Driver stops bus and calls police when passenger eats sweet
Friday, January 4, 2002
A driver near Norwich stopped his bus and called police when a passenger put a sweet in his mouth.

Around 40 passengers were stuck as the driver refused to move until Tory councillor Russell Wright got off.

Driver Hugh Gage's bosses say he was within his rights to impose the no eating rule. The incident lasted 40 minutes.

Mr Gage saw Mr Wright, a member of Norfolk County Council, unwrapping a chocolate and ordered him not to put it in his mouth. He has the power to stop "behaviour likely to cause hindrance".

Mr Wright, 42, who was with his 12-year-old daughter, Frances, says: "The driver told us that we were not allowed to eat sweets on the bus. I asked him what harm it would do if I ate the chocolate that I had already unwrapped."

"He then said, 'If you eat it, you will have to get off.' I was so annoyed that I put the sweet in my mouth. I then called his bluff by saying he would have to call the police if he wanted me to leave the bus. I was amazed when he used his mobile telephone to call them."

Police arrived after half an hour and after 10 minutes' discussion Mr Wright and his daughter got off and waited an hour for the next bus.

Terry Comber, general manager of bus operators Sanders, told The Daily Telegraph: "The driver has the discretion to ask a passenger not to eat on the bus.He did so in this case because schoolchildren had earlier in the day stamped food on to the floor of the bus."

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