Miserable bus drivers and complaints.

[arbeia]

One Sunday afternoon, a drunk decided to step out in front of my bus. He just about made it, but he decided to push his backside into the side of the bus-not a good idea. He finished on the ground and got up. I stopped the bus to see if he was OK. Plenty of people around, and quite a few told me I was not to blame. I few of his friends were trying to blame me. Anyway I called the Police and after asking witnesses what happened, he told me to carry on, as I was not to blame. Short of it was that the drunk, who had been doing the same with previous buses, put a complaint in, and I was interviewed and told "you could have done more." So the law of the land was happy with my driving, but the company, because of a bogus complaint were not. A depot I worked at for 23 years even had a Manager without a licence. How could he possibly comment on drivers action/reactions? Thats the sort of thing drivers are up against.

 

[randyrippley]

Don't worry its only a short term problem, not long before buses - especially city buses - all become driverless.
Grumpy drivers will then be irrelevant

 

[Antman]

All I can say on the toilet situation, or should I say lack of toilet situation, is that this is what happens when a combination of deregulation and anti-union legislation/sentiment, together with other factors, especially opo, changes the job, if not beyond recognition then certainly markedly. Even so, bus drivers in London are still able to access toilet facilities on virtually every route, as TfL will, if necessary, arrange for the provision of a portaloo at a suburban terminus if nothing else is available, recently at New Addington for instance. Meal reliefs were also subject to union agreement in London Transport days, with almost every garage, and many bus stations, having a canteen. In other cases, 'approved' cafes which welcomed bus staff and kept their prices reasonable were built into bus schedules e.g. at Bromley, where various routes operated by Bromley Garage terminated at Bromley North Station. The approved cafe, in East Street, closed on Saturday at 2 p.m. until Monday morning, so schedules had to incorporate a trip to the garage, at Bromley Common, and back at these times. A schedule that allowed one minute less for the break than allowed by the management/union would be rejected, hence why strict clockface timetables were sometimes impossible to achieve!

It was no different before deregulation.

 

[CN04NRJ]

Don't worry its only a short term problem, not long before buses - especially city buses - all become driverless.
Grumpy drivers will then be irrelevant

I think we're a very long way away from it becoming anything more than a novelty!

 

[Busaholic]

It was no different before deregulation.

What was no different before deregulation?

 

[Antman]

What was no different before deregulation?

In the 70s I remember drivers moaning about the lack of toilet facilities on certain routes.

 

[Busaholic]

In the 70s I remember drivers moaning about the lack of toilet facilities on certain routes.

Are you talking about London routes, though?

 

[philthetube]

Fully agree, with comments about management, I was involved in an accident which was in no way my fault, ( a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road).

I was asked into the office the next day and my manager immediately listed all the damage to the bus and told me that he was not happy with it, he never asked me if I was ok, his attitude did cost the company though, it gave me pleasure , when providing him with my notice to destroy photos, in front of him, that I had taken of the accident, which included a phone number as the car was for sale.

 

[Geordie driver]

It was vastly different before deregulation ( London wasn't deregulated in the same way as the rest of the country) at least in the North East where I worked.

Bus driving was considered a decent job for a reliable if somewhat unambitious person, this I not meant as an insult, it's how I would describe myself. We had 2 very good canteens we had access to in the Haymarket area, ( pte and United) now there is a tiny room with a vending machine, often you would have to stand during a break as there was no room.

30 minute breaks were unknown, shifts weren't perfect but they knew that realistically you might be running late, most breaks ( and they were paid) were about an hour. I have even had management claim that all you needed was 30 mins off the bus and that traveling to the depot with no access to food or a decent toilet break was acceptable and lawful!

Greenboy, may I ask, have you ever driven service buses?

 

[jon0844]

Don't worry its only a short term problem, not long before buses - especially city buses - all become driverless.
Grumpy drivers will then be irrelevant

Care to put a date to that claim?

 

[Mwanesh]

How is your driverless bus going to respond in a medical emergency. I have seen bus drivers save lives. Can your computer do that.

Don't worry its only a short term problem, not long before buses - especially city buses - all become driverless.
Grumpy drivers will then be irrelevant

 

[randyrippley]

How is your driverless bus going to respond in a medical emergency. I have seen bus drivers save lives. Can your computer do that.

