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Coach driver gets tattoo to celebrate favourite route

Leigh Boobyer,West of Englandand
Maddie Simpson,BBC Radio Gloucestershire
News imageBBC A man is showing a tattoo on his forearm which says "444. 4better. 4worse. 4ever". He is wearing a smart watch too, and a short sleeve shirt and high visibility jacket.BBC
Keith Allen jokingly said he got the tattoo after his divorce

A National Express coach driver loves the loop he travels so much, he has had the route number tattooed on his arm.

Keith Allen, from Brockworth near Gloucester, has "444. 4better. 4worse. 4ever." inked on his forearm as a tribute to the 444 service that travels from Gloucester to Heathrow Airport and London Victoria.

He has followed the same route since the coronavirus pandemic, but says: "I love it, absolutely love it. The thing is with me, everyday is different".

The 53-year-old has been a coach driver for about 30 years, travelling with various companies, and has been with National Express since 2010.

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Allen said he loves to make his passengers laugh and it was something he always wanted to do.

"When they're not happy you try to make them happy," he said.

"I've done tour work for many years, it's nice to make everybody laugh. That's what it's all about these days."

News imageA man is showing a tattoo on his forearm which says "444. 4better. 4worse. 4ever". He is wearing a smart watch too, and a short sleeve shirt and high visibility jacket. He is smiling and laughing joyfully at a camera. He is stood next to a large coach, which says 444 Gloucester on an electronic screen.
Allen does the route from Cheltenham to London most days

He jokingly told the BBC he got the tattoo "when his divorce came through", and that he may tattoo his other arm if another marriage ends.

"I tell my boss 'I'm going to be here for 20 years, get my gold Rolex and then I'm going to leave'.

"But I'll probably never leave. I love the job, as long as they'll have me."

ADHD diagnosis

Allen said he was also diagnosed with adult autism and ADHD last year as a 53-year-old, something he described as "brilliant".

He said: "School was a nightmare, I wish I never went to school.

"They told me different things like [I was] hyperactive, didn't know what ADHD was in those days. It's nice to put a label on something. I'm not crazy or stupid, I'm just me."

He left school with no qualifications, became a trainee chef before trying six other jobs. He then found his passion in driving passengers across the country and Europe.

"When you're single, it's the job to have," he added.

Mark Tucker, who regularly uses the 444 service which Keith drives, said he is "always accommodating, always happy and friendly and professional."

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