(11 May 2024, 9:50 pm)Chris 1 wrote I disagree with this sentiment. Any sort of community engagement can only be a positive in my eyes, it’s not just gricers that attend such events. In that respect I do feel it’s a bit of a missed opportunity in so much that operators don’t attend in a more official capacity.
Over the years, my kids’ school has had the police, fire brigade and mountain rescue all rock up at end of term events and the kids lap it up. Bit of education, blast the siren on a police car, try on a fireman’s helmet etc. Even now, my youngest still waves at a police car.
No arguments about community engagement but this just isn't a good place imo.
Places like schools, the Santa bus, bus launches with activities for the kids (Arriva Max Robot for example), basically anything involving kids really etc are all good stuff. Charity stuff is always a winner aswell but it's something you see very little of really.
Bus rallies, to me, just seem a poor choice. I'd be creating a wedge between the gricers at any opportunity as there's some who seem to live in a parallel universe who think it's fine to walk in depots etc to take a photo. They're pretty much just a nuisance.
Might sound a bit harsh, but when anything like this happens it always seems to involve GNE and not the other two and that imo is because they created a 'bond' with them.