What should have been a simple late night ride home for some Transport Board passengers turned out to be more than what they paid for.
An argument between the between a passenger and the Deacons Farm route bus driver delayed the midnight run and resulted in police intervention.
The altercation began at 12 a.m. on Tuesday when the driver of a bus withe the licence plate BM512 pulled into the Princess Alice Terminal.
The driver proceeded to spend a few minutes setting up the receipt dispenser as the passengers waited outside the bus. Two women were upset and lamented that the other buses were leaving but they were still not being allowed to board. One of the women, Cheryl Harris, said a similar delay occurred the night before with the same driver, who did not let them board while it was raining.
The driver then drove away for a few minutes, before returning at 12:10 a.m. and allowing the passengers to board.
Once everyone was aboard, the driver raced away from the station. The other woman, who declined to give her name, remained irate and continued to loudly complain about the driver. She said he was speeding and she accused him of possibly being a bus driver she had seen smoking marijuana. She said she would lodge an official complaint and she added: “I does get wunnah fired.”
The driver then stopped the bus and he told the passenger she was distracting him, to which she questioned how and repeated her complaints about his speeding.
The irritated driver then said: “I should’ve gone home. The midnight bus brek down and then I come get wunnah and wunnah carryin’ on so ungrateful.”
He then suggested that passengers would have to find another way home.
The upset passenger threatened to record his statements to which the driver replied: “You could record anything,” and then cursed.
The driver added: “Wunnah feel the that wunnah own people cause wunnah pay two dollars. Wunnah don’t own me.”
His comments upset other passengers who then told the driver he was in the wrong, chided him for his speeding and accused him of rudeness. One man said that the driver should have stayed home.
As the bus remained at a standstill, passengers complained they just wanted to get home. Harris disembarked and said: “I have to go for my child. I can’t bother with he.”
The driver then walked to a public telephone and made a phone call.
A short while later the driver returned to the bus and recommenced driving, albeit at a much slower pace.
The bus caught up with a briskly walking Harris and the other passengers pleaded with her to get back on the bus as it was not safe to be walking at that late hour. Harris re-embarked and the bus drove on, only to be stopped moments later by the police and their flashing lights.
The police enquired about the dispute and questioned the driver and passengers.
Harris, upset with the additional delay, disembarked once again and hurriedly walked off into the night.
The bus eventually continued along its route, again at a reduced speed.
The bus driver declined to comment on the incident.
