Lisa Smith and her 19 month old son Oliver were taking refuge from the rain on a London bus, when the driver stopped and refused to continue on unless she disembarked. He was apparently incensed that her stroller was too large for the reserved section of the vehicle dedicated to strollers. Smith says that the driver jeered at her and refused to give his name when she challenged him. The bus was nearly empty, so Smith was in no danger of blocking anyone.
There has been no comment from Metroline, which operates the route, but Transport for London will look into the matter.
There is something about being in a position of authority that goes to people’s heads. Power corrupts, the old saying goes, and sadly it seems to be true. Where was the harm in letting Smith and her child remain on-board if no one is complaining? Where is the humanity? Has this driver forgotten that he is a public servant? Does he think he owns that bus? And even if he were merely sticking to the regulations governing behavior on the bus, there is absolutely no need for anger or mockery. I can easily see this turning into something more intense if Smith’s child contracts a cold or flu as a result of walking in the rain unnecessarily. People, please, regardless of where you may be in the social caste of America, let’s be kind to each other. We do not live in a vacuum, responsible only to ourselves. We should be able to get along at least as well as our children do on the playground. We’re adults; let’s behave as such.
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