That’s because bus driver Russell Chapman has been dressing up as the man in red for more than two-and-a-half decades, handing out lollies to all who take the bus.
It doesn’t matter if he is doing the school bus run or steering a charter bus, once the second week of December rolls around, Mr Chapman rolls out the suit.
“I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces,” he said.
“It gives me a good feeling, especially after COVID the last two years with a bit of gloom around, to put a smile on people’s faces.”
He started the escapades in 1995 after buying a Santa suit when picking up students from the airport, and decided to keep going ever since, missing just one year when he wasn’t working.
“When I first walked in with it, the old boss shook his head and walked off,” Mr Chapman said with a laugh.
While at first he bought the lollies himself, he was later introduced to someone higher up the chain at Nestle who supplied Mr Chapman with the lollies, free of charge, to help spread the Christmas cheer.
And after a hard day of being Santa, does Mr Chapman go home and put the big black shoes up? Not on your nellie.
Mr Chapman rolls on to his Harley-Davidson, itself covered in tinsel and reindeer antlers, and hits the streets again.
“I just love it,” Mr Chapman said.
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