Thank You Mr. Bus Driver

Graham Lea

Thank You Mr. Bus Driver

I ride my bike to work through Sydney CBD and I wear a pollution mask. One day while I was stopped at some lights, a lady crossing the road in front of me stopped, stared at me, and then said, somewhat angrily, “we don’t need them here!”

Well, this photo is for her, and anyone else who thinks Sydney is a low-pollution city.
This is a filter from my mask that has seen about 6 months use. This stuff you can see is most probably a collection of diesel particulates – tiny chunks of burnt oil that are spat out by trucks and old buses. Breathing too many of these puppies is as good as smoking for the health of your airways.

The next time you see a bus accelerating off the lights, have a look at what’s coming out the back end of it and you’ll see why I keep a psycho-looking filter between exhaust pipes and my lungs.

Thank You Mr. Bus Driver belongs to the following groups:

Sydney
Thank You Mr. Bus Driver by Graham Lea
Thank You Mr. Bus Driver by Graham Lea
  • Matt Rhodes

    Matt Rhodes

    Wow smart idea to wear one of those. its amazing how much is actually picked up. Very surprising.

  • Graham Lea replied

    Thanks, Matt. It is surprising.
    I think, on average, Sydney’s air quality is quite good. Certainly the sea breezes help keep things pretty fresh. But being in the CBD at street level during peak hour, you’re obviously going to get pollution much, much higher than the average.

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