Bus passenger mauls driver over fare dispute in China
Police have detained a man in northwestern China for biting a bus driver on the face over a fare dispute.
The man had boarded the bus in Xian, Shaanxi province, with two friends on Wednesday afternoon, City Express reported on Thursday.
“All three men were drunk,” the bus driver, identified only by his surname Zhang, was quoted as saying.
When Zhang told them to buy a bus ticket each, the man, wearing a brown coat, walked up to the driver, according to the report.
“He started shouting and swearing at me. He kept berating me and berating me. There was nothing I could do but stop the bus,” the driver said. “But when I did, he started hitting me.”
The man repeatedly slapped Zhang on the face and hit other passengers who tried to stop him from attacking the driver, according to surveillance footage of the incident posted online.
Moments later, he leaned over and bit Zhang on the face.
Zhang did not try to retaliate during the attack, moving only to restrain the man when he tried to leave the bus, according to the footage.
Other passengers called the police, who took the man and his friends away for questioning.
Zhang’s face was bloodied from the attack and required hospital treatment.
