A bus ground to a halt for about 20 minutes with its doors locked, as a confrontation between a 33-year old dance instructor and a Caucasian man escalated to him allegedly threatening to break her nose and body-slamming her.
The incident, which played out on a double-decker SBS Transit bus service 14 along Mountbatten Road on Tuesday evening, was sparked when a Caucasian man took offence at the woman talking on her handphone with her daughter.
The victim, Ms Rachel Lim, told Lianhe Wanbao that she was seated on the right side of the upper deck and was informing her daughter that she would be taking another 30 minutes to reach home. However, before she could end the call, she heard someone shouting profanities and calling her a "slut."
Ms Lim told The Straits Times (ST) in a separate report that the Caucasian man, who was seated across the aisle with a female companion, also told her to "get lost" if she was going to be "noisy."
She then ended the phone call and told him she would lodge a police report against him for having used vulgarities. The man urged her to do so and she acted on his words, leaving her seat to head downstairs to tell the bus driver.
Upon receiving instructions from his head officer, the bus driver then pulled over and she called the police. The doors were locked and passengers requested to stay on board to assist with police investigations, according to the news reports.
Realising the bus had stopped, the Caucasian man came downstairs to demand the reason.
ST reported that he then became agitated when he found out she had called the police, and began to press the bell repeatedly even after being told the bus driver could not open the doors.
He attempted to prise open the doors, which prompted Lim to throw herself against the door. He then body-slammed her, pinning her to the side of the bus and in the process denting her spectacles.
The drama ended with the police arriving and taking statements from both parties.
The incident has been confirmed by a police spokesman, who added that both parties have been advised of their legal recourse.
Ms Lim has stated her determination to press charges, as she sees a need to "send a signal that we will not tolerate bullying on the bus," she told ST. yamadak@sph.com.sg
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