Hello,
I take the public transport quite often now and always thank the bus driver before leaving, but the question is, do YOU thank the bus driver? It will be nice to hear your insights and opinions on the matter.
Do You Thank The Bus Driver?
Comments
Indeed, they should thank paying customers.
Holey Gillian !!! Section 18c - Discrimination
You're not paying him.
The revenue from customer/passenger fares is used to pay the driver.
Revenue from fares doesn't come close to paying for the operational costs for public transport. The wage for that driver is paid through taxes like
any othermost public servants.So what you're saying is:
Bus drivers should thank everyone including people who don't even catch the bus.
Good idea, to hell with merit!
Thank you JetBombat for anything you may have done today, no matter how well or not you may have done it.
*Pssst!* I get to join the lofty pony club now right?
some do
bus driver most probably lose their voice in their first week of work if they had to thank every passenger.
In Japan, the bus drivers thank every single passenger using a microphone and they didn't lose their voice.
In Japan, the bus drivers mumble so you struggle to understand them anyway.
Often they're very polite so yes
Many of them thank back if you thank them.
Always
Everytime.
400+ people have never waited for a bus which was more than 30 min late, encountered a rude bus driver or ridden a bus which was driven recklessly.
I do as well, just a quick "cheers mate" or "thanks mate" sometimes with a little wave.
Hail to the bus driver man
He steps on the clock and the toilet goes splash
seig?
Whoever said 'never' needs to be watchlisted.
Maybe thats a bus driver?
Maybe they have never been on a bus.
Maybe he is speechless.
yes except for the ones who didnt bother responding to me when i saluted them on my boarding.
This is mandatory in Brisbane.
The correct way when exiting via rear doors is to yell 'thanks driver'
I've only seen a few people ever do that on the bus here in Canberra, must be from out of town then. Usually only if you exit via the front door you'd say thanks.
I find the bus drivers in Canberra much friendlier than the ones in Sydney. I thank them and they say you're welcome a lot of the time.
I work in Sydney and the bus drivers often wish me a good day or something. I think it's because the bus here is operated by a private company, not Transport for NSW.
yeah i do that too lol. I live in sydney and i haven't heard anyone else do it before. I always thought it was pointless thanking the driver at the rear door if they can't houldn't hear you.
It's kinda awkward not to say thankyou, especially if the bus has stopped and you're the only one getting off
and you're the only one getting off
As if that isn't awkward enough…
I used to hate this when visiting Melbourne and using the free SkyBus hotel shuttle in the city. A lot of people would be getting off at these fancy hotels, and then there's me alighting at the bloody Formule 1.
It wouldn't look so bad if you had a hot girl in your arms on the way out. You might even get a pat on the back. haha
Yes but you are laughing all of the way to the bank. The amount of money that some people spend for somewhere to sleep is obscene. If they want a 'feel good' hit, then stay at a cheap hotel, and give the difference to a charity.
works probably paying. My work trips are Hyatt, Hilton etc, flying qantas. My personal trips are flying jetstar and staying an an equally lame hotel… cheaper though!
In true Ozbargainer fashion, I camp out whenever possible and pocket the travel allowance!
@Scrooge:
That there is a real LOL - I had to hold back while sitting in my office ! Thanks for that
That makes the " thank you" more intimate
Getting off on a bus isnt really appropriate… even if you are the only one on
Absolutely always.
Every time. It's basic manners, and as ingrained as washing my hands after going to the loo. I note however that not everyone does that, either.
But the question is do you wash your hands after you take no. 1?
Of course. Any time you handle the warm, moist germ incubating environment that is your groin, you need to wash your hands. It'd be different if we were nudists, but the clothing our culture wears provides an ideal environment for germs.
It's only polite not to spread those germs into everyone else's environment too, eg door handles, elevator buttons, etc.
Depends if they greet me when I get on board and/or reply to me when I say hi to them when I get on.
Also depends on the bus driver driving.
Someone told me driving a bus in Adelaide will earn you about $110,000 a year. No idea if true.
All the penalty rates… I know of a bus driver that drove every public holiday. He was yapping on about it to a customer because it paid him 2.5x and he drove all day.
No idea if true
And someone here repeated it. Could this be something big ?
Fake news ?
my husband drives a bus in Brisbane and he works a crappy split shift which means he starts early and works late and has 3/5 hours off in the middle of the day and he does not make anywhere near $100,00 . And yes it is nice to say thanks when you get off the bus.
3-5 hours off in the middle of a
Shift, how annoying….Yes the bus driver split shift is a shocker!!! If, for example,they did a 4, 4, 4 hours, you might as well say that they have done 12 hours work, and their alterness must be impaired.
@aerona: Up there with Canberra garbage truck drivers, $100k a year (average..), generous allowances/leave etc… And they still strike for more, leaving half the city with no garbage collected at times. Pretty bad IMO.
@brezzo: Haha, good on them I say. If no one else is stepping in to do the job instead then it seems they are being paid a fair market rate.
Maybe I should get a truck license and move to Canberra!
@abb: it's not that no one else would do it.. The company that is striking holds the contract, so it's not like anyone could just set up shop and get at it.
Penalty rates bonanza. Probably best part of $60/hour on public holidays (maybe more?), not to mention weekends. If you can get the shifts, you can really cash in.
