QUOTH THE DRIVER OF THE MOTOR COACH
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The Interview Related Hereunder Provides Food for Thought for Both Present and Future Coach Proprietors.
By "Vim."
• HE DRIVER had said, as he helped the last passenger, to the ground, "We start back at 2.15, ladies and gentlemen; don't forget, 2.15 sharp." For all that, several of the party were missing when the moment for departure on the return journey arrived, and since their abandonment would have meant their staying there all night, or walking eight or nine miles to the nearest station, our steersman was philosophically lounging on the horsetrough outside the inn when I seized the opportunity for a chat.
Like most of his kind, he was a genial fellow, and not a bit what one -would call a "grouser." The grouser bears his marks upon him, and had my new acquaintance been one of the breed his views would have made no impression on me, for. that sort never do see any good in anything. But being, as 1 say, a pleasant chap, his comments struck me as being worth recording. I had heard the opinions of coach proprietors on the conditions of employment given their men, but, until then, had not gathefed anything of the other side of the story. As he began to tell me his views as an employee, it occurred to me at once that in all probability they would be fresh to employers; and I therefore took the liberty of, making ample mental notes of the conversation.
The Conflicting Claims of Time and the Old Lady.
"This will make me 15 or 20 minutes late in,'' he said, in answer to my opening remark about the lateness of the missing passengers. "The old lady in the back seat has already asked me whether I don't drive rather too fast, and if I try to catch up the lost time on the way back, I suppose she'll kick up a fuss with the boss. If I don't catch it up I sha'n't get much of a rest before starting, the evening trip. However, -it's, all in a lifetime, and it's no use _ worrying. "Have I got another run to-day after this'? Oh, yes; out to —, reaching home about 9 p.m. We nearly always have an evening trip for the benefit of business folk, except when all our four charras are bboked for a party run. ' The people enjoy those evening trips, I can tell you, after being cooped up in offices all day. I quite agree the hours are long ; too long for safety, I consider. After you've done 13 hours in the blazing sunshine, as I did twice last week, you don't feel like fresh paint when you turn out again in the morning.
. " No, don't mistake me, mister. Our boss is a good employer, and better than a great many my. pals work for. My hours aren't supposed to be se long, but what can he do when these beanfeasters overstep the time fixed for their runs by several hours? Of course, they have to pay extra for the extra time ; but that doesn't help me to get up in the morning in a fit state to be off the mark with the old charra at 10 o'clock, and to keep the passengers out of the ditch all day. I can see it's a hard . nut to crack—those beanfeast journeys. If the party insist on stopping at every pub, who's going to stop 'em1 Not me! Odds of 34 to 1 don't take my fancy.
D28 What I think is that there ought to be a law to make it wrong for a charra, driver to be in charge of the wheel for more than eight hours or so at a stretch, without having a certain amount of rest. Then it would be the same for all owners, and they'd have to send two men if there was any chance of a trip taking longer than the proper time for it.
How the Driver Regards the Rowdy Parties.
"Yes, I've had a good deal to put up with from rowdy Parties. Often and often I've felt so downright disgusted and ashamed that for two pins I'd have put the lot through the hedge to teach 'em a lesson. More than once I've thought of leaving a drunken crew in possession and walking off home ; but I knew they'd only wreck the show out of spite, so I've stuck to the gtiv'nor's -property on that account. Of course, I'm as helpless as a new-born babe when a party makes up its mind to get boozed. There ought to be two men on a, car for that reason, let alone the other % I wonder the owners don't make up a black list between 'em, for these boozing outings don't do anybody any good; I ask you, why couldn't contracts be fixed so that no drink should be carried on board and only a few stops allowed? How could owners enforce them? Well, I'm blowed if I can tell you ; but something's got to be done, or there'll be trouble with drivers as well as police soon."
At this stage of our conversation, the errant passengers arrived (without apologies!), and with only a sarcastic glance at his watch and a wink at me, our driver climbed into his seat and I into mine. It was not until we had reached the end of our journey, and he was waiting on the stand for the coach in front to move away so that he could pull out into the roadway and drive back to his garage, that I was able to conclude the interview by asking a question that seemed to me to be important.
" What. will you do when the season ends?" I put to him.
The Driver in the Winter Time.
" The boss says he'll keep us on through the winter at £3 5s. a week, but I've made up my mind to chuck the game as soon as I ean find a job driving a lorry. We are paid a fiver a week now, with nothing extra for overtime. The tips don't come out nearly so much as many people, including the boss, believe; at any rate, not with me. Some days I do very well, but a Jot depends on the first passenger to get down giving you something for yourselves. If he does, the others follow suit, except those who go round the back of the car so as not to pass me! Most generally a goad many of them have gone by the time somebody remembers the custom ; and so the whole' sum only tots up to very little as a rule. Perhaps they are rather mean people here. They've got the name for it, anyway. But other drivers I've met from other -towns tell me much the same sort of thing. The public seem to know what wages we are paid, for I have been told heaps of times that my job
is a nice one 'and so well paid,' so. I suppose they think I turn my nose up at tips. "If the tipping business could be wiped out, we drivers would be glad ; especially as gratuities are to be reckoned as part payment for our winter keep. I'm not complaining of our firm, 'you understand, but of the general run of the thing, which looks to me all wrong. Anyway, I'd be better Off driving a lorry at £4 los. all the year round, with regular hours and overtime money, than on this stunt. There's talk of the chaps about here joining some union or other, so perhaps everything will be straightened out presently ; but perhaps it'll only be made more crooked. I'm not a union man, you see, and I'm not .keen on the idea. Hullo! He's off, and seam I, so good day to you, sir; that is, if you're not coming for another run this evening. What! Had enough of it already? How about me, then? " A portentous wink and a wide grin—and he was Jost in the midst of the traffic.
As faithfully as I have been able I have set down
this man's views on his employment, and now commend them to the careful consideration, not oaly of present motor coach owners,. butalso of those garage proprietors who mean to become • owners before long. Much of their goodwill, much of their success, is in the hands of the men who drive these vehicles. Motor coaching is almost a new industry, and its hurried progress since the war has resulted in makeshift conditions of employment. If the masters do nottake steps without loss of time to remedy any real grievances drivers have, and to remove any misunderstandings under whichthey. may be labouring, the initiative may come from the other side. The views of an individual are not infrequently aniindex to the views of the mass. My driver looked-and spoke like anything but a pessimist., and bore every sign of being a cheerful, broad-minded person. There must be many of his calling who are not so broad-minded, and it would be regrettable if they were left with grounds for complaint, for evil influences work quickly and are hard to catch up with.