Bedhampton pensioner, 70, in tears after being 'humiliated' by Stagecoach bus driver

Susan Lane, 70, was boarding the number 23 bus leaving Park Parade in Leigh Park on Wednesday morning when she had to step back off the bus to allow two women with pushchairs to exit.

After Susan had got out of the way, the bus driver started shouting at her to move, she said, beginning an unprovoked verbal bombardment which continued as she made her way down the bus.

Feeling stressed and embarrassed, Susan said she said for the driver to ‘shut up’ which led to a stand-off where the Stagecoach worker demanded the pensioner got off the bus or she would not drive.

However, she continued on the journey and Susan exited on Barncroft Way to go to her home in Bedhampton.

‘I was quite upset by her shouting and abusing me, humiliating me in front of a bus-load of passengers,’ said Susan, who cannot walk far due to having fibromyalgia and suffering a stroke previously.

‘Because I can’t walk very far, I have to use public transport. It made me feel I don’t want to use it.

‘I was close to tears because of this aggressive behaviour. People shouldn’t be caused distress by someone’s aggression for no reason.’

Susan only leaves her house once a week, and cannot use her mobility scooter due to steps at her property, meaning she has no choice but to use the bus.

Stagecoach has apologised and assured Susan they are looking into the incident.

Susan, who wants to make sure it does not happen to someone else, said: ‘It reduced me to tears because I thought I don’t want to go out - why should people be made to feel like that?

‘There seems to be too much going on these days of people being aggressive. If you don’t say anything or do anything then these sort of things just carry on.’

A Stagecoach spokesman said: ‘We are aware of a reported incident on our number 23 service on Wednesday, February 26, and have launched a full internal investigation.

‘The safety and welfare of our passengers remains our number one priority.’