"Man refuses to drive bus because it 'promotes homosexuality'"

westcoaster · 15 Aug 2019

If it was that much of an issue switch the blind off, or input an alternate route code.
Or speak to a superior about ones personal issues.
I've driven 700155 a few times this week, no issues what's so ever ( by the way it's nice to see people stop, smile and take pictures of the 700's). Yoir driving the companies vehicle on company time, it's what they pay you to do

RailUK Forums

800002 · 15 Aug 2019

riceuten said:
Er, by refusing to drive a bus, he is most certainly "deny[ing] someone a service"

But not based upon any individuals race, gender, disability, sexual orientation or any of the other protected personal characteristics.
A bus most certainly is not an individual.
He rejected the bus, not the people - there is a clear difference.

carlberry · 15 Aug 2019

riceuten said:
Er, by refusing to drive a bus, he is most certainly "deny[ing] someone a service"

However he's not denying a specific person a service (for whatever reason), he's denying all people equally (if they happen to want to use the Norwich P&R).

800002 · 15 Aug 2019

carlberry said:
However he's not denying a specific person a service (for whatever reason), he's denying all people equally (if they happen to want to use the Norwich P&R).

Now that's equality.

carlberry · 15 Aug 2019

800002 said:
A bus most certainly is not an individual.
He rejected the bus, not the people - there is a clear difference.

Buses have feelings too.

Support the rights of none-organics to break down in the least convenient locations possible, refuse to start and self combust at a location of their choosing. Demand an end to 'being sent to Barnsley'. :lol:

Bletchleyite · 15 Aug 2019

Alexbus12 said:
What are peoples views on this? I've just been having an argument over twitter with someone who thinks the driver should have had a choice whether or not he drove a bus promoting pride. I personally think the driver ought to reconsider the career he's entered, but that's my opinion

https://news.sky.com/story/bus-driv...pride-themed-bus-11785459?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

If you work as a bus driver, and you get told to drive a bus, you do it unless it is unroadworthy or it would otherwise be illegal for you to drive it e.g. run out of hours. Alternatively, you can have the sack.

Bletchleyite · 15 Aug 2019

6Gman said:
He's employed to drive his employer's bus. For his employer to decide what can or can't be featured on the bus.

Yes, precisely this. That is all that matters. If you do not wish to drive the (roadworthy) bus you are instructed to drive, you leave your job and find one more to your taste.

Jordan Adam · 15 Aug 2019

Bletchleyite said:
Yes, precisely this. That is all that matters. If you do not wish to drive the (roadworthy) bus you are instructed to drive, you leave your job and find one more to your taste.

I'm sure said driver would make a great social worker.... :rolleyes:

Jokes aside i totally agree with both your posts.

800002 said:
Now that's equality.

I think you've mistaken equality for stupidity.

henairs · 15 Aug 2019

Journeyman said:
Bus driver was wrong and deserves to have the book thrown at him, but I also get very annoyed with companies jumping on the pride bandwagon in an effort to prove how "woke" they are.

Recent ad that appeared on my Instagram feed was all about how Barclays were supporting Pride. "Why are we supporting Pride?" they asked. Probably because they've twigged there's money in it.

Back in my day there was Mothers Pride, a decent loaf of bread, but coming up to date if you want to get on you have to live and let live

Islineclear3_1 · 15 Aug 2019

In my job, if I refused to see a member of the LGBTQ community just because I had some prejudice against them, I would receive my P45 very quickly.... (and I don't have any prejudices...)

If my place of work displayed lots of posters promoting Pride/LGBTQ and I refused to go in because I didn't like them, I would also receive my P45 rather quickly...

Said bus driver needs to go on some equality and diversity training and get up to date with current trends

alex397 · 15 Aug 2019

This is the 21st Century, so people should leave their prejudices at home and not bring them to work. Regardless of this being an anti-gay issue, the driver is refusing to drive a bus because of the colour of the route number. That is just ridiculous. And what the right-wing would surely call 'snowflake' behaviour.

A driver should only refuse to drive a bus if there is a safety issue. It also shows the driver to not be a team player - by refusing to drive the bus, the allocators/controllers had to spend valuable time getting another bus. I'm going to guess this isn't the first time this driver has been awkward.

800002 · 15 Aug 2019

Jordan Adam said:
I think you've mistaken equality for stupidity.

