Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
AFTER A WEEK of celebrating all that is obviously Irish, we’ve been wondering about the more obtuse stuff that makes this country, eh… great.
You know: radio death notices, flat 7up to cure all ailments, the decision to ‘go out’ or to ‘go out out’ and
And, of course, thanking the bus driver as you alight. But is this something *all* of us do?
We need to know… Do you thank the bus driver every time you disembark?
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I do but I I’m not one of them that clap at the end of a flight if that’s your next poll.
@purple rain: Jesus, don’t be giving them ideas.
@Anon Ymous: I would actually like to know the creators that do that so I can silently judge them! Grrr
The next one, do you eat batch bread !
Yes, only polite to. I was in England at the weekend, on a mini bus from airport to parking. Everyone just got up and off the bus in silence at the car park, it was weird and downright rude as far as I’m concerned. Course I thanked the driver and he looked at me like I’d two heads – ah well.
@Niall Ó Muirthile: I think the English are like that with transport as it’s ironically seen as polite to leave people to themselves. But I deal with them as customers and they are lovely. I also deal with the intermediary staff and can hear how helpful they are to the customers.
@Niall Ó Muirthile: I live in Reading, and everybody here thanks the driver as they get off the bus. I’ve been on buses in northern England as well, and the same there.
Maybe people who aren’t used to buses (i.e., those who use the tube, trains etc) wouldn’t think of thanking the driver, as on their normal mode of transport there is nobody to thank?
@Muireann Murphy: Interesting. This was London, which I think tends to be a bit more anonymous as a rule. My comment was a bit harsh: I didn’t mean to imply that they WERE rude, just that coming from here it seemed rude to me.
@Niall Ó Muirthile: I was thinking it was probably London alright – outside of London is less reserved when it comes to talking to strangers
@Niall Ó Muirthile: it’s actually a bye law in the UK that only two headed Irish men are required to thank the bus driver.
You should have gone for a trip with the airport driver I met at Gatwick. Drove the bus with all the finesse of a buffalo with stomach cramps, ignored our stop and on top of that he was one of the rudest buggers I’d ever met. I’d only have clapped if someone had punched him. In the testicles. Repeatedly. And then run over him with his own vehicle.
Very seldom I take the bus, but yes of course, it’s common courtesy to say thank you especially with kids (when they were small), in tow as it sets the example for them……
@Kate Flaherty: Agreed. ‘Thank You’ is one of the most important sentences you can use daily.
Yes I always thank him/her.they have a stressful job enough with all the traffic and everything and I think they appreciate it.Also it costs nothing to be friendly.
This was a fun poll
@Young Politician:
I agree.
It was mighty. The last time I had craic like that was the last fun poll.
@young politician. Was wondering when the first journal basher would turn up
Poll:
Do you hate the new format of the comments section?
Green Thumb = Yes
Red Thumb = No
LOL brilliant
only if he or she likes Beyoncé.
A bigger question is Why do we thank them? They’re not doing us a favour. It is their job, and we’ve paid for the service. Also, in business terms, they should be the ones thanking the passengers for using the service. Without us the company would have no money to pay them.
Ah well, I guess that’s the way it has always been, Thank the service provider for doing the job you paid them to do.
@The Girl: Sure we could say that for most services, like someone serving us in a shop, garage, cinema tickets/food etc. They’re being paid to service us but I would always thank someone providing me a service, once they’re polite too, as I think it’s a nice thing to show your appreciation for someone’s service.
@The Girl: a high % of passengers on the busses are on free travel so they are not paying for the service.
@The Girl: it’s called manners, some of us have them some of us don’t.
@The Girl: that’s a strange way of viewing the world…..Do you not thank people in a shop, in the bank, in your own workplace, in a taxi, why would you not thank a bus driver?…..No wonder young people have no manners these days, if that’s the example you are setting….
If they’re polite I’ll be polite in return. I didn’t thank any during the industrial action or if they’re being rude.
Why shouldn’t you thank anyone that does something for the betterment of your day to day living. Even if they have been paid. It’s common courtesy and manners. I certainly don’t find this funny by no means. Standards are seriously dropping in today’s Ireland. Now ask how many people would give up there seat for elderly people
I thanked a bus driver once in New York and he looked at me in amazement
“I’m just doing my job Sir”
Thought it was so strange
I thank the driver, but only because we don’t have middle doors on buses here!
@Chris Mansfield: they do have middle doors here.
Depends where here is Darragh, I don’t think all, if any, Bus Eireann or most private buses have middle doors but only on Dublin Buses.
@Chris Mansfield: nail on head
I always do. Not sure why. I do notice that much less people thank them on the morning rush hour commute than any other time.
Yes unless he’s driven like a maniac.
Only on Bus Eireann. Dublun Bus stops too frequently, the poor driver would never get a moment’s silence if every passenger at every stop thanked him or her.
Never use the peasant transport myself.
They should be thanking us
@declan leonard: For bringing good cheer and sunshine to their lives?
People who tank bus drivers are the same people who respond to ‘fun polls’ on the journal. Hardly a surprise. I’m guessing this is the same demographic that cheers when a plate drops in public (CIT excluded of course)
*Thank
I do thank them but they make it hard for me to be nice bunch of moans the lot of them,you say thanks and they just ignore you,your being nice they could be nice back,Its there job to get you there you don’t have to say thanks,I don’t say thanks to the Domino’s driver for getting food to my house safe so don’t know why I bother with bus driver
I don’t use buses.
I even thank the Luas driver.
Not the grumpy ones
Yes I do but the result seems very high as most people exit from there center of buses Do they shout (thank you driver) I don’t think so
@pat seery: If you ever get a passport and stray outside of the city, you come across things called coaches, that don’t have middle doors!
@Nleal, not Neil.:
@Neal, not Neil.: Neal
I do not live in the City l live in the country and proud of that
If you look at the number of city trips against Coaches and in case you were never on a coach they also have mid way exit doors therefore on the law of averages you will agree that my point is still valid
And l do thank the Drivers as they are excellent to be responsible for up to Sixty passenger
PS
What do you think???+
I dont get the bus very often when I do I will observe him/ her with the passengers and if he or she is pleasant good at driving the bus and is polite to other road users I will say thanks
The first time I ever didn’t thank the bus driver was a few weeks ago when he just blitzed straight past my stop and added 5 minutes to my walk. 3 of us standing in the ailse too, baxtard!
Same idiots who clap when plane lands
@Paul Whelan: Agreed. People who are happy and positive are thd WORST.
Why should I thank someone for doing their paid job adequately?
Which is literally getting me from point A to B on time.
(Plus drivers here have it easy due to there being no set schedule to arrive at for each bus stop like in other countries – oddly enough)
That just because the driver can’t be a***ed to open d middle side doors unlike in U.K., however some buses don’t have these, it’s a habit derived out of that one not because we’re so thankful.
Ya can’t beat a good oul poll
You’re not Irish if you don’t thank your driver.. after all, he/she got you where you wanted to go, without giving out to you, or whinging, or asking you anything personal…. That is, unless you know the driver personally, then, it’s a pleasant trip with a mate…
I do in Dublin but they are so angry in London you just don’t interact with them
Yeah,I bought the driver on the 101 last week a nice bottle of wine and a bunch of flowers for his wife.!
Like f**k I did.
Thank him for what?
Silly poll journal.
have your say