Cork Christmas Bus Protest

Cookie_Monster

Sick of anti water protests? How about something more light-hearted...

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/cork-bus-passengers-say-let-our-driver-dress-as-santa-1.2034778

Passengers on a Cork bus will protest on Friday to reinstate a much loved Christmas tradition. The move follows the introduction of regulations that prevent bus drivers dressing as Santa.

Anna Marie O’Shea from Togher said the atmosphere on the 214 bus was “electric” when its driver Michael Howick donned his Santa suit.

corktina

Health and Safety.... :-( ...Arse!

mikemac1

“All bus drivers must be recognisable as the official driver of their vehicle, and be dressed appropriately to deal with any issues that may arise in the course of a journey. Therefore, the company cannot allow for any significant deviation from the standard uniform issued to all our drivers.”

If the bus is in an accident the guy in the Santa suit is the driver, no problem recognising him :P


Booooooo, have the management nothing better to do?

Beer Assistant

The role of the professional Bus driver

he mustn't have his cpc done..

foggy_lad

corktina wrote: »

Health and Safety.... :-( ...Arse!

Elf n safety surely?

Hilly Bill

I would rather be in a bus driven by someone concentrating in being a bus driver rather on being sidetracked by being santa as well.

AlekSmart

Hilly Bill wrote: »

I would rather be in a bus driven by someone concentrating in being a bus driver rather on being sidetracked by being santa as well.

I'd rather my company was managed by someone capable of sensible management rather than being sidetracked in counterproductive micromanagement

It seems that BE's Cork Management cadre were'nt reading up on Arriva's brush with media power (and commonsense) in Sweden last year....

http://www.icenews.is/2013/06/14/swedish-train-drivers-can-swap-skirts-for-shorts/

Spokesman Tomas Hedenius said that they considered may of the drivers’ suggestions and opted to change their minds regarding the shorts. He explained that they’re now talking to the union about the best way to go about it, but that the shorts are likely to be available this summer. But he said any driver who wants to continue wearing the skirt can do so.

The Arriva corporate "change of mind" was assisted by an avalanche of media interest from all around the world,most of it incredulous and not at all focusing on what Arriva's shareholders would have preferred.

A few shareholder rep's phone-calls to the relevant HR manager softened his cough rapidly enough

cdebru

Hilly Bill wrote: »

I would rather be in a bus driven by someone concentrating in being a bus driver rather on being sidetracked by being santa as well.

Yeah because a professional driver is going to completely forget how to drive a bus once he dons a red Santa suit.

cdebru

mikemac1 wrote: »

If the bus is in an accident the guy in the Santa suit is the driver, no problem recognising him :P


Booooooo, have the management nothing better to do?

The driver is usually recognizable as the person driving

Hilly Bill

cdebru wrote: »

Yeah because a professional driver is going to completely forget how to drive a bus once he dons a red Santa suit.

Its all about the concentration levels, they are bus drivers not entertainers.

Hilly Bill

cdebru wrote: »

The driver is usually recognizable as the person driving

Is that if he is still in the driver seat after an accident and still driving?

cdebru

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Its all about the concentration levels, they are bus drivers not entertainers.

How does what you are wearing affect your concentration?

corktina

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Is that if he is still in the driver seat after an accident and still driving?

not if he was upstairs collecting the fares...damn one-man buses.

Peppa Pig

The move follows the introduction of regulations

I cannot see any issue here, rather BE missing a trick to improve customer experience.

Hilly Bill

cdebru wrote: »

How does what you are wearing affect your concentration?

I take it that you dont drive then ?

Hilly Bill

corktina wrote: »

not if he was upstairs collecting the fares...damn one-man buses.

why would he be upstairs collecting fares after an accident?

cdebru

Hilly Bill wrote: »

I take it that you dont drive then ?

Not in a Santa suit, I'll give you that, but I still dont understand how it would affect my concentration ? Is it the color or the fabric ? Because I have never gave a second thought to my clothes good or bad when driving.

What I do know is that customers enjoy it both kids and adults and I have seen lots of drivers do it for many years and to the best of my knowledge none of them ever had an accident let alone a serious accident while in a Santa suit, so I have no idea where the data is that says Santa suit wearing is inherently dangerous.

Hilly Bill

cdebru wrote: »

Not in a Santa suit, I'll give you that, but I still dont understand how it would affect my concentration ? Is it the color or the fabric ? Because I have never gave a second thought to my clothes good or bad when driving.

What I do know is that customers enjoy it both kids and adults and I have seen lots of drivers do it for many years and to the best of my knowledge none of them ever had an accident let alone a serious accident while in a Santa suit, so I have no idea where the data is that says Santa suit wearing is inherently dangerous.

The word dangerous wasnt used. A driver of a bus full of passengers should have his full concentration on the road and not waving out the window dressed in a santa suit.

cdebru

Hilly Bill wrote: »

The word dangerous wasnt used. A driver of a bus full of passengers should have his full concentration on the road and not waving out the window dressed in a santa suit.

Waving out the window when driving is a different matter and has not been raised till now, we are talking about Santa suits not waving and I don't see any evidence that a driver is less safe or that non santa suited drivers dont wave at anyone.

Hilly Bill

Try both in a car and then try it with a bus full of passengers some with kids trying to get your attention while you are driving. Costume would become hot and itchy after a while especially the beard and you will end up trying to sort it out while you are driving.

MrDerp

My mother fondly remembers the last christmas eve bus home from Galway to her home town in south Mayo. The bus would stop at a pub in every village/town along the way, and everyone including the driver would go for a pint. Took her 4 hours to get the 30 miles home once apparently.

'twas a simpler time I'm sure.