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Old 01-16-2009, 12:32 PM   #1 (permalink)
pantoandy
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Location: nottinghamshire home of robin hood men in tights
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religous ron refuses to drive bus the AA grumpy column

good evening and welcome to another AA grumpy column.
i was unsure wether to post this as religous news or bizzare news
but anyway here it is enjoy....


A CHURCHGOING bus driver refused to drive a bus bearing a poster reading ’There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and go and enjoy your life'.

Committed Christian Ron Heather went on strike for three days in protest at his bus company employers putting the controversial advertising slogan on the side of their vehicles.

There are 800 buses and 1,000 Tube posters nationwide which have adopted the adverts designed by writer Ariane Sherine to combat aggressive religious posters on public transport.

Ron’s company First Buses have plastered the slogan on 20 of their vehicles ferrying passengers around his route in Southampton, Hants.

Religious Ron, 62, who has worked for the company since 2004, said: “I had already heard about them in London and I was hoping they were not coming to Southampton because I did not want to have to make a stand.

"I was just about to board and there it was staring me in the face my first reaction was shock horror.

“I felt that I could not drive that bus, I told my managers and when they said they had not got another one I thought I better go home, so I did.
“I think it was the starkness of the advert that implied there was no God.”

Married Ron was called into a meeting with senior managers and agreed to go back into work providing they ensured he would only have to drive the buses if there were no others available.

A First spokeswoman said: “As a company we understand Mr Heather’s views regarding this atheist bus advert and we are doing what we can to accommodate his request not to drive the bus concerned.

“Mr Heather accepts though that he may need to drive one of these buses if no other vehicle is available for him.

“As an organisation we do not endorse any of the products or sentiments advertised on our buses.

"The content of this advert has been approved by the Advertising Standards Agency and therefore it is capable of being posted on static sites or anywhere else.

"We advise anyone who has an issue regarding the content of the advert to contact the ASA directly.”

AAG
WELL WE ALL HAVE OUR CROSS TO BEAR

Local Time: 09:48 PM
Local Date: 11-21-2009
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