‘You won’t believe what rudeness and abuse I experience as a bus driver’

The debate over whether Londoners should thank their bus drivers shows no signs of stopping just yet.

A bus driver from outside the capital says people’s reasons for not expressing their gratitude are mere ‘excuses’. Some other commentators said that the only way to say thanks, while getting off at the middle doors, is by shouting.

Meanwhile, other readers argue that people on ‘decent’ incomes should pay a fee to see a GP, ostensibly to help save the NHS, and others debate voting in the current political climate and the use of butter in sandwiches.

Read on to see what other topics people have chewed on.

‘A smile and thank you works wonders’

■ I’m a bus driver and I’ve been reading with interest the MetroTalk discussion about whether to thank us and the excuses for not bothering to do so. I recently took my 11-year-old son on a trip to London and, because he was brought up with good manners, he ran to the front after each trip, waved and shouted ‘thank you’. The joy on the driver’s face was wonderful to see.

I accept that some of my bus driver colleagues are not the happiest bunnies around, but here are a few words in their defence. If you were spat at, sworn at, verbally abused, threatened with physical violence (and sometimes received it) and had to cope with road rage often on a daily basis for years on end, sometimes you would struggle to be cheerful.

Some of the abuse we receive is disgusting. I have had my children threatened with rape, violence and death. On more than one occasion, a ‘little cherub’ has threatened to dig up my mother’s body and… I won’t repeat what they said next. A smile and a thank you work wonders, I assure you. Phill, Bradford

■ Rishi Sunak levelling up? Don’t make me laugh. I drive a bus in Manchester and last week a young mum got on with a baby in a pushchair, saying she was going to ride for a few hours because she can’t afford to put the heating on at home. If you want to level up something, make it so everybody – not just the rich – can afford to put the heating on. Chris, Manchester

‘Why not say thanks when you board the bus?’

■ On London buses, the exit is in the middle of the bus, and passengers leaving can thank the driver only by shouting out to them. May I propose a Thank You button in every exit door on London buses. ED, Birmingham

■ Thanking bus drivers is not such a big problem. I live in London where you get off via the middle doors. When I was in Glasgow, you exited by the driver and most people say ‘thank you’ as they disembark. I get round this problem in London by saying a quick ‘thanks’ when I tap in at start of the journey. I don’t expect any reply back. Simple! Amy Chan, London

■ In response to Joe, who asks whether he should thank his refuse collectors because, like bus drivers, they are doing him a service (MetroTalk, Fri). I thank them if I happen to be outside when they’re collecting. I also thank the postman, checkout assistants in shops and bus drivers. It’s a small courtesy that takes no time and makes the world a bit happier. There’s a story in my family that dates back to about the 1920s – my grandfather would sometimes tip the bus driver, his rationale being that he would tip a cab driver. Louise, Bromley

■ I always thank our postal staff for working in all weathers. I sometimes thank refuse collectors too, but I always thank bus drivers. Les, Chingford

■ To Joe, bus drivers can hear a ‘thank you’ – they don’t need to use cameras to check people are mouthing it. Our cabs are sealed but not soundproof, as people who abuse us are aware. A ‘thank you’ goes a long way and shouldn’t be given according to job title or pay grade. So yes, Joe, you should thank refuse collectors and anyone else who does something for you, paid or unpaid. Bus Driver, London

■ Joe, thank your binmen and postie. I do. They also get chocs at Christmas. AJ, Wimbedon

‘Either charge a fee for GPs or find the Brexit £350m Boris promised’

■ My sister and I were discussing NHS issues. We said last year that those of a decent income should pay £25 to £40 for a consultation with a GP. So many people pay more than that for a face-to-face consultation with a private GP. Business is booming, as most people wait months to get a face-to-face appointment. My mother-in-law, who is 82, insisted on getting a face-to-face with her GP, and she now has an appointment in April.

The system has to change. Those on low incomes and other categories should not pay, but all taxpayers should pay a nominal amount to get the NHS out of this mess. Since Covid, my surgery has not gone back to full seating in its waiting rooms. The £350million a week that Boris Johnson promised the NHS if we left EU, where has it gone? Squandered on parties and useless projects! Rachel, Brimsdown

■ As the government struggles to resolve the dispute with the NHS, surely the time has come to admit that it has become inadequate, unable to fulfil the purpose for which it was created and that radical reform is needed. When it was formed, it satisfied the needs of the day and even instilled pride in many. Now, after numerous ill-conceived reorganisations, its failings are abundantly clear.

It can no longer be relied upon to serve the public when the lives and wellbeing of so many are dependent upon it. We must face facts – the Tories are no longer fit to govern. Julian Self, Milton Keynes

Ban butter from mayo sandwiches?

■ Martin from South Croydon (MetroTalk, Fri) complained that a tuna sandwich he bought had no butter in it. Sorry, Martin, I made that sandwich. You see, shops often mix crumbly tuna flakes with fatty mayo to bind the flakes for easy spreading. As such, there is no need to butter the bread slices. Too much fat makes ya fat, ya know? Kylie, South Croydon

■ Butter is the devil’s own unguent and I celebrate the rare occasions when I find a sandwich that isn’t polluted by it. I would also question why so many chains decide that adding egg mayonnaise — another substance that, in a fairer world, would be prohibited under the 1925 Geneva Protocol — makes an otherwise decent sandwich ‘posh’. Ant O’Neill, London

‘No need to make the King’s coronation a well-intended woke show’

■ With its promise of a celebration of refugees, multi-culturalism and the NHS, the coronation of King Charles III in May looks set to be as cringeworthy as the dreadful and woke opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics. No doubt this well-intended but wholly misguided sideshow will only further divide opinion rather than unite it. Stefan Badham, Portsmouth

To vote or not to vote? That is the question

■ Mike from Stockport (MetroTalk, Mon) sounds like a dreadful presiding officer, sneering at voters asking for assistance. He suggests IQ tests for voters, but perhaps he should start with one himself. Joe, Cornwall

■ I don’t vote because I see no accountability or quality-control in British politics. With every election, the calibre of the party seems to get lower. Those who fought for the right to vote would be disgusted if they could see things as they are now. Dave, Epping

■ We all have something to offer in voting for changes for the better. Not all older people are stuck in their ways, just as young people are not all idealists. Hilary, Sheffield

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