Re: Tram conductor nickname

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au>]

"Peter and Susan" <petanREMOVE@powerup.com.au> wrote in message
3af7aac4.3264015@news.powerup.com.au">news:3af7aac4.3264015@news.powerup.com.au...
> Hi Folks,
>
> Which cities called their tram conductors 'connies' and 'clippies'?
> Was the term gender specific?
>
> Thanks
> Peter

Don't think I've ever heard the name "clippie" applied in Australia - only
in the UK, and the term "connie" I think related to Melbourne rather than
Sydney.  Sydney conductors were known as troubs, short for troubador, as
they performed their delicate art of collecting fares on the footboards of
the old toastrack trams.

Troubs on the footboard cars were always male, females were only employed
when the corridor cars came in.  They weren't allowed to work footboard cars
at all, even during wartime when more were employed.

Regards

David Bennetts