I don't think that is going to be a significant consideration when the decision to change is made.
If that line of reasoning was followed we wouldn't have DOO trains.
And anyway often other people save lives - there's nothing special about a bus driver doing it.

 

[randyrippley]

Care to put a date to that claim?

As soon as possible I hope.

 

[Busaholic]

It was vastly different before deregulation ( London wasn't deregulated in the same way as the rest of the country) at least in the North East where I worked.

Bus driving was considered a decent job for a reliable if somewhat unambitious person, this I not meant as an insult, it's how I would describe myself. We had 2 very good canteens we had access to in the Haymarket area, ( pte and United) now there is a tiny room with a vending machine, often you would have to stand during a break as there was no room.

30 minute breaks were unknown, shifts weren't perfect but they knew that realistically you might be running late, most breaks ( and they were paid) were about an hour. I have even had management claim that all you needed was 30 mins off the bus and that traveling to the depot with no access to food or a decent toilet break was acceptable and lawful!

Greenboy, may I ask, have you ever driven service buses?

I've never driven a bus, but what you say broadly accords with my knowledge of and interest in the industry over decades, including an (admittedly short) career in bus management.

 

[jon0844]

As soon as possible I hope.

You can hope but I'd say 10 to 20 years. Level 5 autonomous vehicles are way off for cars, let alone a bus. Don't believe the hype.

Trams might possibly be able to do it sooner but I'm not convinced. If anything, the fail safe systems would stop a tram ever making any progress.

 

[randyrippley]

You can hope but I'd say 10 to 20 years. Level 5 autonomous vehicles are way off for cars, let alone a bus. Don't believe the hype.

Trams might possibly be able to do it sooner but I'm not convinced. If anything, the fail safe systems would stop a tram ever making any progress.

Buses should be easier than cars, especially in urban use.
Limited speed, limited number of repeating routes so relatively small data set to train the machines on, and multiple vehicles on the same route so enhancing the learning curve for road traffic issues.

 

[notadriver]

It was vastly different before deregulation ( London wasn't deregulated in the same way as the rest of the country) at least in the North East where I worked.

Bus driving was considered a decent job for a reliable if somewhat unambitious person, this I not meant as an insult, it's how I would describe myself. We had 2 very good canteens we had access to in the Haymarket area, ( pte and United) now there is a tiny room with a vending machine, often you would have to stand during a break as there was no room.

30 minute breaks were unknown, shifts weren't perfect but they knew that realistically you might be running late, most breaks ( and they were paid) were about an hour. I have even had management claim that all you needed was 30 mins off the bus and that traveling to the depot with no access to food or a decent toilet break was acceptable and lawful!

Greenboy, may I ask, have you ever driven service buses?

I have. I started out as a bus driver in London in the mid 90s. I was treated like crap for the most part. 6 years wasted there. Coach driving has better quality work and nicer vehicles but that pay is lower than service work. I’d never recommend driving a bus, coach or lorry to anyone unless they couldn’t get a decent qualification doing something more skilled.

 

[pjnathanail]

As the manager of a (small, 5 vehicle) bus operator, I like to think we do our best to support and look after our drivers. I hold a PCV myself - and use it! - and our recently appointed Operations Manager is about to start training.

My question is, for drivers who say they were treated poorly, what could employers have done differently / better? I’m sure we’re not perfect, so keen to hear drivers’ views of what a “good” employer looks like!

 

[Robertj21a]

As the manager of a (small, 5 vehicle) bus operator, I like to think we do our best to support and look after our drivers. I hold a PCV myself - and use it! - and our recently appointed Operations Manager is about to start training.

My question is, for drivers who say they were treated poorly, what could employers have done differently / better? I’m sure we’re not perfect, so keen to hear drivers’ views of what a “good” employer looks like!

The usual response from drivers at the bigger companies will often be for management to start treating them as human beings, not just numbers on a list.

 

[Geordie driver]

As the manager of a (small, 5 vehicle) bus operator, I like to think we do our best to support and look after our drivers. I hold a PCV myself - and use it! - and our recently appointed Operations Manager is about to start training.

My question is, for drivers who say they were treated poorly, what could employers have done differently / better? I’m sure we’re not perfect, so keen to hear drivers’ views of what a “good” employer looks like!

