Sydney local refused entry onto bus due to little-known rule

A man trying to catch a bus from the beach over the long weekend was denied entry due to his attire, or lack there of.

A Sydney local was trying to get home after spending the Australia Day public holiday at Coogee Beach, along with thousands of other Aussies.

However, a little-known rule regarding attire led to him being denied entry onto the bus.

Now, his friend has now taken to Reddit to get some clarity on the situation.

“Is there a dress code on public transport?” he asked. “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.

“Is this actually a thing?”

A man was denied entry onto a Sydney bus because he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Picture: Transdev

One former bus driver chimed in saying they learnt the rule “in training”, but at the end of the day – if a bus driver doesn’t want you on the bus, “you’re not going to get on the bus.”

Another wrote, “Eastern Suburbs bus driver here. Some drivers have enforced (the rule) but others can’t be bothered. 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.”

Others said they thought it was just “common sense” and called it “kind of gross” to be sitting shirtless on public transport.

“Put a top on, it’s not that hard,” one user urged.

“Do I want to see your nipples on the bus when I’m just trying to get home at the end of a long day? Totally not. Pop a shirt on man,” one group member added.

“There are kids, old ladies, and the rest of the population that would love a ride home without nips on display.”

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A spokesperson for Transdev John Holland, which operates the buses in Coogee, told news.com.au, “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.

“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.”

It’s understood that Transdev John Holland bus drivers follow the Passenger Transport (General) Regulation 2017, where a driver can direct a passenger to leave – or not enter – a bus if, in their opinion, the person’s body, clothing, or luggage (or any other thing on or carried by the person) may soil or damage the bus or the clothing or luggage of other passengers.

He was trying to get home after spending the day at Coogee Beach in Sydney on the Australia Day long weekend. Picture: NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

Elsewhere in the thread’s comments, some people defended the man, saying he should have been allowed on the bus.

“Even if it were an actual rule, surely he should’ve been allowed to wrap his towel around himself or something. Seems ridiculous to me,” one shared.

Another voiced, “Your friend got really unlucky and that driver was being a bit hard. Especially near the beach, c’mon.”

“Inland makes sense but a bus stop literally at the beach. Seems too controlling, but Aussies love rules,” a different user wrote.

Originally published as Sydney local refused entry onto bus due to little-known rule