The Bus Driver Test

In today's Newspaper was a fascinating article by Ross Gittins economics editor about a University of Queensland study. Here is a snippet:

...in which trained ''testers'' of different ethnic appearance got on buses in Brisbane, discovered their travel card wouldn't work, but then asked the driver to let them to make the trip anyway.

Various testers did this more than 1500 times. Overall, the driver agreed in almost two-thirds of cases.

But whereas the success rate for testers of white appearance was 72 per cent, for testers of black appearance it was just 36 per cent.

Testers of Indian appearance were let on 51 per cent of the time, whereas those of Chinese, Japanese or Malaysian appearance were allowed to travel about as much as Caucasians were.

On average, bus drivers were 6 percentage points more likely to favour someone of the same race. Black drivers tended to be the most generous, accepting in 72 per cent of cases, compared with 54 per cent by Indian drivers and 64 per cent by Asian and white bus drivers.

The whole article is worth reading for its social and economic implications. Please read it all, it is very interesting.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/idea-of-a-fair-society-taken-for-a-ride-20130319-2gddf.html#ixzz2O25TY4NC

Re: The Bus Driver Test

I am surprised the drivers are given free rein to make partial decisions about who gets a free ride as a result of a non-functioning card, and it is questionable that a driver would not become suspect if "a cross The Board" mixture of ethnic beings in various types of indentifable attire turned up with non-functioning cards.
It dosen't take a survey to know that a male bus driver is more likely to give a free ride to a voluptuous young lady, than a grumy old git, likewise a smiling Asian may get away with it where a scowling Caucasian would not
It is more likely to be a person to person thing...........Probably.

Re: The Bus Driver Test

I think it's likely to be a mixture of all of those. But mostly depending on the mood and or, the disposition of the driver on any given day. I have come across some crabby bus drivers and my card is valid.

Re: The Bus Driver Test

On the subject of bus drivers, here in our valley our drivers are on the whole friendly and helpful. There is one however who always insists on seeing the actual photo on pensioners bus passes, (this is even when the person is obviously no longer in their prime), his reason? well we could have borrowed a 'real' pensioners card and be trying to get a free ride, and besides it is his 'job' to check. The ruddy annoying thing is he does not say a thing to all those young chavs with pushchairs as big as small cars, who park them in the pensioners seating area thus blocking all three seats!!