US expat living in Sydney ‘loves’ the ‘uniquely Australian’ habit of thanking the driver when they get off the bus

An American living in Sydney noticed something very ‘unique’ that Australians do on public transport.

Brooke Laven was surprised to hear that people greet and thank bus drivers when getting on and off the bus.

She said the polite habit was ‘uniquely Australian’ as she had been all over the world and never noticed anyone else doing the same thing.

“There’s this thing that Australians do and I absolutely love it and it’s changed how I ride public transport,” Brooke said in a TikTok clip.

“How to get on a bus in Australia: always say hello to the bus driver and when you get off, make sure you always say a big thank you.”

American expat Brooke Laven (pictured) who lives in Sydney said she likes the ‘uniquely Australian’ custom of thanking the bus driver at the end of your journey

Brooke filmed herself politely shouting ‘thank you’ to her driver as she exited the back door at her stop.

Her clip has been viewed more than half a million times and the comments were filled with Aussies shocked that this wasn’t a regular practice in other countries.

‘Wait but these are basic manners? You tell me in other countries, you don’t say thank you to the person who drove you safely to your place,” one viewer replied.

“It blows my mind that people don’t do this in other countries,” agreed a second.

“It’s just common decency and it’s mind boggling to think such basic manners are unusual for some people!” a third added.

Australians listed more places where it’s common to use manners Down Under, including in cafes and shops.

‘Oh yes. You should also say ‘thank you’ after you’ve just walked around a quiet store without buying anything,’ someone pointed out.

‘You should always thank the bus driver, a barista and your flight attendant. It’s standard in Aus!’ said another.

‘You’re not a true Australian until you say ‘Good morning’ to everyone on the bike lane when you go for a walk!’ a third explained.