A bus driver has been suspended after a passenger filmed him reading while driving.The West Midlands Travel driver steering with his elbows while holding a small boook. (BBC News - Bus driver filmed reading while driving in Birmingham).

Good on the passenger who filmed him. Maybe we need more people doing the sort of thing, filming mini-cab drivers who insist on using their mobile phones, without hands free kits, whilst carrying passengers. Too many 'public' service employees now feel that they do not 'have to make an effort' or are 'unaccountable' to their customers. We even had a private car hire taxi refuse to close his window in the pouring rain even though it was wetting the passengers in the back seat!

I certainly have a gripe with 'black cab' drivers in particular. Many just do not know that when I jump into their cab, the cab belongs to me for that short period. I expect the cab to be warm (in winter), clean and not smell like an armpit and I do not expect to be charged for the extra bag charge (20p) simply because I happen to have a small bag with me. If I do have a heavy suitcase or such, it will be nice if you could jump out of your damnseat and assist me getting it into the cab - I suspect the extra baggage charge would compensate you for that! The worst bit is that if you pick up the black cab from a taxi rank, you cannot refuse to jump into the first car in the queue even if it is dirty and smelly and the driver looks like an axe murderer.

Gripe over.

[First published on my NotTheNews blog on specified date]