'Why bully the bus driver?' Bus captain cries after confrontation with passenger in Taiwan

A bus driver in Taiwan broke down in tears following an altercation with a passenger aboard his vehicle, according to a Threads video uploaded by user Wjsscc._.830 last Friday (April 24).

The nearly two-minute video has since gone viral with over 3,500 likes and more than 960 shares as of Monday (April 27) afternoon.

In the video, a middle-aged woman can be seen arguing with the driver aboard bus service 38 in New Taipei City.

According to their conversation, she had tapped her card on the scanner but did not press the stop button, causing her to miss her stop.

She accused the driver of skipping her stop, to which the latter vehemently denied.

He explained the LED display did not light up, and he wouldn't be able to guess her intentions because she did not press the stop button.

However, the woman claimed that she did.

"Please don't bully the bus driver like this," the driver said, asking other passengers to press the stop button to prove the woman wrong.

When pressed, the LED display lights up and a bell rings.

"How is it?" The driver questioned the woman after showing how the bell worked. "You don't have to be so fierce!"

@asiaone A bus captain in Taiwan broke down inconsolably during a heated discussion with a female passenger over whether the bus bell was pressed, and whether he had missed her stop. #news #Taiwan #Bus #MentalHealth #Wellbeing ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

'The driver has heart problems'

As the two continued to shout at each other, the driver stopped the vehicle and got out of his seat.

"Please don't bully the bus driver, the bus driver has heart problems," the driver said, referring to himself in the third person.

The middle-aged woman then revealed that she has heart problems and had undergone surgery, prompting the driver to say he also needed surgery.

Ultimately admitting her mistake, the woman approached the driver to apologise.

However, the driver returned to his seat, slumped over the steering wheel, and broke down in tears.

"Why bully the bus driver?" He wailed, leaving the woman and other passengers stunned.

The video ends as the woman tries to console the driver, who continues to cry.

The bus operator's assistant manager, Gu Zhuolun (transliteration), shared with local media that the driver was immediately asked to return to the station to rest, TVBS reported.

He was also given two days off, with psychological counselling arranged for him.

When he returns to work, the bus operator's chairman will give the driver a bonus to encourage him, according to TVBS.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com