Spending a Penny

I used to work in an office. In an office you can use the toilet almost any time you want. Not so driving a bus.

Drivers are provided a list of available toilets they can use. Typically, the toilets are at the end of bus routes. Some are public toilets in parks, shopping centres, train stations and pubs. Some are purpose built for drivers. There are some pubs not of the official list who don’t mind if drivers use their toilets. Drivers are given a master key for those toilets which are kept locked.

One driver told me how he was desperate to go in the middle of a bus route. He realised the route passed close to one of the toilets available for drivers. He diverted off the route (with passengers), used the facilities and resumed the route.

12 Days Straight

I have just finished working 12 days straight. This is the longest time allowed without a day off (I don’t know if the 12 day limit is governed by government road rules or union agreement).

In a 4 week roster period we are meant to have 2 days off each week and 1 ADO (accrued day off), a total to 9 days. However, management are allowed to cancel 2 of the days off and I am required to work them (of course, I get paid for them). This rule is part of the union agreement.

The 2 days are usually cancelled when the 4 week roster is published. However, more days off can be cancelled as the roster period progresses. If I want to preserve a day off (ie, not let it be cancelled) I must write my name against the appropriate date in the “Days Off Retention” diary. Even this does not guarantee it will not be cancelled. I had 1 ‘preserved’ day off cancelled, I think, because a lot of drivers had nominated the same day and I am near the bottom of the seniority list. I normally try to preserve all my days off.

There is also an “On Call” diary. A driver wishing to work on an allocated day off put their name against the appropriate date. I have never done this. Some drivers work 7 of their 9 days off, I assume, because they need the extra money.