Singapore Bus Captain Chronicles working on TikTok
Rain or shine, pandemic or not, bus captains will drive in all circumstances to serve the public.
Although we mostly know bus captains behind the wheel, one of them is a regular at TikTok, delivering educational content to the masses.
Syaqif, 28 years old, with TikTok Achievements have earned him more than 17,500 subscribers, shares the struggle of being a bus captain, including navigating customer service, traffic jams and urgent nature calls.
At one point, following complaints, Syaqif felt he should stop publishing TikToks. But his fans rallied and even wrote to the MP. Eventually, the company gave in and allowed Syaqif to continue its videos.
MS News talks to the bus captain, who is known as “that TikTok bus driver” while on the job.
Becomes a bus captain after a career as a nurse
Seeing bus captains in their twenties is not a phenomenon that many of us are familiar with. But cases like Syaqif’s do exist – he’s been working there for 4 years now, having driven a total of 25 bus services.
He explained that the idea came almost on a whim. After quitting her job as a nurse due to lack of interest, Syaqif was looking for her next job when he stumbled across an SMRT Buses ad.
The demands were not difficult, he said. For aspiring bus captains, you will need a Class 3 license.
Many bus captains start off as bus enthusiasts, but Syaqif just wanted to try driving a large vehicle.
Besides driving, bus captains also perform a range of other duties, such as mentoring.
Syaqif is also the service representative for the 985 bus, which means that even if he does not drive the service, he is in charge of matters relating to the route. Captains also take regular service courses.
Documents the life of a bus captain on TikTok
Syaqif was introduced to TikTok by his brother about 2 years ago.
After entering the platform, he saw the opportunity to create something related to his field of activity, as not everyone fully understands what they are doing.
The passengers only know that we bring them from point A to their disembarkation point.
But Syaqif would educate people about various aspects of the job, including drive different models of bus, which enthusiasts particularly expect.
While you would expect a content creator to brainstorm ideas even outside of work, Syaqif says he doesn’t plan content too much.
@yourbuscapitaine Glad we drove most of the buses. Which service and bus do you prefer? Let me know in the comments! #SGBus # 67 # 983 # 190 # 972M # 985 # 927
♬ Posted too late and forgot to add OG music sorry – ishiniw
Whatever it does, it seems to work: post enough videos, and one of them might explode.
Complaints led to the temporary removal of videos
Fame has come at a price. While Syaqif is recognized in his work, a handful of people he describes as “hateful” have attempted to reduce its content through complaints.
Although the complaints have no basis, they eventually got to a point where Syaqif decided to delete her account because they were causing problems at work.
But fans began to write not only to his DMs TikTok, but also to his company and even to an MP.
Her supervisor therefore gave in and allowed her to continue documenting her professional career, although with some conditions that Syaqif was happy to accept.
@yourbuscapitaine Which of you sent my content to MP for feedback, ah? ?? #SGBus
After all, he hadn’t broken any rules.
Experience as an assisted nurse in current role
Although this was not captured on TikTok, Syaqif worked as a nurse. And his experience has come in handy in his work, such as providing first aid to an injured passenger.
He first heard a loud noise while driving, and when he looked in the rearview mirror, the passenger was on the ground, motionless.
I stopped the bus and went behind it, there was blood everywhere.
Syaqif immediately called the ambulance and broke the window containing the emergency first aid kit, which each bus has, before providing first aid.
While apologizing for the chaotic situation, Syaqif remained calm and managed the situation in a professional manner, earning him high praise on social media.
Image courtesy of Syaqif
Sometimes people get on his bus and ask, “Is this the TikTok driver?” While others, especially the older generation, may call him uncle.
@yourbuscapitaine Dear aunt, I am not an uncle. #SGBus # 190 # 67 #istillyyoung
If you’re reading this, please don’t call him uncle. He is still quite young!
A famous bus captain on TikTok who has a loyal fan base
However, some fame is not going to come to the head of Syaqif. He still focuses on his job as he celebrates his 5th anniversary as a bus captain.
Besides his viral fame on TikTok, his playful demeanor shone for MS News’ conversation with him.
Although being a bus captain on TikTok has his problems – being criticized for not arriving on time is common – he always remembers having fun between shifts.
Who would have thought that documenting your professional life for fun would have followers?
His loyal fan base has also helped keep his TikTok career intact. If you see him at work, rest assured that he will get you to your destination safely: he cannot TikToks while driving!
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Featured Image Adapted From TIC Tac.