I was spat on, company did nothing, I was even told I had to carry the person who had spat on me ( I never did mind!).
We had been asking for protection screens for years, company refused citing costs, driver ended up with permenant brain damage from a hammer attack during a robbery.
Massive shifts with minimum breaks, drivers booked for using the toilet ( i know I bang on about this, it appears to be coming a fixation) ,zero support from inspectors on the road or company in the office.
Poor money due to the race to the bottom since deregulation and privatisation.
Don't do any of the above.

 

[L401CJF]

I've been driving buses for nearly 6 years now, a job I loved when I started but now dislike a lot. Here is my view on the job.

Every few months when the timetables change, more minutes pinched left right and centre to cut costs, layover / recovery time at the terminus reduced to 5minutes or less most of the time meaning you run late all day with no chance to get out and stretch your legs. Most routes have the bare minimum running time it takes to get from A to B without factoring in having to stop at bus stops or traffic lights, or congestion. No extra running time on 80% of trips in peak hour, I regularly finish my shift over 20minutes late which is fantastic when you are already doing a 10hour turn.

If I am late I do not rush, I drive how they want me to drive, then phone up for an adjustment if needed. Usually get told to carry on regardless, even if over 30 mins late.

After driving for 5 hours with no toilet break as mentioned, meal breaks are on average 40mins in my depot, regularly reduced to 30mins if you come in late. If less than that they make you have the minimum 30mins and just take over the next bus late, which just adds to the lack of running time issues.

Management are mostly graduates, most of which do not have a bus license and those who do have never driven one in service. A real case of "I have never done your job but my book says you're doing it wrong"

No interest in maintaining the buses properly again to cut costs - most of them running around in derate mode with clogged emission filters but no interest in fixing them. Book a bus off with a fault, goes straight back out with somebody else. We have a number of Volvo Hybrid buses, the batteries are on their last legs, so when it comes to hills they're dangerously slow but they won't fork out for new batteries.

Some buses fitted with 'econospeed' to save fuel, which decides how much throttle you should have - ie pull out at a busy roundabout in the best possible gap with foot on the floor but it might only give you 20% throttle which is quite dangerous I think.

I see some mixed comments regarding this previously in the thread, but regarding assault screens. Most of ours are adjustable, so you can have them up / down as you please. I prefer to have it open as its very difficult to hear people asking things over the rattling. The company has now rivetted them all closed which the union and drivers including myself arn't pleased about as they feel you should have the choice - theyre easy enough to shut if somebody starts on you, squeeze the catch and it drops instantly.

Driver is always wrong - avoid a potential nasty crash and you're in the wrong, have a nasty crash and you're in the wrong. Customer complaints, again always in the wrong, should have done this, that, etc.

Constant abuse from passengers over late running as if you do it deliberatley (They mustn't realise if I am late it means I miss out on part of my break or end up going home to my family late). Also I should always have change apparantly, despite one note at the first stop wiping me out for the shift. Then there are pram wars - 2 pram policy, one must move for a wheelchair user, if you say you have no space you get "can't it just go there", etc etc. I feel a lot of the public think we do things just to be arsey, when infact we just have to be careful over everything we do as one wrong decision gets you in for tea and biscuits.

Our company has 'coverts' riding around on our buses, watching the drivers every move then straight on the blower to management when they get off. They monitor driving and will phone up if you miss a mirror check or whatever, and you'll end up doing a day in the driving school. Not sure how they can properly observe you sitting half way down the bus, especially when you dont need to move your head to look at mirrors, most people only make it obvious when on a test! Of course they have to justify their existance so will make up issues that arn't there.

Interesting one a few years back, a driver had a covert on her bus who said she didn't check any mirrors, awful drive etc. She got suspended. Then a report came in from another covert, who was on the same trip (didn't know the other covert who was on at the same time!) and said it was a faultless drive! Nothing more was said..

I worked on permanant late shifts for a few years, much better than working in the day. Quiet roads, quiet bus, i get much more abuse in the day time and there is just enough running time. Always time for a break at the end of the route.

I have had to deal with 2 medical emergencies in my time driving, of course you get no "well done" or anything off management. Also as mentioned in other posts, it is a waste of time reporting abuse, as previously said, nobody cares. I have been threatened a number of times, I usually just give a blank stare. "Come on then big man", or "I'd love to see you try" always seems to stop people in their tracks, they don't know how to respond to that. Pick up the radio handset as you say it and they soon run.

