Woman ordered off bus after passenger complained she may have swine flu
21-year-old Annamarie Tull from Maidenhead, Berks was kicked off a bus last week after coughing. Ms Tull was ordered off the bus by the driver after her coughing was seen as a potential sign that she was infected with the H1N1 Virus more commonly known as Swine Flu.
It is believed that Ms Tull was removed from the bus after a fellow passenger complained to the driver after hearing the coughing. The 21-year-old explained that she had been suffering from a cold for 3 weeks but strongly denied that she had swine flu.
After being made to leave the bus just minutes after boarding, Ms Tull was even refused a refund for the £2.75 fare which she had just paid.
Ms Tull, who admitted to feeling unwell at the time, was then forced to pay for a taxi after being left stranded by the bus. She was left upset and disappointed in the conduct of the other passengers and the driver on the bus as she explained: “If someone has a cold you try to help them out, not point at them. My chest was hurting and I was just hoping to get home and sit down.”
A spokeswoman for Courtney Coaches said that as regards to the refund, the bus driver would have been unable to issue Ms Tull with any money as all cash in kept in a sealed container which the driver does not have access to. The spokeswoman added that she had yet to speak to the driver so was not fully aware of the circumstances, however she did highlight the fact that “there is a pandemic” and that “we need to take precautions.”