A NATIONAL survey has identified workers most likely to be churlish or cheerful. DUncan Turner investigates Newport's results...and why our workers don't agree with them

Board a bus in Newport and you're more likely to be met with a scowl than a smile. At least that's what a new survey - which puts the city's bus drivers at the top of Newport's grumpy workers poll - is claiming.

And it's not just bus drivers who fare badly in the poll - taxi drivers, and call centre staff all come in for criticism.

The findings come from a telephone survey of 1,000 Newport adults, commissioned by The One, a division of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

But the accused grumps were dismayed to learn of the poll's findings. "We are all lovely, wonderful, friendly people," insisted bus driver Sheila Watkins. "It's true that it's a stressful job, but I never take it out on my customers. There's very heavy traffic and there are stroppy teenagers and school kids to put up with, but I love my job - I would not do anything else."

Rob Biddle, of the Transport & General Workers & Union branch, said it wasn't surprising drivers got a little tetchy occasionally.

"We do our best to be cheerful, but we are only human at the end of the day," he said. "Horrible abuse and being spat at are very common - particularly from young people - and we also have objects thrown at the bus.

"All these little faults can build up to make things stressful for drivers." Cabbies and call centre staff are no happier at being labelled grumpy. Len Barrington, 64, has driven for Dragon Taxis for 12 years.

He said: "I think cabbies are polite 90 per cent of the time, though I may be biased." Keeping chirpy late at night and dealing with drunks can be tough, but Mr Barrington added: "The only way of keeping cheerful is remembering that you'll be off in an hour or two. If you are diplomatic and take care not to get off on the wrong foot, you won't have too many problems."

And Beverley Jones, a team leader at Lloyds TSB's call centre, told the Argus: "Your customer is your working day, so you put your customer first and you work hard to establish a rapport.

"It's all about listening to the customers and matching their needs."

PICTURED: Bus driver Sheila Watkins shows what she thinks about the grumpy tag.