I don't bother with passes etc, we have QR codes on our tickets which must be scanned, but quite frankly I dont care if they have a ticket or not, they don't want us to challenge so I dont. I used to for the fun of it but lately I just drive the bus. I always say hello etc to people as they board and have had a number of comments on how I am "always nice and smartly dressed". I don't do it for the company, but rather like to take pride in my own appearance, and don't want to come across as miserable.

Anybody interested in going bus driving? Like I have said to a few people, don't bother.

 

[CN04NRJ]

I've been driving buses for nearly 6 years now, a job I loved when I started but now dislike a lot. Here is my view on the job.

Every few months when the timetables change, more minutes pinched left right and centre to cut costs, layover / recovery time at the terminus reduced to 5minutes or less most of the time meaning you run late all day with no chance to get out and stretch your legs. Most routes have the bare minimum running time it takes to get from A to B without factoring in having to stop at bus stops or traffic lights, or congestion. No extra running time on 80% of trips in peak hour, I regularly finish my shift over 20minutes late which is fantastic when you are already doing a 10hour turn.

If I am late I do not rush, I drive how they want me to drive, then phone up for an adjustment if needed. Usually get told to carry on regardless, even if over 30 mins late.

After driving for 5 hours with no toilet break as mentioned, meal breaks are on average 40mins in my depot, regularly reduced to 30mins if you come in late. If less than that they make you have the minimum 30mins and just take over the next bus late, which just adds to the lack of running time issues.

Management are mostly graduates, most of which do not have a bus license and those who do have never driven one in service. A real case of "I have never done your job but my book says you're doing it wrong"

No interest in maintaining the buses properly again to cut costs - most of them running around in derate mode with clogged emission filters but no interest in fixing them. Book a bus off with a fault, goes straight back out with somebody else. We have a number of Volvo Hybrid buses, the batteries are on their last legs, so when it comes to hills they're dangerously slow but they won't fork out for new batteries.

Some buses fitted with 'econospeed' to save fuel, which decides how much throttle you should have - ie pull out at a busy roundabout in the best possible gap with foot on the floor but it might only give you 20% throttle which is quite dangerous I think.

I see some mixed comments regarding this previously in the thread, but regarding assault screens. Most of ours are adjustable, so you can have them up / down as you please. I prefer to have it open as its very difficult to hear people asking things over the rattling. The company has now rivetted them all closed which the union and drivers including myself arn't pleased about as they feel you should have the choice - theyre easy enough to shut if somebody starts on you, squeeze the catch and it drops instantly.

Driver is always wrong - avoid a potential nasty crash and you're in the wrong, have a nasty crash and you're in the wrong. Customer complaints, again always in the wrong, should have done this, that, etc.

Constant abuse from passengers over late running as if you do it deliberatley (They mustn't realise if I am late it means I miss out on part of my break or end up going home to my family late). Also I should always have change apparantly, despite one note at the first stop wiping me out for the shift. Then there are pram wars - 2 pram policy, one must move for a wheelchair user, if you say you have no space you get "can't it just go there", etc etc. I feel a lot of the public think we do things just to be arsey, when infact we just have to be careful over everything we do as one wrong decision gets you in for tea and biscuits.

Our company has 'coverts' riding around on our buses, watching the drivers every move then straight on the blower to management when they get off. They monitor driving and will phone up if you miss a mirror check or whatever, and you'll end up doing a day in the driving school. Not sure how they can properly observe you sitting half way down the bus, especially when you dont need to move your head to look at mirrors, most people only make it obvious when on a test! Of course they have to justify their existance so will make up issues that arn't there.

Interesting one a few years back, a driver had a covert on her bus who said she didn't check any mirrors, awful drive etc. She got suspended. Then a report came in from another covert, who was on the same trip (didn't know the other covert who was on at the same time!) and said it was a faultless drive! Nothing more was said..

I worked on permanant late shifts for a few years, much better than working in the day. Quiet roads, quiet bus, i get much more abuse in the day time and there is just enough running time. Always time for a break at the end of the route.

I have had to deal with 2 medical emergencies in my time driving, of course you get no "well done" or anything off management. Also as mentioned in other posts, it is a waste of time reporting abuse, as previously said, nobody cares. I have been threatened a number of times, I usually just give a blank stare. "Come on then big man", or "I'd love to see you try" always seems to stop people in their tracks, they don't know how to respond to that. Pick up the radio handset as you say it and they soon run.

