Bus driver in Ireland faces racial abuse regularly, called a ‘Tan’ and told ‘go home’

S

Sharpshooter

Midfield
A Bus Éireann driver has spoken out about the regular abuse she says she suffers while driving her route between Wexford and Dublin Airport.

Bernadette Doyle grew up in London. Her mother was from Wexford and Ms Doyle moved to Crossabeg in 2009. Having driven buses in the UK for a number of years, she began working with Bus Éireann and regularly covers the route to the airport, often travelling late at night.

“I was assaulted back in May and had a tooth knocked out. I was robbed in February. I’m subjected to racial abuse on a near-weekly basis and called a ‘Tan’ and told to ‘go home’,” she said.

Ms Doyle shared a video on social media, which has now been removed, of a man directing verbal abuse at her when he attempted to get on her Wexford-bound bus at about 12.30am on Thursday.

She said he refused to leave the bus when asked and held passengers up for about 35 minutes until gardaí were called.

Ms Doyle said that if were it not for the presence of a colleague, another driver who she was dropping back to Arklow, things could have been a lot worse.

She said gardaí arrived on the scene and arrested the man.

Ms Doyle said colleagues of hers were also subject to abuse at other times: “You wouldn’t actually believe the amount of abuse that drivers are subjected to.”
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www.irishtimes.com

Bus driver faces racial abuse regularly, called a ‘Tan’ and told ‘go home’

Man refused to leave the bus when asked and held passengers up for about 35 minutes
www.irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com

Really surprising when I hear these sort of stories, I've lived in Northern Ireland for 19 years with an English accent and never had any problems. I even finished school here in County Tyrone as a teenager and didn't get much bother. Northern Ireland has reputation for being a backward sh1thole that's "supposedly" towards too dangerous for English people to visit, whereas the ROI has been seen as the more civilised, sectarian free part of the island. Just shows you its not necessarily the case really.

Always a bit of a dilemma for us 2nd generation Irish who live in Ireland, we get called Brits in Ireland but paddies in England.

The wider aspect of this story which she is also alluding to is how much abuse bus drivers get from the public in general. I use public transport regularly but there really are some unsavoury types who frequent them. Some hairy moments using them at night time with a few drunks on board. Not sure its a job I would want.
 


jacko100 said:
This should be interesting …
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Its weird because she talks about getting racial abuse nearly every other week and I've lived here for 19 years and haven't got any. There's always a lot of hype around English people visiting Ireland/Scotland/Wales getting shit for being English, too dangerous etc, but I think I'm right in saying most English people who visit Ireland (or even live here) get no trouble whatsoever?
 
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Sharpshooter said:
www.irishtimes.com

Bus driver faces racial abuse regularly, called a ‘Tan’ and told ‘go home’

Man refused to leave the bus when asked and held passengers up for about 35 minutes
www.irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com

Really surprising when I hear these sort of stories, I've lived in Northern Ireland for 19 years with an English accent and never had any problems. I even finished school here in County Tyrone as a teenager and didn't get much bother. Northern Ireland has reputation for being a backward sh1thole that's "supposedly" towards too dangerous for English people to visit, whereas the ROI has been seen as the more civilised, sectarian free part of the island. Just shows you its not necessarily the case really.

Always a bit of a dilemma for us 2nd generation Irish who live in Ireland, we get called Brits in Ireland but paddies in England.

The wider aspect of this story which she is also alluding to is how much abuse bus drivers get from the public in general. I use public transport regularly but there really are some unsavoury types who frequent them. Some hairy moments using them at night time with a few drunks on board. Not sure its a job I would want.
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Tyrone is a backward hole there tbf.

I’ve had the misfortune of doing a few last minute shopping items in Strabane today.

either there’s a car rally on or the towns gypsies are having a parade.
 
mcq10 said:
Tyrone is a backward hole there tbf.

I’ve had the misfortune of doing a few last minute shopping items in Strabane today.

either there’s a car rally on or the towns gypsies are having a parade.
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Strabane's a shithole granted, the black spot of West Tyrone (along with Castlederg), but Omagh's nice (if a little lifeless) here you have the Ulster American folk park, Gortin glen, Sperrin mountains etc. Of course Fermanagh scenary wise would be superior but Tyrone has some nice spots too.
 
