The incident took place on the night of July 19, around 10 p.m., when a man identified as “B” boarded a city bus holding a disposable cup with a beverage. The driver, a man in his 50s identified as “ A”, stopped him, citing the city’s rule prohibiting drinks on buses.
Rather than leaving, B ignored the driver’s request, sat down, and refused to get off the bus. A parked the bus and called the police. While waiting for authorities, B reportedly approached the driver’s seat, hurled profanities, poked A in the eyes, and threatened him with the beverage cup.
“I’ve driven buses for 30 years, and I’ve had a few encounters with drunk passengers, but nothing like this,” A said in an interview with JTBC’s “Scandal Supervisor” on July 24.
A tried to de-escalate the situation verbally, warning the man he’d regret his actions. But things escalated further. According to A, “The man sat for a moment, then suddenly pulled down his pants and squatted right in front of me to defecate. I was speechless.”
Police arrived during the act and were visibly horrified. They confronted B, who remained uncooperative and even asked the officers for toilet paper. Witnesses claim he casually drank from his cup during the police questioning.
After police removed B, the driver had to return the bus to the garage and personally clean the mess. He was unable to continue service due to the trauma and is currently on leave, receiving psychiatric treatment.
A is scheduled to undergo victim investigation. Police are treating the case as an assault on a public transport operator, which carries enhanced legal penalties in South Korea.
The case echoes a similar incident in 2024 when a man in Daejeon urinated on a driver and assaulted him after smoking onboard. Although punishable by up to five years in prison, lenient sentences—such as suspended terms—remain common in such cases, raising concerns about inadequate protection for public transport workers.
Nate
You must be logged in to post a comment.