Swedish Train Drivers Defy Shorts Ban by Wearing Skirts

Train drivers in Sweden have circumvented a ban on wearing shorts to work by wearing skirts instead.

When train company Arriva took over the Roslagsbanan line north of Stockholm in January, it issued a new dress code, making trousers compulsory for men and allowing women to wear skirts.

But seeking cooler attire in the stuffy carriages, where temperatures can reach 35 degrees, male drivers have taken to wearing skirts as well.

The company has offered no objections."Our thinking is that one should look decent and proper when representing Arriva and the present uniforms do that. If the man only wants [to wear] a skirt then that is OK," Arriva communications manager Tomas Hedenius told local newspaper Mitti.

"To tell them to do something else would be discrimination."

Driver Martin Akersten told the BBC: "We have always said that when summer comes, we will get some skirts and wear them. It's very warm weather here so we would like to wear shorts but if we can't then we have skirts for comfort".

"The passengers stare at us but so far no-one has said anything - well, not to me, anyway. And I don't mind as it's more about comfort," Akersten added.