I immediately realised there were still passengers waiting to get off and stepped back to allow them to do so.

There must be a solution to this problem, either the boarding passenger waits for permission to board from the driver, or asks permission to board.

Again politeness and courtesy from all concerned prevents incidents from ballooning out of all proportion, a smile also helps.

C Ritchie, Alwyne Drive, Shipton Road, York.