I think the only silly (not, stupid) thing he did was the way he handled the situation he found himself in.
Even in employment, there are certain freedoms an employee is able to excercise.
In this case, it's the how rather than the why that should be the issue.
I don't recall reading enough, about this case, to ascertain if the driver involved as spoken directly to the press. (if he is suspended from duty, pending investigation, then I would not expect to read his point of view for now). On this last point, I am happy to be corrected.

si404 · 15 Aug 2019

robert7111a said:
In my job, if I refused to see a member of the LGBTQ community just because I had some prejudice against them, I would receive my P45 very quickly.... (and I don't have any prejudices...)

where did this guy refuse to serve anyone due to their sexuality?

If my place of work displayed lots of posters promoting Pride/LGBTQ and I refused to go in because I didn't like them, I was also receive my P45 rather quickly...

and it's not like he refused to go into the depot or whatever due to the flag being there. He refused to metaphorically wave a pride flag by driving with it on his bus.

Said bus driver needs to go on some equality and diversity training and get up to date with current trends

Isn't this demand for closed-minded culture conformity is something that we we're supposed to have moved on from?

Surely live and let live is not to demand positive assent to political messages?

Ethano92 · 15 Aug 2019

si404 said:
and it's not like he refused to go into the depot or whatever due to the flag being there. He refused to metaphorically wave a pride flag by driving with it on his bus.

I'd suggest it goes deeper. Why should we wait for a prejudice (which I'd like to hope we can all agree is an outdated one not fit for the 21st century) to potentially become a form of discrimination.

si404 said:
Isn't this demand for closed-minded culture conformity is some

I'd suggest it was more close minded when something now known to be natural was treated as a criminal act, and just as close minded that people still have a problem with something that doesn't affect them in the slightest. The driver couldn't deal with 3 rainbow numbers because he has an (widely accepted as incorrect) prejudice, why not stop it there before it potentially becomes discrimination.

No room for any sort of Homophobia (not that it's a phobia) his actions were uncalled for, impacted on others trying to live their lives and somewhat childish.

Jordan Adam · 15 Aug 2019

si404 said:
Surely live and let live is not to demand positive assent to political messages?

Regardless of any "political message" he refused to drive the vehicle because it "promotes homosexuality", therefor implying that it's bad and that gay people are inferior. Which is blatantly homophobic and discriminatory.

Nammer · 15 Aug 2019

He is paid to drive a bus, whatever the colour of the route number.

175mph · 15 Aug 2019

Darklord8899 said:
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions....
However, how he showed his disapproval was wrong and he was rightly fired....

That driver would have had a fit if he'd seen what my Local bus company did in support of Pride...

Lothian 584 in all over rainbow wrap (please note: not my picture)

I think that livery perfectly suits that model of bus!

Mitchell Hurd · 15 Aug 2019

Alexbus12 said:
What are peoples views on this? I've just been having an argument over twitter with someone who thinks the driver should have had a choice whether or not he drove a bus promoting pride. I personally think the driver ought to reconsider the career he's entered, but that's my opinion

https://news.sky.com/story/bus-driv...pride-themed-bus-11785459?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

I've had a quick look and the driver obviously has no respect for pride or people of the same sex who love each other. Disgraceful behaviour! I'm glad the bus company is taking action.

cnjb8 · 15 Aug 2019

800002 said:
But not based upon any individuals race, gender, disability, sexual orientation or any of the other protected personal characteristics.
A bus most certainly is not an individual.
He rejected the bus, not the people - there is a clear difference.

How ridiculous and small minded can you be?
It's what the bus represents. The bus is stating that Konect support LGBTQ communities. By not driving it and refusing to do his job might I add is being prejudiced to a different community!

Tetchytyke · 15 Aug 2019

He should get a job as an owner of a large bus company and then he can be a nasty homophobic bigot to his heart's content.

Tetchytyke · 15 Aug 2019

si404 said:
Surely live and let live is not to demand positive assent to political messages?

He's not paid to agree with homosexuality, he's paid to drive a bus. You don't get to refuse to drive a bus because of what colour the destination blind is.

What next? Refusing to drive a bus because you don't like the advert on the side? "I don't agree with Samsung, I like Apple, so I'm not driving it".

Starmill · 15 Aug 2019

If the bus driver dislikes the buses provided by his employer (who pay him to, er, drive buses) then I struggle to see what there is for him to do other than find another bus firm with buses that are more to his liking to drive?

The only counter-argument to this is if the bus company have treated him unreasonably with the bus they've provided (for example, by giving him a faulty one). It certainly doesn't seem that this has happened.

800002 · 15 Aug 2019

cnjb8 said:
How ridiculous and small minded can you be?

