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It is, in my humble opinion, one of the most endearing parts of New Zealand society.

You’re on the bus. You’re coming to your stop. The bus pulls over, the doors open. You tap your card. And, in a lilting sing-song voice, you say the magic words.

“Thank you driver!”

So ingrained is this ritual that NOT thanking the driver feels like a social faux pas on par with pushing your own grandmother off a diving-board.

It is, as we discuss on today’s podcast, an endearing facet of New Zealand culture – and it seems this small gesture really does have an impact.

A recent study which surveyed 77 bus drivers in the UK showed many of the drivers felt more valued and appreciated when passengers thanked them for a ride.

The numbers, though, paint a dispiriting picture: the researchers from the University of Sussex discovered that only 20% of passengers greeted their bus driver when boarding. Less than 10% said thank you when alighting.

These, of course, are stats that would be utterly unthinkable in the land of the long white cloud and polite farewells.

So, the researchers designed an experiment: on some buses in the London district of Hammersmith, signs were put up to encourage passengers to greet drivers when they boarded the bus, and say goodbye when they left.

And there was a difference: instead of 2 out of every 10 people acknowledging the driver, that number leapt to … 3 out of 10 people.

Pitiful.

So next time you’re on a bus and about to get off, I suggest offering an even more full-throated farewell than usual, comfortable in the knowledge that you’re brightening someone’s day, and further developing one of New Zealand’s more loveable quirks in the process.

Newsable is Stuff’s daily news podcast, wrapping up what’s worth talking about in a short package every weekday morning. You can find new episodes and more detail on our stories here or in our newsletter. Make sure to like and follow us wherever you get your podcasts and across Instagram and TikTok.