Passenger fury after London bus driver ‘banned from blowing bubbles’

Passengers have been left furious after an east London bus driver was reportedly banned from blowing bubbles from his cab window.

Ricki Reid drives the 106 bus between Finsbury Park and Whitechapel, and was asked by his employer, Go Ahead London, to stop blowing bubbles two months ago due to “safety concerns”.

The father-of-six said many passengers had complained to the company, leaving his managers “inundated with emails”.

“I think the passengers just want me to continue sharing the joy,” he told MyLondon.

Mr Reid began blowing bubbles from his bus cab several years ago and often did it while waiting at a bus stop. A black cab driver rolled down his window and told Mr Reid he had made his day, he said.

He then became known as the “bubble bus driver”, popular among the adults and children alike.

In one poignant example of how his bubbles have brought joy, Mr Reid said a father told him his daughter who has a terminal illness rides his bus. The father said his daughter rarely smiles, but she smiles when she talks about Mr Reid.

Following his bubble ban, Aldi’s Finsbury Park store appointed Mr Reid as their new ‘Ambassador of Joy’ in a volunteer role.

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: “Ricki is a real pillar of his local community and has brought so much joy to Londoners over the years, so what better way to celebrate him than by making him our Ambassador of Joy at a store he passes every day?

“We’re delighted to help keep the smiles – and bubbles – going, while also supporting the brilliant work of The Bubble Foundation and the families it helps.”

Aldi will also be making a charitable donation to The Bubble Foundation, which supports babies and children born with severe, life-threatening immune deficiencies, providing vital support to families when they need it most.

Go Ahead wouldn’t confirm the exact “safety considerations” that prompted the ban, MyLondon reported, but told the publication he remained a valued member of the team.