Little-known bus rule has public transport users shocked

But isn't it just common sense?

If you’re hopping on public transport to get home after a trip to the beach, how much should you think about what you’re wearing?

After an experience on a bus in Sydney, one Reddit user has taken to the platform to ask that exact question - and the answer might surprise you.

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“Is this actually a thing?”

A Sydney man has taken to Reddit after a driver wouldn’t let his friend on the bus without a shirt.

“Dress code on public transport? Is this actually a thing?” he asked in the post.

“A driver wouldn't let my mate get on a bus at Coogee yesterday, insisting that he had to be wearing a shirt. He was wearing boardies and thongs, and carrying a towel because he'd just been to the beach, but the driver was having none of it.”

The poster added that he couldn’t find any information about a dress code online, and posed the question to other public transport users and bus drivers alike.

“I had a skim through the TfNSW website and couldn't find anything, and the passenger code of conduct I found was just the usual rules about smoking, alcohol etc.” he wrote.

“Any bus drivers here able to chime in?”

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Opinions were mixed

Many commenters on the post sided with the man, saying they’ve never encountered an issue with dress codes on buses before - particularly near the beach.

“I've seen people wearing a lot less getting on beach buses,” one commenter said.

“Never heard of anything like that myself,” said another.

“Whenever I get the bus home from Coogee there's always lots of women in swim tops....I'm pretty sure I've seen shirtless guys get on the bus too?” a third commenter said.

“Your friend got really unlucky and that driver was being a bit hard. Especially near the beach c'mon lol,” another agreed.

But, some sided with the driver, adding that regardless of policy, wearing swim attire on public transport is simply inappropriate.

“Put a shirt on, it's not hard,” said one commenter.

“I don’t care about seeing topless dudes but it’s kinda gross on a hot day to be sweating on a bus seat without a shirt on. It’s kinda like if a guy was using gym equipment without a shirt. It’s a no from me and I’m no prude. I’m with the driver on this. Be decent and wear a shirt,” another added.

“Some people (myself included) aren’t keen on seeing topless guys in public unless it’s somewhere ok like the actual beach - the bus driver was probably just uncomfortable,” said a third.

“There has always been a dress code!”

But, bus drivers in the comments revealed that it likely had nothing to do with him being uncomfortable, saying there has always been a dress code due to health and safety regulations.

“When I was trained as a bus driver, this was in the training. But that was over 20 years ago. Practically though, if the driver doesn't want you on the bus, you're not going to get on the bus,” one said.

“Eastern Suburbs bus driver here. There has always been a dress code, and due to health and safety regulations we aren’t supposed to let people on with no shirts or footwear. Some drivers have always enforced it, others can’t be bothered,” another added.

“No one wants to sit in a seat that you’ve just sweat/ put sunscreen all over, nor do they want to be squished against your shirtless body on a crowded bus. This also applies to girls in bikini tops.”

The latter added that after a crack down just recently, more and more people are likely to be impacted by these rules.

“A memo went out to drivers from our company to start enforcing the rules a few weeks ago. We have the right to refuse to let you on the bus if you don’t comply, so expect to see more of it,” they said.

"Bus drivers consider several factors when they operate a service"

A spokesperson from Eastern Suburbs bus operator Transdev John Holland said that the safety of passengers is of the utmost importance.

"Bus drivers consider several factors when they operate a service. Among the most important factors are the safety of all passengers and questions of hygiene," the spokesperson told Kidspot.

"As the time and route number of this described incident are not known, Transdev John Holland is unable to speak directly to the driver concerned. Nonetheless we will remind all drivers of their obligations to ensure high standards of customer service."

Transdev John Holland bus drivers follow the Passenger Transport (General) Regulation 2017, wherein a driver can direct a passenger to leave - or not enter - a bus if in their opinion the person’s body, clothing, or luggage may soil or damage the bus or property of other passengers.

In short, if you’re not sure, put a shirt on!

Originally published as Little-known bus rule has public transport users shocked