What makes you say that?

cnjb8 said:
By not driving it and refusing to do his job might I add is being prejudiced to a different community!

Since when did he refuse to do his job?
That bus, he refused to take. He requested / attempted to swap it for another.

Hate to be the barer of bad news here, but, anybody, including yourself, can be prejuced against any number of things at any time.

You don't have to like or promote all things, it really is as simple as that.

If a train driver were to refuse a liveried unit, for what it represents and promotes, and their personal values conflicted with that of the company, the driver is more than entitled to raise this issue with their management. What happens then is down to the company procedure, whichever procedure that may be.

Here, as I said earlier, there would have been a better way for the driver to handle the situation. That is all.

Tetchytyke · 15 Aug 2019

800002 said:
Since when did he refuse to do his job?

When he refused to drive a safe and functioning bus because he didn't like the colour of the destination display?

800002 · 15 Aug 2019

Arctic Troll said:
When he refused to drive a safe and functioning bus because he didn't like the colour of the destination display?

You can't be forced to do something you disagree with. The company have altered a fundamental condidtion of his employment.

cnjb8 · 15 Aug 2019

800002 said:
What makes you say that?

I'm sorry about that but stuff like this makes me angry.

800002 said:
Since when did he refuse to do his job?
That bus, he refused to take. He requested / attempted to swap it for another.

.

Because hes paid to drive it and has refused for a strange reason.

800002 said:
Hate to be the barer of bad news here, but, anybody, including yourself, can be prejuced against any number of things at any time.

You don't have to like or promote all things, it really is as simple as that.

.

I know anyone and everyone can be prejudicial but when it's the thing that hes prejudiced about that bothers me. Nor am I questioning his right to free speech but it's the wrong opinion in a society THAT SHOULD BE moving forward not backward.

800002 said:
If a train driver were to refuse a liveried unit, for what it represents and promotes, and their personal values conflicted with that of the company, the driver is more than entitled to raise this issue with their management. What happens then is down to the company procedure, whichever procedure that may be.

Here, as I said earlier, there would have been a better way for the driver to handle the situation. That is all.

Once again it's what the livery represents. There could have been a better way to handle it but it's still controversial in the first place.

Tetchytyke · 15 Aug 2019

800002 said:
You can't be forced to do something you disagree with. The company have altered a fundamental condidtion of his employment.

"Here is a bus. Drive the bus. You are a bus driver".

It's oppression by his employer alright!

800002 · 15 Aug 2019

cnjb8 said:
I'm sorry about that but stuff like this makes me angry.

It is a highly emotive subject.
I didn't take offence to it.

cnjb8 said:
Because hes paid to drive it and has refused for a strange reason.

I'm sorry, but religious thought is not strange if you believe in it.
The fact you think it's strange doesn't make it wrong.
Many issues arise from this point alone. I don't mean any disrespect to you or your beliefs, it's just a matter of fact that what seems strange to some people is natural to others. A point that works both ways here, I feel.
I read and understand your displeasure at this incident and what it represents, and I agree that no one has the right to question free speech and that tolerance has to work both ways.
A personal opinion can never be wrong.
Based on insufficient / inaccurate information - yes.
Based upon religious upbringing - yes.
Based upon outdated / bigotary views - yes.
But it is personal, which has just become very public, but personal none-the-less.
You and I can certainly judge him for it, but we can't tell him he is wrong.

cnjb8 said:
I know anyone and everyone can be prejudicial but when it's the thing that hes prejudiced about that bothers me. Nor am I questioning his right to free speech but it's the wrong opinion in a society THAT SHOULD BE moving forward not backward.

800002 · 15 Aug 2019

Arctic Troll said:
"Here is a bus. Drive the bus. You are a bus driver".

It's oppression by his employer alright!

Last time I checked, freedom of religion was still a statutory right.
[if the driver was against driving the bus on religious grounds].
Goodnight.

Mwanesh · 15 Aug 2019

800002 said:
Last time I checked, freedom of religion was still a statutory right.
[if the driver was against driving the bus on religious grounds].
Goodnight.

whats his job description bus driver. He is wrong let me give you an example. Suppose i am a driver and i support a team that wears blue and i am given a duty that does a shuttle to a team that wears red. Can i honestly say i cant do it because i dont like team b. As said above your views should stay out of work. If you cant handle certain groups of society you dont do a public facing job.

"Man refuses to drive bus because it 'promotes homosexuality'"

Established Member

RailUK Forums

Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Member

On Moderation

On Moderation

Established Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Member

Member

Member