A Royal Mail employee is under investigation after being filmed directing a foul-mouthed tirade at a young disabled mother on a bus in Edinburgh.
Incident details
Jennifer Rain, 22, said she was left "terrified" when the uniformed worker confronted her after she boarded without her disability pass, which she had misplaced. Ms Rain, a chef, said the Lothian bus driver had allowed her to travel without charge on June 30, but the man began shouting at her moments later, triggering a distressing confrontation, according to the Daily Record.
She said: "I was getting the bus from Haymarket back to my home. I couldn't find my disability bus pass, I must have lost it. Thankfully, the bus driver was kind and let me on without it. As I was walking on, this guy at the front of the bus shouted, 'That's f***ing wrong'. He kept continuing on shouting at me."
Confrontation captured on video
Concerned the situation was worsening, Jennifer started recording the encounter on her phone. The distressing footage shows the man repeatedly swearing at her before insisting she stop filming. He shouts: "You're a f*****g idiot. If you've not got the money to pay for it, you get on with life. The bus driver has let you on without paying and that's wrong."
The man then shouts: "Put your f*****g phone down. Are you recording me?" As Jennifer confirms she is recording the incident, the man rises from his seat and walks towards her across the aisle. He then tells her: "Put your f*****g phone down. You've never had a slap in your life. You've had an easy life unlike other people. I'm telling you now, you're a c**t. Show me your phone and delete what you have."
Jennifer pleads: "No, leave me alone" before the man goes on: "You've never had a slap to the face in your life like other people."
Bus driver intervenes
The bus driver can then be heard intervening, shouting: "Buddy, cool your jets or you'll be getting off. I don't need this in the morning." Despite the intervention, the man continues his tirade before Jennifer explains: "I have a disability bus pass but I don't know where it is." He responds: "That's what people do nowadays, they take advantage of things. Keep your mouth shut now. I've paid for my bus fare and you have got on without even paying. I'm an angry old white Scottish man."
Impact on victim
Jennifer says she was left frozen with fear throughout the incident. She said: "I was so scared because of how aggressive he was that I brought my phone out to video him. All because a bus driver let me off with a £2 ticket. I was terrified and frozen to the seat in fear. In my mind I was begging, 'Please don't hit me'. It's the craziest thing that's ever happened to me."
She added: "I can't believe someone would target a disabled person all because they were let on the bus for free after a mistake. I have a two-year-old child. I'm just glad they weren't there to experience it. This needs to be taken seriously because we can't have someone dealing with the public on a regular basis being so threatening to someone with a disability."
Investigations underway
Jennifer revealed there were only four other passengers on board, and claims no one stepped in until another woman posted about the incident online. Both Police Scotland and Royal Mail are currently investigating the matter. Royal Mail confirmed that the employee's conduct falls "well below" the company's expected standards, as it acknowledged a formal investigation into the footage has been launched. A spokesperson commented: "We have seen the video and are taking this matter very seriously. The behaviour shown is unacceptable and falls well below the standards we expect from anyone representing Royal Mail. We are looking into the incident and will support Police Scotland with their investigation."
A Police Scotland spokesperson added: "Around 8.20am on Tuesday, 30 June, we received a report of abusive behaviour on a bus near Waverley in Edinburgh. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances."
