Consequences

[Kevin]

One particular problem is the employer themselves. In this day and age employers give less and less of a shit, so if there was such thing as mics in cabs, they wouldn't care to check the personal situation their staff were in, they'd just act on an isolated incident

[Sh4318]

Why was my post deleted?! Am I not allowed to agree with someone's opinion? The driver shouldn't have said that he said, but put yourself in his shoes, he has a hard job. Dom has the right to report him if he feels the need to

[notepanel]

Big brother is always watching.

NX are well known too be too strict and over the top as it is with handing out P45's, don't give them any ideas to stick bloody microphones in the cab!

I wonder what passengers would think if there were microphones in the saloons?

@Matt, I'm going to record every word you ever say, ever. Regardless whats happened to you. You're only allowed to express positive emotions, words, tone of voice must be chirpy and welcoming.

Welcome to hell.

Microphones are in vehicles on the NX coach network

And in most cases I've known have actually worked in support of the driver - to prove they were innocent of such claims etc. They also come in useful, for example, after an accident/claim to prove the driver played the safety CD/advised passengers to wear seatbelts.

I also think "microhones in the cab" sounds much more intrusive than "CCTV with sound recording". 

I think for a system like it to work, you've got to rely on the system being used probably - only for the purposes of proving complaints/crime etc. and for managers to not be petty regarding more 'trivial' matters.

[Tony]

*sigh* You're missing the point @the trainbasher. Drivers do not spend their lunch breaks in the cab of a bus. I'm going to have to repeat this for a third time now. Drivers should never need say anything in the cab of a bus that they would not want their superiors to hear.

I also sincerely doubt there is anything in that article that would prevent the installation of microphones in bus cabs.

@andy it is tackling the problem at its roots, as the knowledge that his voice is being recorded would alter a drivers behaviour, as he would be unable to "get away" with saying certain things which otherwise he could.

You have travelled on my bus when I have been driving. At the terminus when the bus is stationary and switched off you have come and spoken to me whil I have still been sat in the cab. I might say something to a friend that I cenrtainly wouldn't say to a passenger can a microphone diferrentiate?

[tank90]

*sigh* You're missing the point @the trainbasher. Drivers do not spend their lunch breaks in the cab of a bus. I'm going to have to repeat this for a third time now. Drivers should never need say anything in the cab of a bus that they would not want their superiors to hear.

I also sincerely doubt there is anything in that article that would prevent the installation of microphones in bus cabs.

@andy it is tackling the problem at its roots, as the knowledge that his voice is being recorded would alter a drivers behaviour, as he would be unable to "get away" with saying certain things which otherwise he could.

You have travelled on my bus when I have been driving. At the terminus when the bus is stationary and switched off you have come and spoken to me whil I have still been sat in the cab. I might say something to a friend that I cenrtainly wouldn't say to a passenger can a microphone diferrentiate?

I agree with you Tony you should be able to speak freely and no a Microphone can't.
But I throw this ball in to the court, mainly to drivers and ex drivers and the rest of us, what if there was an attack on a bus would it not be safer to have a microphone or microphones which are activeted by the driver in the cab with a set word that if he or she says will record with sound what the cctv cameras are filming.
For example the driver sees a passenger looking shifty with a bag as they enter the bus, for this its a single decker, the driver can still see the passenger in the rear view mirror chunttering; the driver knows the cab platform and saloon have microphones that s/he can activate. So s/he does and it alerts control room to a problem on board the bus which could put the driver and other passengers in great danger. The control room can see where the bus is and get police to meet the bus to stop anything happening, worst case seniro I know but 7/7 has proven it to be true in a City, best case is the passenger is no threat at all. The bus company appoligies and gives that person free travel for the shock shame and hurt; if not the a bus load of people are safe from evil.
If I was a driver or even an Owner of a bus company I know what I'd do. I wouldn't change anyones life and I wouldn't purposely listen into my staff but I would want them to be safe as possible.

[Liverpool Street]

I still can't believe anyone would actually support this. You're all bloody brainwashed to make it seem that its OK to be sound and video recorded 24/7.

Back to my earlier point, how would passengers feel about microphones in the saloons? Everything everybody has ever said would be recorded.

You're all too scared to say what you really think. Why? If the press wasn't controlled in such way you'll all be less desensitized to what's actually happening around you. You lot are being blinded and brainwashed by the government. See though the shit you're being fed.

Or we can just say bollocks to it... lets all fit Microchips in our necks with tracking, 360 degree cameras and sound recording. 

You'll be better off in prison.

