I've seen it all now

[Hagar]

The jobsworths are at it again. It's like something out of Monty Python.
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/page.cfm?objectid=16937523&method=full&siteid=50082

Grandad thrown off bus for carrying paint!  
Apr 12 2006
Katie Jones, South Wales Echo

A pensioner and RAF veteran was thrown off a city bus because he was carrying a tin of paint.

Grandad Brian Heale, 73, boarded a No 9 Cardiff Bus on Penarth Road at 9am yesterday with a can of water-based emulsion he had just bought from MA Jones paint store.

He was hoping to travel just two stops, to catch another bus to a friend's house to do some decorating for him. But as he sat down, the driver told him carrying paint might be against company regulations and after a call to head office, Mr Heale was told he had to get off.

Suffering shortness of breath after two heart attacks and unable to make the 20-minute walk to his friend's house in Leckwith, he had to go to a local cafe and get a lift from the manager.

Mr Heale has now branded the ruling 'crazy'.

[BFMF]

That's messed up :-/

[cspyro21]

How stupid is that  >:( :-/

[Woodlouse2002]

I'm sure i've carried paint on busses loads of times. He should have had it in a bag then they wouldn't have known what it was.

[beaky]

:-/

[ozzy72]

And bus companies can't work out why nobody is using them

[Felix/FFDS]

The public MUST be protected against anything - including common sense!

[Craig.]

Whats common sense?

I cant honestly see any sort of problem being caused by this. I think of all the things being carried on busses, from the guy who was bringing a saw home, to the guys doing cocane in the back on the way home from the airport one night. And some guy carrying paint gets thrown off.

[eno]

Carrying paint on to a bus  is actually a breach of the Public Service Vehicle Regulations, somone wearing dirty clothes can be turned away ... and there are a number of other seemingly trivial and petty things that can be cited to keep you off a bus. These are all designed to keep the vehicle safe and clean for everyone using it.

I would not have turfed the guy off the bus unless the tin was leaking.

I have prevented people boarding for other reasons ..... such as dirty clothes (oily overalls), trying to bring a 6ft step ladder on, attempting to bring 5 dogs on (only one allowed at any time) and the best one ....... trying to bring a tandem bike on because it was raining.

Once again with this sort of story ...... shocking as it may seem there may have been other circumstances that haven't been reported ...... probably not in this case.

[Hagar]

[quote]Carrying paint on to a bus

[eno]

Nope Doug you weren't wrong,  common sense says if it isn't leaking let the guy stay on. It would be better in a bag so if it is dropped it won't spread all over whatever it lands on. In this case it was water based emulsion ....... no flamable threat and easily washed.  Oil based gloss is a different story ..... same as turps, meths, petrol or anything flamable...... if I had seen them (not out of sight in a bag) I would have turned the person away from the bus before boarding.

However this wasn't the Bus Drivers fault he contacted HQ and they told him what to do.
He's damned either way.
The guy spills the paint ...... the Driver gets hassle for letting him on ...... He contacts HQ and he's made to look a demon for following instructions.

The only reason this story has reached the media

RAF veteran

it wouldn't have made the press  unless some other pensioner in the same situation had died. (Sorry I'm  cynical about this type of story.)

I've been in this drivers position ......... so now you know why bus drivers are so damn grumpy.

[Woodlouse2002]

It makes you wonder just who contacted the press about a man not being allowed to board a bus.

Bet it was local news.

[Hagar]

I heard about it on the radio this afternoon so it's national news now.

RAF veteran

I agree this is irrelevant but this a newspaper article. What do you expect?

I can't believe that the average bus driver would usually worry about what sort of articles people have in their shopping. How about a woman coming home from the supermarket with a bottle of bleach in her bag? This could obviously be far more dangerous than a can of emulsion paint. This is what makes the whole thing seem ridiculous. I'm afraid there's too much of this nonsense going on these days.

[eno]

You obviously haven't used public transport recently Doug ...... The average bus driver couldn't give a damn about anything.  Underpaid and abused by passengers and management, why should he bother, hey he's only responsible for over 100 lives on some of the larger double deckers.
When he decides to observe and enforce the regulations he's ridiculed and reviled ....by both passengers and management.

Let me put it this way ...... if this had been an 80 seater aircraft and this RAF Vet was trying to get on board with a prohibited item ...... would there be any fuss? Nope he would have been ridiculed and reviled.

There's the difference ........ but if you really think about it there's no difference the Pilot/Driver is still responsible for the people he's carrying yet no one questions a Pilot when he carries out his resposibilities.

I repeat ....... so now you know why bus drivers are so damn grumpy.

You also know why I don't drive buses any more.

[Hagar]

I obviously hit the spot Eno.

I haven't been on a bus for some years but used to travel on them regularly. Blimey, when I was in the group I used to carry a complete drum kit to rehearsals & back on the bus. Imagine doing that now.

As I now qualify for a free bus pass I was considering using public transport for shopping & suchlike. This is one reason I moved to my present home with a bus stop conveniently just across the road. I don't know about elsewhere but the bus drivers around here aways seem patient & friendly. I'm sure they don't make a habit of searching the old dears' shopping bags before allowing them on the bus & I'm positive that none of them would turn a 73 year-old man off their bus without very good reason.

I'm not getting at bus drivers specifically but the way petty rules & regulations are religiously enforced these days.

PS. From what I can make out all he had to do was ask him to put the paint can in a bag. Sorted.

Cardiff Bus said paint was classed as a hazardous article under national public transport guidelines as it could spill and cause accidents. It must be sealed in a pot and in a bag to be carried on buses.