Total BS. If you work all the overtime you can plus weekends and public holidays you might get somewhere around $75 max. You do not have a life though.
Maybe it's different where you live but in Sydney I would say it's almost never the driver's fault when they're late.
Bad route planning, traffic, passengers with disabilities, etc. Can't do much about it as the driver without speeding or dangerous driving.
I agree. That's why I don't try to personally offend the driver when I protest.
The driver can pass on my feedback. As if anyone could be bothered to waste their time calling in a complaint during business hours the following day. And it's not the fault of the telephone operator either.
As if anyone could be bothered to waste their time calling in a complaint
So you decide to castigate the driver for events he isn't in control of.
Sorry I think you lost the plot here.
As if anyone could be bothered to waste their time calling in a complaint
And it's not the fault of the telephone operator either.
So why would the Driver bother either as no one will listen to him.
I am sure he doesnt spend sleepless nights writing emails to local members, so next time you get on the late bus you wont scowl at him.
So why would the Driver bother either as no one will listen to him.
I am sure he doesnt spend sleepless nights writing emails to local members, so next time you get on the late bus you wont scowl at him.
The driver is in daily contact with staff at the depot. They can pass the feedback on to them, and so on.
@Scrooge McDuck: So think about it.
Vote for your choice of reality
Scenario1
Depot: The GPS says you were late on the 355 today due to an accident on Browns road
Driver: Correct and a passenger was upset
Depot: Thank you for that most insightful comment. Did you get the customers name, so we can send them a box of chocolates!
Driver: no I didn't because he refused to say thanks….Scenario2
Depot: YThe GPS says you were late on the 355 today due to an accident on Browns road
Driver: A passenger was upset, So whats new
Depot: Ah a normal day, btw Dont forget to clock off
Driver: see you tomorrow
Sheesh… can't help traffic. Almost all the time the bus is late due to traffic.
I am just glad that I can catch a bus reasonably easy, saves me parking at the train station or driving to work which will cost me heaps in parking.
Jeeze you sound like a terrible person
I got to the end of your comment… And realised that I was reading your comment in David Attenborough's voice (in my head). Strangely suits.
David Attenborough's and Dr. Rudy's are two voices which would augment the reading of many of my comments.
Life Support…nice!
@Scrooge McDuck pull it out mate
How about the ferryman? When should he be paid?
Depends if you want Charon to ferry you or not.
classic
"Don't even fix a price" = bargain
Only when he gets you to the other side.
if im the bus driver, do I thank myself?
If you got all the passengers there all safely without any issues… I think you should. Considering there are numerous amount of jerk drivers out there.
I thank the driver for delivering me from point A to B in one piece.
I try to thank the driver whenever possible.
Couple of things I've observed:
1) it seems to be a predominantly Aus/NZ phenomena, at least in the frequency the poll denotes above (this was pointed out by a friend visiting from OS - they loved that people do it here)
2)here in Syd the number of people thanking drivers has dropped since people now have to focus on tapping off before alighting. It makes me a bit sad, it feels like a somewhat egalitarian tradition being slowly lost :(
UK people definitely thank the bus driver too.
Yeah I thought they did, at least in the home counties/greater London and rural areas. And certainly on late buses after a skinful :) just couldn't remember anyone doing it round the city itself
I'm pretty sure I remember in Washington state or maybe the Northeast of the US in general I remember people, girls in school or women usually, sometimes thank the bus driver. Not sure if that fully counts. About half n half or a bit better for girls and then it drops down for guys.
I've tried many a times to thank the bus driver but there's just no one driving the booze bus when i get off it.
Unless he was acting like a racist ableist dick, then no
I always say please and thank you to pretty much everyone I come across - it mustn't be that common nowadays because some people seem surprised to hear it.
I do the same.
I assume it is decreasingly commonplace, judging by the way staff react.
I have gotten several freebies and better service from coffee shops and the like, just by saying please and thankyou.
I don't even really believe in "manners", I just prefer to treat people as people and I'm mindful of the fact that everyone that serves you would probably rather be somewhere else.
As far as buses go, it depends on how busy the bus is and how loud I would have to shout. I guess it's a matrix of how thankful I am and how strange I'm willing to look to other passengers on the bus.
Its UN-Australian to not give the bus driver a wave lol
I think both in United nations and Australia people thank the bus driver man.
Why not say hello and thankyou? He has a shite job. I don't care if he doesn't reply. In the country everyone talks to everyone. In the city not so much.
Why would you assume it's shite? I love driving buses
Total respect to Bus Drivers, they have to deal with, Winging or difficult passengers, trucks sideswiping you and taking off your sideview mirror, cars cutting you off, Sydney traffic, possible assaults, etc.
You ASSUME "they have to deal with"… it's actually really good (for me at least because I like driving).
Difficult passengers are in the minority (retail is much worse) and they only last the length of the route at the most.
Truck drivers don't "sideswipe" lolwtfbbq
Cars don't cut you off… most people are afraid of the big bad Scania
Sydney traffic - I'll give you that. I'd hate to drive in sydney
Possible assaults? No worse than any other customer service job I'd say
@KonradTheCat: Trucks absolutely do knock the mirrors off busses in Sydney. I don't catch the bus all that often and it's happened while I was on the bus 2 or 3 times.
Yes but does he thank you for being a passenger