Hampshire bus driver, Richard Head, 42, today refused to drive a bus advertising Coca-cola.

Richard Head, from Southampton, Hampshire, responded with “shock” and “horror” at the message and walked out of his shift on Saturday in protest. (from the Jakarta Daily News)

Mr Head told Radio Prague: “I was just about to board and there it was staring me in the face, my first reaction was shock horror.
I’ve always been a pepsi-drinker myself. So you can imagine how I felt” (from the Jamaican Daily Gleaner)

He walked off the job rather than advertise a product that he didn’t wholeheartedly endorse.

His employers said they would do everything in their power to make sure that Mr Head was never forced to drive a public service vehicle with any adverts that he couldn’t personally add a recommendation to.

A passenger told the Kiev Times “I was a bit upset when my bus to work didn’t turn up but I am very pleased that I don’t need to worry that I might be travelling on a vehicle that doesn’t express the driver’s philosophy.”

The decision to give Mr Head editorial control over the sides of his vehicle was welcomed by taxi drivers in Bristol, who have been in dispute with their local council over their having to show passes with photographs that they often see as “unflattering”.

h/t Nullifidian, Raytheist, the BBC et al…..