What do you people think: why are youngsters (or people) so violent
these days? Or is it because people know that Fights are not
seizable offences? Or simply that the Police can't or won't do
anything, hence the young attacker taunting bus driver to call the
Police?
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VENOM caught on VIDEO 1
Bus-stop bust-up He leaps back on bus, then...
ROW ERUPTS OVER PUSHING.
2 men argue on bus. Younger man alights but verbal spat continues
through opened door
ENRAGED, YOUNGER MAN JUMPS ON BUS.
He pushes older man to ground and kicks him relentlessly. Other
commuters try to stop attack
ATTACKER QUICKLY GETS OFF BUS.
Victim scrambles onto his feet, gives chase and both men exchange
vulgarities.
By Tan Mae Lynn
June 03, 2007
JUST like road bullies, there are bus bullies too.
SBS Transit, Singapore's largest bus operator, has noticed an
increase in violent incidents on its buses. And they appear to be
sparked off by seemingly innocuous events.
In a recent incident captured on video, a quarrel between a
youngster and a middle-aged man turned nasty on a crowded
bus.
Before anyone could intervene, the young guy attacked the latter,
even stomping on him at one point.
The man fell on his back as he tried to fend off the blows. The
youngster continued to kick him repeatedly.
The assailant then turned around and bolted. The man picked himself
up and followed his attacker out of the bus, but soon gave up the
chase.
The two men taunted each other with vulgarities from a
distance.
The presence of scores of passengers on the SBS Transit bus did not
deter the assailant. The video was taken by a commuter who posted
it on the Internet.
According to the witness, the incident happened on a No 23 bus,
outside Sim Lim Square, around 2.30pm on 10 Feb.
He claimed there had been some pushing and shoving inside the bus
before it stopped.
Last month, The New Paper on Sunday reported that a 17-year-old Hwa
Chong Institution student punched a bus captain in the face.
The driver had found the teen's girlfriend using an invalid card
and prevented him from leaving the bus.
37 REPORTED CASES SO FAR
In the first five months of this year, SBS Transit received 37
reports of quarrels, fights or assaults on its buses. Of these, 15
involved passengers assaulting bus captains.
Earlier this year, the company managed to track down a bully who
tried to sneak on board without paying, then punched the bus
captain when he was confronted. The bus captain suffered a bloody
nose.
Although the culprit fled, the entire incident was caught on
camera, SBS Transit spokesman Tammy Tan said.
She said: 'The aggressor's face was caught on the CCTV and
recently, he was spotted on board by another bus captain and the
police were alerted. They then detained the man.'
Ms Tan added that the company started tracking such cases at the
start of this year as it had noticed that violence on buses was
occurring more frequently.
SBS Transit is aware of the case captured on video. However, no
passenger had lodged a complaint.
In another recent case, a ticketing officer at the airport, who
wished to be known only as Mr Vel, 34, said he saw a student punch
a bus driver over a concession card which was apparently no longer
valid.
Mr Vel said: 'When the student started arguing with the driver,
some passengers did go forward and ask them to stop arguing. But
when the boy punched the driver, everybody got scared. Some people
started to get off and take another bus. I also got off the
bus.'
Those who take buses regularly say fights are rare. But it's not
unusual to see heated arguments on buses.
Madam E T Teo, 32, said: 'I've never seen a physical fight on a bus
before, but I've seen quite a few arguments.
'Usually, it's between the bus driver and passengers, students
mostly... because they either try to cheat on the fare or they are
suspected of using someone else's concession card.'
Madam Teo added that while some passengers just pay up or alight
immediately, others continue to argue with the driver. She said:
'When the driver asks to check their card, they stand there arguing
with the driver in an aggressive manner.'
And another video shows such an incident. (See Page 4).
But passengers are not the ones who always start the
arguments.
Mr Gary Juay, 31, said: 'I've seen drivers stop the bus to check on
(passengers') tickets, and he doesn't ask nicely.'
That, he felt, can
provoke the passenger.
Also, most people avoid getting into heated arguments because 'they
don't want to look bad in public'.
And commuters should be aware that CCTV cameras are fitted in 420
of SBS Transit's 2,700 buses.
Said its spokesman: 'All our buses are equipped with an automatic
vehicle despatch system where the bus captain can communicate with
the operations control centre, and seek assistance when
required.
'In an emergency situation, bus captains can also activate a
priority button allowing the operations control centre to listen in
on what is happening on board.
'Mobile traffic inspectors or patrol cars will be activated to the
scene, if necessary, to assist bus captains.'
And in some situations, like when the driver is assaulted, the
police are also alerted at the same time.