Posted on 28 Mar, 2009 09:31
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=530 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>SBS driver abuses power -- and scares poor 10-year-old girl
She was shouted at, had her EZ-link card confiscated, and was in such a panic that fellow passengers had to console her. Yet, an SBS bus captain was adamant in not returning her card, and only did so after a STOMPer told him off.
Just imagine how petrified the child must have been.
NA was appalled by the high-handed manner in which the bus captain had carried out his duties.
She told STOMP:
"My fiancé and I were on the way for dinner at a friend's place in Yung Sheng Road and boarded SBS number 98 at 1711 hrs.
"We noticed the bus captain approach a young girl (no older than 10 years old) sitting on the lower deck. We were a few metres away from her.
"He insisted on wanting to see her student concession EZ link card. Initially, we had thought that the child had forgotten to tap her fare. We found out that it was because the child had raised her leg towards the card reader nearer to the driver and he had taken it as an "insult".
"The child who was in school uniform, had her ez link card in her skirt pocket and did not take it out to tap when she boarded the bus. When the bus captain approached her, he not only demanded to see her child concession card but also threatened to call her school to complain of her behaviour.
"Reluctant and scared, the girl handed over her EZ link.She began to cry shortly after and passengers near her began to console.
"We thought it was unfair for the driver to, firstly, threaten the girl, secondly, confiscate her ez link and thirdly, embarrass a child in public. Although the child may have been rude to him, he still had no right to reprimand her.
"When we reached our stop which was also the girl's, the bus driver still refused to return her card, even after the girl (this time accompanied with a couple of Chinese ladies) said sorry. Most of the passengers were outraged that he had actually used his power as a bus captain to scare the little girl.
"By this time, I was also annoyed by his stubbornness and went in front to give him a piece of my mind. He finally relented and gave back the card to the child.
"After that, he even scolded the passengers. We even told him that all he had to do was to take down the girl's name, her school and lodge al complaint. But he, in turn, told us that we should do that to our own child, when we have them!
"Unfortunately, in our anger, we failed to take down the bus plate number or the bus captain's name. However, he is a Chinese male, in his late fifties, white hair and bespectacled."
STOMP is contacting SBS Transit.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=530 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>SBS driver abuses power -- and scares poor 10-year-old girl
She was shouted at, had her EZ-link card confiscated, and was in such a panic that fellow passengers had to console her. Yet, an SBS bus captain was adamant in not returning her card, and only did so after a STOMPer told him off.
Just imagine how petrified the child must have been.
NA was appalled by the high-handed manner in which the bus captain had carried out his duties.
She told STOMP:
"My fiancé and I were on the way for dinner at a friend's place in Yung Sheng Road and boarded SBS number 98 at 1711 hrs.
"We noticed the bus captain approach a young girl (no older than 10 years old) sitting on the lower deck. We were a few metres away from her.
"He insisted on wanting to see her student concession EZ link card. Initially, we had thought that the child had forgotten to tap her fare. We found out that it was because the child had raised her leg towards the card reader nearer to the driver and he had taken it as an "insult".
"The child who was in school uniform, had her ez link card in her skirt pocket and did not take it out to tap when she boarded the bus. When the bus captain approached her, he not only demanded to see her child concession card but also threatened to call her school to complain of her behaviour.
"Reluctant and scared, the girl handed over her EZ link.She began to cry shortly after and passengers near her began to console.
"We thought it was unfair for the driver to, firstly, threaten the girl, secondly, confiscate her ez link and thirdly, embarrass a child in public. Although the child may have been rude to him, he still had no right to reprimand her.
"When we reached our stop which was also the girl's, the bus driver still refused to return her card, even after the girl (this time accompanied with a couple of Chinese ladies) said sorry. Most of the passengers were outraged that he had actually used his power as a bus captain to scare the little girl.
"By this time, I was also annoyed by his stubbornness and went in front to give him a piece of my mind. He finally relented and gave back the card to the child.
"After that, he even scolded the passengers. We even told him that all he had to do was to take down the girl's name, her school and lodge al complaint. But he, in turn, told us that we should do that to our own child, when we have them!
"Unfortunately, in our anger, we failed to take down the bus plate number or the bus captain's name. However, he is a Chinese male, in his late fifties, white hair and bespectacled."
STOMP is contacting SBS Transit.
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