Passenger confronts bus driver for pausing at vacant bus stop
"Uncle bus driver has a timetable to follow. You in a rush? Then take taxi," said one commenter.
A video taken by a passenger of his confrontation with a bus driver for waiting at an unoccupied bus stop has drawn mixed reactions from netizens.
TikToker @user606173020298587 posted the video of himself walking up to the driver and asking him in Mandarin why he isn't driving off. The driver points to the Driver Display Unit and explains that he is way ahead of schedule.
The passenger insists that is the driver's problem and that everyone on the bus is being kept waiting because of him. He also threatens to complain to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) about the driver, who drives off soon after.
The passenger then returns to his seat, grumbling as he does so that the driver is "too much".
The bus is stationary for less than a minute of the 88-second video, which was posted on Oct 22. At press time, the video had garnered 103,600 views, 573 reactions and 297 comments.
Many netizens felt the driver was right to wait because he was early.
"Uncle bus driver has a timetable to follow. You in a rush? Then take taxi. LTA is the one controlling our bus timetable now," said a TikTok user.
"Drivers have their own challenges. If they don't stick to the schedule, they'll be disciplined by the company. They also face complaints from passengers about waiting at stops. Bus drivers have a tough job," commented another in Chinese.
Yet another had a suggestion for the passenger: "Leave home early. Then you won't be blaming the world and others every day, and not reflecting on yourself."
But there were also those who felt that it was not fair for passengers to be kept waiting.
"The bus driver said he stopped by the roadside because he was early, but they didn't realise that we workers are also in a hurry. I hope the bus company understands us workers who take the bus," said one user.
"Some passengers might be in a hurry... the bus driver stops and doesn't move when there's no passenger boarding or alighting doesn't make any sense!" said another.
Some felt the driver's method of keeping to the schedule was not giving the transport company accurate feedback on actual travel time.
"Bus captains have been getting away with this loophole. I hope LTA and the minister in charge of transport look into passengers' interest. I have encountered this before and it's definitely irritating," said one netizen.