A Vancouver tour bus driver hopes sharing video of a shocking road rage incident he encountered will shame that driver and others into better behaviour on the roads.
Mark, who asked that his last name not be used, says he’s seen a lot of eye-opening incidents in his professional driving career.
“I keep a dashcam rolling all times, because of crazy stuff like that that happens,” Mark told Global News.
WATCH: (Aired Feb. 21) Shocking road rage incident in Burnaby caught on camera
On June 14, he was cruising down West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver with about 12 visitors on board his bus, when he pulled over at a scheduled stop near Cambie Street to let passengers off.
Mark was sitting parked when the driver of a Honda CRV passed him and stopped for about 25 seconds up ahead, before reversing and attempting to parallel park in the partial space the tour bus was not occupying.
When the SUV would not fit, Mark’s dashcam recorded the driver getting out and spitting on the tour bus’ windshield.
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“I was literally doing nothing. I was sitting and I get spat at,” said Mark. “We all just kind of, including the tourists in the back of the bus, we’re all just kind of baffled at his behaviour.”
Mark says he and his passengers joked about the man who allegedly launched the saliva projectile — everyone on board on the bus can be heard laughing in the video.
But legal experts say the perpetrator could potentially face charges under the Criminal Code, the Motor Vehicle Act and municipal bylaws.
“The spitting driver could be charged with mischief under the Criminal Code,” said criminal lawyer Kyla Lee. “Mischief doesn’t just contemplate damaging property. It includes any type of interference with somebody’s enjoyment of their property.”
Lee says the alleged spitter also violated three separate sections of the Motor Vehicle Act for stopping his SUV in a way that blocked traffic.
Under the city of Vancouver’s health bylaw, spitting in any street or public place is an offence that could net you a fine of between $250 and $10,000 if convicted.
WATCH: (Aired Sept. 21, 2017) Another case of road rage is caught on camera in the Lower Mainland
Mark says he couldn’t be bothered to report the incident to Vancouver police, and used a squeegee to remove any DNA evidence from the windshield.
Instead, he posted the video on his YouTube channel, “A Day in the Life of a Tour Bus Driver.”
Mark hopes the video may prevent other drivers from getting overheated this summer, something Wallace Driving School owner Steve Wallace said is unfortunately all too common.
“It’s obviously hot weather now, were moving into summer. People lose their temper,” said Wallace. “They do foolish things and they don’t realize that dash cams and cameras are all over town.”
Wallace says Mark did the right thing, and he urges drivers to use common sense and retain self control when they find themselves caught in escalating road rage situations.
“At least the bus driver kept his cool. At least there was no reaction,” said Wallace.
Ironically, Mark says he was about to pull away from his stop when the SUV driver reversed his temper towards him.
“I thought Canadians were nice,” one of his passengers can be heard saying in the video after the incident.
“Not this guy, what an idiot,” Mark can be heard replying.
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