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Sharpshooter said:
Strabane's a shithole granted, the black spot of West Tyrone (along with Castlederg), but Omagh's nice (if a little lifeless) here you have the Ulster American folk park, Gortin glen, Sperrin mountains etc. Of course Fermanagh scenary wise would be superior but Tyrone has some nice spots too.
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I love castlederg. Only town I’ve been too when kicking out time resembles a medieval battle scene. :lol:

remember getting dragged out of the wrong takeaway once because of my surname. It’s mental :lol:
 
Sharpshooter said:
www.irishtimes.com

Bus driver faces racial abuse regularly, called a ‘Tan’ and told ‘go home’

Man refused to leave the bus when asked and held passengers up for about 35 minutes
www.irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com

Really surprising when I hear these sort of stories, I've lived in Northern Ireland for 19 years with an English accent and never had any problems. I even finished school here in County Tyrone as a teenager and didn't get much bother. Northern Ireland has reputation for being a backward sh1thole that's "supposedly" towards too dangerous for English people to visit, whereas the ROI has been seen as the more civilised, sectarian free part of the island. Just shows you its not necessarily the case really.

Always a bit of a dilemma for us 2nd generation Irish who live in Ireland, we get called Brits in Ireland but paddies in England.

The wider aspect of this story which she is also alluding to is how much abuse bus drivers get from the public in general. I use public transport regularly but there really are some unsavoury types who frequent them. Some hairy moments using them at night time with a few drunks on board. Not sure its a job I would want.
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Go home, brit.
 
mcq10 said:
I love castlederg. Only town I’ve been too when kicking out time resembles a medieval battle scene. :lol:

remember getting dragged out of the wrong takeaway once because of my surname. It’s mental :lol:
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Castlederg's unfortunately was a town badly affected by the troubles.

en.wikipedia.org

Castlederg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

A population of 3k people yet had 25 murders.

Used to have some kids from Castlederg at my school in Omagh. It was an integrated school, so it was inclusive with people from all different backgrounds. Remember these two boys from protestant backgrounds who would get with pretty much everyone, friends with catholics in the school etc, and when got home back to Castlederg they would head out and look for a random taig to beat up. Protestant and Catholic Castlederg kids got on with each in our school but when they got home they would regularly kick the shit out of each other.
 
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Sharpshooter said:
Castlederg's unfortunately was a town badly affected by the troubles.

en.wikipedia.org

Castlederg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

A population of 3k people yet had 25 murders.

Used to have some kids from Castlederg at my school in Omagh. It was an integrated school, so it was inclusive with people from all different backgrounds. Remember these two boys from protestant backgrounds who would get with pretty much everyone, friends with catholics in the school etc, and when got home back to Castlederg they would head out and look for a random taig to beat up. Protestant and Catholic Castlederg kids got on with each in our school but when they got home they would regularly kick the shit out of each other.
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Don’t need to tell me. I’ve cousins live there.

Newtown Stewart is another mental mixed town.
bernardbresslaw said:
The Irish are quite racist, from my experience.
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As long as you’re not from down the south England you’re generally fine. I’ve been in many a dodgy situation in towns like Derry and Strabane and when they find out you’re from the NE they love you :lol:
 
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mcq10 said:
Don’t need to tell me. I’ve cousins live there.

Newtown Stewart is another mental mixed town.

As long as you’re not from down the south England you’re generally fine. I’ve been in many a dodgy situation in towns like Derry and Strabane and when they find out you’re from the NE they love you :lol:
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I had no problem at all with them, I was there 6 months. But their racist comments shocked me, and that was from the Dublin lads I worked with - the Northern Ireland lads that came down were even worse.
 
I have lived in Northern Ireland (specifically County Derry) for 14 years and have never had hardly any bother from people. I find they are quite a lot like people from the NE, fairly easy going. Granted they are the trouble spots but at the moment you find them in any country these days. As @Norma Stitz has said it is a completely different pace of life over here, even, in my opinion, quality of life is better. The only abuse I have received is from where I work, as I work in a GP surgery myself and the girls I work with do get abuse from some patients, but they are a minority.

The majority of people I deal with like a bit of craic with me and can tell from my accent where I am originally from and usually like to try to wind me up in a fun way over how Sunderland are doing.
 

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