I don't bother with passes etc, we have QR codes on our tickets which must be scanned, but quite frankly I dont care if they have a ticket or not, they don't want us to challenge so I dont. I used to for the fun of it but lately I just drive the bus. I always say hello etc to people as they board and have had a number of comments on how I am "always nice and smartly dressed". I don't do it for the company, but rather like to take pride in my own appearance, and don't want to come across as miserable.

Anybody interested in going bus driving? Like I have said to a few people, don't bother.

I've been doing it for 10 years since I was 19 and if my place was like that I'd be long gone!!

Here as long as you don't cause the supervisors/management any issues and keep your head down they'll leave you alone to do the job. If I had to worry about mystery shoppers all the time I'd be a nervous wreck!

 

[notadriver]

I was spat on, company did nothing, I was even told I had to carry the person who had spat on me ( I never did mind!).
We had been asking for protection screens for years, company refused citing costs, driver ended up with permenant brain damage from a hammer attack during a robbery.
Massive shifts with minimum breaks, drivers booked for using the toilet ( i know I bang on about this, it appears to be coming a fixation) ,zero support from inspectors on the road or company in the office.
Poor money due to the race to the bottom since deregulation and privatisation.
Don't do any of the above.

There was a thread elsewhere I was reading on privatisation. Why has it been detrimental for bus drivers but good for train drivers ? It is said in the 70s both earnt a similar wage.

 

[Geordie driver]

There was a thread elsewhere I was reading on privatisation. Why has it been detrimental for bus drivers but good for train drivers ? It is said in the 70s both earnt a similar wage.

Metro and bus drivers round here were on the same money in 1985, I know a few metro drivers and in private they will admit it is a piece of cake compared to bus driving, much more money, for much less work. But you can't just import a load from Poland like they did with bus drivers, it's a more specialist role and the union retains a degree of power, not so on the buses.

I've been driving buses for nearly 6 years now, a job I loved when I started but now dislike a lot. Here is my view on the job.

Every few months when the timetables change, more minutes pinched left right and centre to cut costs, layover / recovery time at the terminus reduced to 5minutes or less most of the time meaning you run late all day with no chance to get out and stretch your legs. Most routes have the bare minimum running time it takes to get from A to B without factoring in having to stop at bus stops or traffic lights, or congestion. No extra running time on 80% of trips in peak hour, I regularly finish my shift over 20minutes late which is fantastic when you are already doing a 10hour turn.

If I am late I do not rush, I drive how they want me to drive, then phone up for an adjustment if needed. Usually get told to carry on regardless, even if over 30 mins late.

After driving for 5 hours with no toilet break as mentioned, meal breaks are on average 40mins in my depot, regularly reduced to 30mins if you come in late. If less than that they make you have the minimum 30mins and just take over the next bus late, which just adds to the lack of running time issues.

Management are mostly graduates, most of which do not have a bus license and those who do have never driven one in service. A real case of "I have never done your job but my book says you're doing it wrong"

No interest in maintaining the buses properly again to cut costs - most of them running around in derate mode with clogged emission filters but no interest in fixing them. Book a bus off with a fault, goes straight back out with somebody else. We have a number of Volvo Hybrid buses, the batteries are on their last legs, so when it comes to hills they're dangerously slow but they won't fork out for new batteries.

Some buses fitted with 'econospeed' to save fuel, which decides how much throttle you should have - ie pull out at a busy roundabout in the best possible gap with foot on the floor but it might only give you 20% throttle which is quite dangerous I think.

I see some mixed comments regarding this previously in the thread, but regarding assault screens. Most of ours are adjustable, so you can have them up / down as you please. I prefer to have it open as its very difficult to hear people asking things over the rattling. The company has now rivetted them all closed which the union and drivers including myself arn't pleased about as they feel you should have the choice - theyre easy enough to shut if somebody starts on you, squeeze the catch and it drops instantly.

Driver is always wrong - avoid a potential nasty crash and you're in the wrong, have a nasty crash and you're in the wrong. Customer complaints, again always in the wrong, should have done this, that, etc.

Constant abuse from passengers over late running as if you do it deliberatley (They mustn't realise if I am late it means I miss out on part of my break or end up going home to my family late). Also I should always have change apparantly, despite one note at the first stop wiping me out for the shift. Then there are pram wars - 2 pram policy, one must move for a wheelchair user, if you say you have no space you get "can't it just go there", etc etc. I feel a lot of the public think we do things just to be arsey, when infact we just have to be careful over everything we do as one wrong decision gets you in for tea and biscuits.