@Mike K, @andy, @Winston, @Tony, @Matt, @Kevin

[Gareth]

Going back to the original question by NXDom, even though the swearing was not directed at you as such, it's still an example of poor customer service, and as customers I think that poor service should be reported. The company should be aware that members of their staff are not acting in the manor expected of them. Stick to the facts of the incident, and not mention anything that may or may not have happened with that driver in the past. They can then do with your information and complaint as they see fit or appropriate.
I work in a customer facing role and feedback is so important as to what we do right and wrong.

[danny]

Im going to throw my two pence in...

As someone who had to support himself throw uni and get a job in retail. I no the importance of customer service. And under know circumstance would we be allowed to swear at a customer. However this didn't stop us wanting too. Quite frankly customers in any sector can be absolute w*****s and the pressure of this constantly can take its strain. Who hear isn't guilty of loosing their temper at someone who probably didn't deserve it?

You also have to consider what complaints do for the recipient. If this gentleman in question has a family to support. Mortgage etc... How is he supposed to support. It's extremely hard out their to get a job with an unblemished record let alone with a dismissal.

Im in no way justifying what has happened to Dom. It's disgusting. But other than shock or hard feelings what's the real effect. Chances are that the driver regretted what he said and had just been having a bad day at the office.

With regards to the voice recording systems. As much as I can see the argument for and against. It seems like we already live in a big brother society. I wouldn't have a recorder put under my desk at work. It takes away free speech which we are all entitled to. Lets not get to a place in this country in the modern western world where we feel censored. Because over the decades people have fought for that freedom of speech. Let's not take that away.

[karl724223]

Don't believe original complaint sorry

[andyr]

I work for a company that has had CCTV and microphones fitted to its vehicles for the last six years. The images and voice recordings are only viewed or listened to if a issue comes to light. As long as your doing nothing wrong I don't see there is a problem, its there to help and in my experience shows the person making the complaint or claim to be in the wrong or being far from truthful. 

[don]

Crikey, if the driver said that he needs re-training at the very least.

The matter ought to be reported because the company shouldn't be allowing people to interface with the public like that. As for the traffic law transgressions, those could be picked up from the on vehicle recordings. Suffice to say the driver is in charge of a large, heavy potentially lethal weapon - running red lights is off the scale in terms of transgressions - the driver's also in charge of his passengers (customers).

Put it another way - if you got such alleged rude and deplorable service from a supermarket and saw their staff, for instance, blatantly selling alcohol to under age people, what would you do? I would not shop there again and report them for illegal behaviour.

Sorry to all the pro drivers and NXWM fans/employees on here but it's as simple as that. (and I'm a huge bus fan and NXWM fan)!!

Back in the 70s this sort of behaviour was commonplace - indeed I was once traveling on a BCT Fleetline on the 24 in Colmore Row and outside the Birmingham City Council offices (yes it's an ancient story from the days when buses went through Victoria Sq and New St) the driver stopped in the middle of the road leapt out of his cab and ran down the road and took a flying kick at the drivers door of the car in front!!!) the one that got me most riled was the Bristol Road guys at Navigation St who would close the doors and drive off as soon as a gaggle of passengers walking from the city centre got within a couple of yards of them. This was a standard occurrence!!!

So thank The Lord for better standards of driving, customer care and on bus monitoring these days. Buses were lethal back then and occasional bad apples should indeed be reported.

[Stuharris 6360]

I do believe the original complainant, i cannot see someone coming on a public forum and telling us what happened if it didn't happen, what would be the point.

The only problem is how to prove it. Microphones in the cab have been suggested, but that has been dismissed because of privacy issues. So then why do drivers allow themselves to be filmed on CCTV? Surely that is against privacy laws as well. The drivers will say it is to help prevent them getting attacked, well you can't have things all ways, if the drivers want CCTV then microphones in the cab should also be allowed. After all, occurances like this are very infrequent, it is usually the drivers that are on the receiving end of bad language, threats etc and this could help catch the people responsible.

[wilmotm (Matt Wilmot)]

I do believe the original complainant, i cannot see someone coming on a public forum and telling us what happened if it didn't happen, what would be the point.

Well if you have been following this fantastic forum since @Tony started it there have been countless times when people have told us something that happened that didn't happen!

[Stevo]

Are we not all missing the point here? In the first post the driver was accused of regularly running red lights and missing stops - surely far more serious than a bit of f-ing and blinding?

[Stuharris 6360]

I do believe the original complainant, i cannot see someone coming on a public forum and telling us what happened if it didn't happen, what would be the point.

Well if you have been following this fantastic forum since @Tony started it there have been countless times when people have told us something that happened that didn't happen!

Ok, so when a GRS driver abused someone for not travelling on the GRS246 (see GRS thread), did everyone leap up in the defence on the driver, no they didn't. Once again, no proof the incident happened, but because it was GRS, everyone assumed it had happened. Now because it is National Express, everyone starts to assume that the driver is correct and the complainant is lying.