To be very impressed by this coach drivers zero tolerance stance?

[SmellsLikeTeenArmpit]

Travelling home on a National Express coach this morning.

When we had all boarded, the driver did a couple of safety announcements and then she said "Headphones must be used if you're watching or listening to anything on this coach, nobody else wants to hear your music, and believe me I won't hesitate to stop at a service station and make you get off if you ignore this".

Someone near the front just started having a conversation on loudspeaker and the driver immediately yelled "turn that off please, you all heard what I said before we departed Victoria" Loudspeaker was switched off and peace reigns again.

I might actually email NX and tell them how much I appreciate her, in the hope that they encourage all their drivers to take the same stance.

Email them! Agree, this should be encouraged. And will cancel out anyone moaning about the driver sticking their nose in.

Yes email, this should be standard.

Please don’t send an email. If this isn’t standard procedure, and I’m quite sure threatening unscheduled stops to remove people isn't, she may get into trouble.

Good on the driver!
Yes, email them to tell them that you appreciated them.

We had a similar message when we got a coach down to Southampton for a cruise - with the addition of “no solids down the onboard toilet please - no one wants to smell your poo” 😂

The OP doesn't have to say anything about "threatening unscheduled stops", just that they appreciated the zero tolerance approach to the use of headphones

The driver of a coach I boarded last week told everyone to put on their seat belts.
I was very impressed with that.

Umm, so what if you need to poo during the journey? Do they expect you to soil yourself?

I was wondering the same thing.
It's an odd thing for the driver to say.
It's not like they have to clean the loos themselves.

Don't they always do that? I'm sure that a standard announcement.

It's not "threatening unscheduled stops" btw. It's actually against the conditions of carriage (12.1(b)(vi)) and I am pretty sure drivers have the authority to refuse to carry passengers who don't comply! www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/conditions-of-carriage

Well done that man! 🥇

And yes, definitely send an email.

Most people are quick enough to send one when they're complaining, so a bit of praise would be great.

I used to get a coach every day and someone had done a poo in the toilet and it really was very unpleasant. The windows on coaches dont open. Dont people go before they go out.

Dont people go before they go out.

Oh come on, any free thinking adult will know that sometimes people get caught short, or suffer from IBS etc.

But yes I agree, it can be very unpleasant.

She's not a man

Right. But is using headphones listed in your link?

I guarantee it was more pleasant than if the person had soiled themself in their seat.

Yes - the OP explicitly references where the terms say that. Why would you post this without checking, what did you think she meant my 12.1(b)(vi)?!

I'm sorry what? Did you look at the section I mentioned? It says, to save you the trouble, "Prohibited behaviour: You must ensure that you do not [...] play any music players, musical instruments or electronic devices that are audible and distracting or annoying to any person on any Coach"

And then goes on to say that you can be refused further carriage (ie, chucked off the coach) if you do not comply.

If they have to go two or three times in the morning they won't have much choice if they're running to a schedule.

Oh sorry, I read 'She said' as 'He said'.

Desperately needing new glasses! 🧐

That is wonderful OP. Shame it isn't like this in all public spaces. Also I don't know whether I'm just old but there seems to be a trend where people hold their mobile in their hand in front of their mouth rather than to their ear? (As they used to do on The Apprentice).

Lovery bit of disability discrimination going on there. Luckily that couldn't be policy across Europe, so the driver can be told 'tough (or anyother) shit'.
The loud speaker conversations, about nothing, has become the norm and they shouldn't be allowed on public transport. Actually if you don't comply with the driver's reasonable instructions, they can tell you to get off. @badstrict yes the unreasonable use of electronic devices is on the list.

This is brilliant and makes me far more likely to travel by coach than I would have been otherwise.

Sounds like my type of coach driver! To be fair she’s probably fed up of listening to videos/conversations/music herself.

I would send a message with positive feedback. I’ve done similar - once the other week when the driver refused to leave the stop until an entitled man moved from my booked and paid for seat, and another time when he turned the lights on and woke everyone up when I couldn’t find a seat to remind them that unless their bag had a ticket it should not be occupying a seat as we had lots more passengers to pick up.

It's sad that good service is rare enough to warrant a compliment but I always like to give positive feedback where it’s due.

I wish they made similar announcements on the trains.