Some Aussie landmarks are famous for their beauty. Others are famous because they turn up on a Saturday night with a row of witches’ hats and a polite request to count to ten.
This mug gives the humble RBT bus the tourism campaign it never asked for. It’s a gentle laugh at one of the most recognisable sights on Australian roads, and a nod to the officers who spend their weekends standing beside it.
A booze bus mug in retro travel-poster style
The artwork borrows from 1950s travel posters: flat shapes, warm colours and a big headline. A white bus with a chequered stripe and an “RBT” roof sign is parked on a long straight highway at dusk. Behind it there’s a huge orange setting sun and a row of gum trees in soft blue-grey.
Across the top it says “Visit the Booze Bus”. Along the bottom, the tagline gives the game away: “Australia’s least-loved roadside attraction”. There are no real crests or state logos, so it works for officers anywhere in the country.
Who it’s for
It’s a natural fit for highway patrol and traffic officers, anyone who has worked a long night of random breath testing, and the crew who set up the cones in the rain. It also lands well with driving instructors and road safety folk.
Plenty of people buy it simply because it’s funny and very Australian. If someone in your life loves retro travel prints and a dry sense of humour, it’ll suit their desk or kitchen shelf.
A mug made for the long haul
The mug is white, glossy ceramic and holds 11oz (roughly 325mL) of whatever keeps you going. It’s a classic shape with a comfortable handle, sized for a proper drink rather than a polite sip.
We print every mug in Australia using sublimation, which bakes the design into the glaze so the colours stay strong. It handles the dishwasher without fading, and the microwave is fine too for reheating after a busy shift.
Why the travel poster style works
The mid-century look turns an everyday sight into something a bit nostalgic and a lot funnier. The sunset colours are warm and cheerful, which makes the joke land softly. It pokes fun at the situation, not at the people working it.
It’s the kind of design that starts a conversation. Expect stories about the longest queue anyone has ever seen at an RBT, or the driver who tried to argue with the breathalyser.
An Aussie roadside icon
Random breath testing has been part of Australian driving life for decades, and the bus has become a genuine piece of road culture. Most of us have a memory attached to it: the first time you got pulled over on a P plate, the slow crawl through a holiday weekend checkpoint, or the cheerful “have a good night” as you drove away.
For the officers running it, the bus means long hours on the roadside in every kind of weather, thousands of identical conversations and the occasional story that gets retold for years. It’s repetitive, important work, and it’s nice to see it treated with a bit of affection for a change.
That mix of familiarity and good humour is what makes this design work as a gift. It’s recognisably Australian, it doesn’t need explaining, and it lets the person who receives it laugh at a part of the job that rarely gets any glamour.
More mugs for the force
Shopping for a squad or a station? Have a look through our full collection of police mugs, where you’ll find retro, cute and watercolour designs side by side. Mixing styles means everyone gets one that feels like theirs.
Whether they work the bus or have simply blown into the tube more than once, this one’s a souvenir from a destination every Australian knows.
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