Our company has 'coverts' riding around on our buses, watching the drivers every move then straight on the blower to management when they get off. They monitor driving and will phone up if you miss a mirror check or whatever, and you'll end up doing a day in the driving school. Not sure how they can properly observe you sitting half way down the bus, especially when you dont need to move your head to look at mirrors, most people only make it obvious when on a test! Of course they have to justify their existance so will make up issues that arn't there.

Interesting one a few years back, a driver had a covert on her bus who said she didn't check any mirrors, awful drive etc. She got suspended. Then a report came in from another covert, who was on the same trip (didn't know the other covert who was on at the same time!) and said it was a faultless drive! Nothing more was said..

I worked on permanant late shifts for a few years, much better than working in the day. Quiet roads, quiet bus, i get much more abuse in the day time and there is just enough running time. Always time for a break at the end of the route.

I have had to deal with 2 medical emergencies in my time driving, of course you get no "well done" or anything off management. Also as mentioned in other posts, it is a waste of time reporting abuse, as previously said, nobody cares. I have been threatened a number of times, I usually just give a blank stare. "Come on then big man", or "I'd love to see you try" always seems to stop people in their tracks, they don't know how to respond to that. Pick up the radio handset as you say it and they soon run.

I don't bother with passes etc, we have QR codes on our tickets which must be scanned, but quite frankly I dont care if they have a ticket or not, they don't want us to challenge so I dont. I used to for the fun of it but lately I just drive the bus. I always say hello etc to people as they board and have had a number of comments on how I am "always nice and smartly dressed". I don't do it for the company, but rather like to take pride in my own appearance, and don't want to come across as miserable.

Anybody interested in going bus driving? Like I have said to a few people, don't bother.

Brilliant post that exactly mirrors my experience.

 

[Busaholic]

There was a thread elsewhere I was reading on privatisation. Why has it been detrimental for bus drivers but good for train drivers ? It is said in the 70s both earnt a similar wage.

Because bus privatisation was mostly done to smash the unions. All the nonsense about competition and myriad smaller units, then within months sometimes of the compulsory break-up of a larger company (e.g. Bristol, Midland Red, London Country) the parts would get reunited and individuals made a financial killing. The selling off of bus stations and depots/garages was another scandal. Rail privatisation was never going to break union power, as Thatcher probably knew so didn't attempt it - train drivers and signallers could never be taken out of dole queues and given a fasttrack week or two to learn the job, unlike potential bus drivers.

 

[High Dyke]

Bus drivers are grossly under renumerated for the challenge involved with their job

One of the reasons that I left the job... That and the stress it was causing.

 

[Geordie driver]

individuals made a financial killing. .

Indeed. A few managers bought the company I worked for and overnight became wealthy men. As far as I can see they were the only winners from privatisation. Staff, customers and the tax payer were the losers.

 

[ivanhoe]

I’ve got a lot of time for bus drivers. If you’re an Arriva Driver on the early evening 126, you’re probably doing 2, 3 hour round trips (with a break at Leicester). Leicester Rothley Quorn Loughborough Shepshed and Coalville. It’s an extremely responsible job, but generally is disrespected by a fair bit of the population. Yeah, there maybe one or two miserable beggars , but you get that in all walks of life.

 

[richw]

Bus driving is probably the least desirable pcv driving job with tour coaches on the opposite end of the scale. But I’m betting the bus drivers who get to drive out into the countryside on longer routes are much happier than city ones who do the same route repetitively.

Whilst I agree the job is harder than it looks in terms of concentration the fact still remains it is relatively easy and cheap to recruit and replace bus drivers.

A good percentage of my colleagues here at least are either enthusiasts or at least passionate about the job, a very small minority of grumpy old men who see it as just a job.

 

[Eyersey468]

I've been doing it for 10 years since I was 19 and if my place was like that I'd be long gone!!

Here as long as you don't cause the supervisors/management any issues and keep your head down they'll leave you alone to do the job. If I had to worry about mystery shoppers all the time I'd be a nervous wreck!

To be fair the company I work for is like that especially at the outer depots. Incidentally I was a similar age to CN04NRJ when I started