An unnamed bus driver in Rome, Italy, took a mental health leave because of panic attacks. But to make a long story short, his boss didn’t approve of this piano man’s PTO plan.

The Cotral bus company grew suspicious of its driver. It went so far as to hire private detectives to follow him and report on how he was spending his rest time. The PIs reportedly caught him in a wine bar playing the piano and belting out his favorite tunes. So the bus company fired the Sinatra wannabe. But that’s not the end of his story.

The bus engine roar encore

Our hero took his show to the courtroom. The Supreme Court pointed out that he agreed to be at home recuperating during work hours, but the PIs had followed him to the bar after hours. Mic drop.

A lower court even admitted that singing “might have helped his recovery.” I’m dubbing it the crooner’s clause.

Mara Parpaglioni, the driver’s lawyer, said: “The judges said you cannot do something that will hinder your recovery while off sick, such as skiing while you have influenza or playing sport with a broken leg. Performing in a wine bar while under stress is however different.”

The wild part is that Rome seems to have a steering-wheel-to-jazz-hands pipeline. Another bus driver, named Ezio Capri, requested time off for abdominal cramps. Turns out he did a tour of various nightclubs to perform his impersonation of a famous singer. He also got fired, and judges gave him his job back once. But then he got caught stealing fares. Maybe he thought they were tipping him.

These guys need to team up to operate a Rome’s Got Talent bus they can drive while singing to tourists. The lounge lizard line.