shocking

1. 20 October 2014 at 9:51am

Driver accused of ordering gay couple to leave his bus because they were kissing

Simon Harris ITV London Correspondent

The incident is alleged to have happened near Blackheath. Photo:Streetview

A bus driver is under investigation after a gay couple claimed they were the victims of homophobic abuse for sharing a kiss.
The driver is alleged to have told the couple: ‘Oi you two,don’t do that on my f****** bus.'
He is said to have ordered Jack James and his partner to get off the bus near Blackheath in south London.
The driver of the Number 89 bus has been identified and is expected to be questioned by his bosses when he returns from leave later today.
Mr James told the Evening Standard:

We were chatting away when my partner gave me a peck on the lips. The bus driver shouted ‘Oi you two don’t do that on my f****** bus or you can get off, I don’t want to watch that'. When the bus stopped at our stop I walked up to the driver and politely asked the driver if he was talking to us. His reply was ‘Yes, it’s my bus, it is my rules and I don’t want to watch that, it’s disgusting, get off the bus’. Once we got off the bus we were fuming and I was shaking. The bus stopped again and he shouted and told us we were not real men and we should f*** off.

– Jack James

Transport for London said it was examining CCTV footage from the bus:

All customers have the right to use our services without fear of being abused and offensive behaviour is completely unacceptable. We would like to reassure Mr James that this matter is being taken very seriously and that a thorough investigation is being conducted by Go Ahead.

– Ken Davidson, TfL’s Head of Bus Operations

Last updated Mon 20 Oct 2014