A 23-year-old man in Ilion faced the harsh realities of public transportation yesterday when a bus driver forced him off the bus, hurling insults, simply because he had his cat with him.
The young man boarded the G12 bus line with a small carrier holding his cat, on his way to the veterinarian. However, shortly after taking his seat, he was confronted by an enraged man—presumably the driver—who started shouting at him to get off the bus or be thrown out.
According to the 23-year-old, who spoke to protothema.gr, the driver claimed it was against the rules to bring animals onto the bus.
“I boarded the bus in Ilion yesterday afternoon. I had barely sat down when the driver stopped in the middle of the road, and a man came up to me, shouting, ‘Get up now or I’ll kick you out! I’m not a postman to carry both you and that thing!'” the young man recounted, describing the fear he felt from the driver’s aggressive threats.
“He then told me, ‘Cut the attitude, or I’ll throw you out!’ while his face was inches away from mine.”
The young man tried to explain to the driver that there was a law allowing pets on public transportation if they were in carriers with specific dimensions. “I’ve been carrying my cat in this carrier for two years in Athens, and no one ever had a problem,” he said, adding that the driver seemed aware of the law but simply had an issue with animals.
None of the other passengers spoke up during the incident, though the bus was full. Eventually, the young man was forced to get off and take a taxi to the veterinarian.
Despite being shaken by the event, the young man managed to take photos of the bus’s license plates and filed an official complaint with OASA, seeking the driver’s identification.
On the other hand, the bus driver reportedly claims that he asked the young man to disembark because the cat was being transported in a backpack rather than a proper carrier, as specified by the OASA regulations.
According to OASA’s Passenger Charter, pets are allowed on public transport only if they are in secure, closed carriers measuring 70x40x50cm.
In response to inquiries from protothema.gr, OASA stated that should the 23-year-old proceed with an official complaint, disciplinary action will be taken against the driver.
