A video showing an unidentified man throwing insulting remarks at the driver of a bus in Whistler has caught the attention of BC Transit.
The nearly four-minute video originally published on the Whistler Summer 2016 Facebook page shows a man walking onto a bus and getting into a verbal exchange with the driver.
It is not clear what started the altercation, but at one point in the video the man can be heard saying, “I have a cigarette outside. I put it out and I get that.”
He says, “I was smoking outside the bus, not on the bus, and when I got on the bus, I threw out the cigarette. You’re harassing me and I’m simply trying to get downtown.”
The man can then be seen going toward the back of the bus and telling the driver, whose face can’t be seen, to not talk to him again and call the police instead.
He can then be heard telling the driver he needs to “understand who he works for.”
“You work for me. Understand that I am a customer,” he said.
It appears the man is a Whistler resident because, at one point in the video, he mentions that he owns a condo in Whistler and has never had a problem in 16 years of living there.
However, he also mentions TTC, the Toronto Transit Commission, prompting some online commenters to suggest he may be from out of town.
The exchange was filmed by another passenger on a rather empty bus. No one else got involved in the altercation.
The video has caused outrage on social media, with many suggesting the man’s behaviour was unacceptable.
John Barry with BC Transit told Global News the incident actually took place on the evening of June 18.
Barry says the bus operator handled the situation very professionally and reported it to Whistler Transit operations as it happened.
“The operator did not request any further assistance from operations, or local police, at the time as the passenger left the bus without further incident,” said Barry.
“BC Transit is always concerned with these types of passenger situations, but we are confident that our operators are well-trained to be able to deal with these types of difficult situations.”
Barry says the person who took the video didn’t formally follow up with Whistler Transit, but he is encouraging them to come forward and talk to BC Transit.
Sgt. Rob Knapton with Whistler RCMP says the matter was not reported to them by any of the people involved.
“We investigate all reports to determine if an offence has been committed so that appropriate action can be taken,” said Knapton. “If anyone involved wishes to, they can call us at 604-932-3044 to report the matter and provide a statement.”
WATCH: A disturbing confrontation on a bus in Whistler was caught on camera late night last week. John Hua has the details of the altercation and how people are reacting to the video on social media.
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