Sounds like this bus driver just had enough.
A bus driver had a “spectacular meltdown” and locked a passenger on board his vehicle before taking him on an erratic, high-speed journey through the streets of Great Harwood.
Joseph Lindsay had gone to board a service in Whalley on the evening of February 1 last year with the intention of travelling to Clayton-le-Moors, but as he tried to scan his ticket it became clear there was an issue with the technology.
Prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, Peter Barr said Mr Lindsay offered to buy a new ticket, but bus driver, Edward Hamilton, 56, then became very agitated.
He said: “Hamilton started banging on the glass and shouting ‘comprende, comprende, I am not a mind reader’, at Mr Lindsay, who said the driver wasn’t listening to a word he was saying.
“Hamilton then got up, took his belongings and got off the bus, turned the lights off and left Mr Lindsay there.
“Around 10 minutes later, the defendant returned to his bus and accused Mr Lindsay of just wanting a free ride, before getting into the driver’s seat and setting off, driving insanely, swerving from lane to lane.
“He drove from Whalley to Great Harwood and went round a roundabout six times, slammed on the brakes at lights heading towards Aldi, and drove in the wrong direction for the route he was supposed to be on.”
Mr Barr said Hamilton, from Church, was shouting at his terrified passenger saying, “I will keep you guessing, you are a dead man”.
Scared, Mr Lindsay made a number of 999 calls, explaining frantically to the police what was happening.
Mr Barr said Hamilton then slammed on the brakes again before going around the roundabout once more and getting back onto the right route.
He went on: “The police managed to eventually bring the bus to a stop, but Mr Lindsay described Hamilton’s driving as ‘insane’ and ‘reckless’.
“He said the whole incident left him feeling anxious to travel on that bus route again and he had been forced to change jobs so he could use a different service.
“Hamilton accepted the charge of false imprisonment but was reluctant to accept a dangerous driving charge and eventually pleaded guilty to careless driving.”
In mitigation for Hamilton, James Heyworth said his client had been on a “slow journey to understand what had gone on here”.
He told the court: “It’s a spectacular meltdown by a late middle-aged man of previous good character.
“The argument about ticketing led to an extreme course of conduct somehow. It’s very much out of character.
“His loss of good character is a source of shame, and there’s since been an awakening of how his behaviour has caused upset to his victim.
“He’s someone who should have known better and it’s an appalling piece of loss of conduct by a quiet man.”
Sentencing Hamilton, 56, of Grimshaw Street, Church, Recorder Daniel Prowse said his response to the ticketing problem was “grossly inappropriate”.
He said: “The false imprisonment began when you set off on the bus with him unable to get off.
“The manner of your driving was unacceptable, it was erratic and you drove at high speed and broke heavily for no reason.
“Your victim phoned the police and it was only their intervention that caused this incident to end.
“You have lost much by virtue of this offending.”
Hamilton was sentenced to 19 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work and his licence was endorsed with nine points.
lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/n … d-journey/
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