Children who 'ambushed' bus driver with snowballs hunted (From The Argus)
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Children who 'ambushed' bus driver with snowballs hunted
7:00am Monday 21st January 2013 in News Exclusive By Anna Roberts, Crime reporter
Police are hunting a gang of children who “ambushed” a bus driver and pelted him with pre-prepared snowballs.
The youngsters, aged in their early teens, flagged the driver of the packed bus down at 8pm on Friday.
As it pulled over they got on and pelted the driver with balls which they had hidden away on their person.
Sources said the driver was temporarily deafened as he got snow in his ears.
He was so shaken he could not continue with his shift.
Inspector Lee Lyons, of Sussex Police, said officers wanted the three people responsible for tormenting the driver of the bus in London Road, St Leonards, to come forward.
Insp Lyons said: “The bus had a number of passengers on it and the bus driver was understandably very shaken.
“He was so shaken he did not feel able to continue his journey.
“It might seem like a joke but this man was driving a bus which had passengers on it in treacherous conditions.
“Jumping on and throwing snowballs at him was dangerous and that is why we are investigating it.
“It could have led to the bus going off the road.”
He said the force had received calls about snowball throwing.
A woman in Copthorne, near Crawley, contacted officers yesterday to report a group of teenage boys throwing snowballs at cars.
She said: “It is dangerous enough already.”
Comments(20)
monkeymoo
says...
7:36am Mon 21 Jan 13
I'm sure a responsible driver, would have pulled over where safe, and applied the handbrake, before they opened the doors to let passengers on or off. As we are always told by B&H buses...their drivers wait for passengers to sit down before pulling away (!)... So no danger of bus "leaving the road" as the kids threw the snowballs "as they got on".
Either way.... I'm sure what was meant as a bit of fun has gone a bit too far....Hope the bus driver can return to work without too much compensation / time off!!
worthingite
says...
8:03am Mon 21 Jan 13
Algeria Touchshriek
says...
8:59am Mon 21 Jan 13
I will be honest, I have had worse yet continued my shift at work.
Ihopenoonehasthisusername
says...
9:07am Mon 21 Jan 13
Algeria Touchshriek wrote:Are you a bus driver?
Whilst the kids involved were no doubt fatherless scum, did the bus driver really have to end his shift?
I will be honest, I have had worse yet continued my shift at work.
Sussex jim
says...
9:09am Mon 21 Jan 13
andyfm
says...
9:38am Mon 21 Jan 13
Sue the concil because there was snow available to make snowballs????
Pitviper
says...
11:04am Mon 21 Jan 13
Ihopenoonehasthisusername
says...
11:16am Mon 21 Jan 13
Pitviper wrote:The older buses don't have them.
I thought theere were shields of clear perspex to protect the drivers or have these been removed?
davenachfan
says...
11:32am Mon 21 Jan 13
Sussex jim wrote:Why would it be men who could deal with the situation? I am a woman and would like to think that I would have tried to do something, but it sounds like it happened very suddenly.
Where there not any MEN on this "packed" bus who could have dealt with the situation?
nocando
says...
12:37pm Mon 21 Jan 13
All sounds a bit feeble to me.
davenachfan
says...
12:49pm Mon 21 Jan 13
nocando wrote:It is what these youths did with the snowballs and the potential consequences of their actions on the bus driver and the passengers does mean the police should be involved. Maybe throwing soft snowballs at your mates in a safe place is fun. The young people who are throwing snowballs (maybe with stones in them) at windows in my area are not thinking of the consequences.
Are snowballs really a police matter? Will the driver be offered counselling?
All sounds a bit feeble to me.
vivelavive
says...
3:45pm Mon 21 Jan 13
vivelavive
says...
3:49pm Mon 21 Jan 13
davenachfan wrote:You're right, they probably aren't thinking about the consequences. Because they are children. Remember? That early part of every person's life when they learn about consequences and responsibility. We learn as we grow. We're talking about 13 year olds for crying out load. They were not trying to hurt anyone. Just having fun.
nocando wrote:It is what these youths did with the snowballs and the potential consequences of their actions on the bus driver and the passengers does mean the police should be involved. Maybe throwing soft snowballs at your mates in a safe place is fun. The young people who are throwing snowballs (maybe with stones in them) at windows in my area are not thinking of the consequences.
Are snowballs really a police matter? Will the driver be offered counselling?
All sounds a bit feeble to me.
davenachfan
says...
5:15pm Mon 21 Jan 13
I do understand about children and teenagers and their development. I would hope when they are caught, go to court that they plead guilty and spend some time at the Youth Offending Team.
charlie smirke
says...
5:37pm Mon 21 Jan 13
vivelavive wrote:Well we did throw snowballs as children but only at our friends. We would never have deliberately thrown them at drivers or vehicles as they seem to do these days.
I am sure the driver is embarassed that these kids have taken the micky out of him but this is no police matter. Just boys having a laugh. They didn't throw stones or bottles, it was snow! He needs to get over it and a few people on here need to get a sense of humour. We were all children once upon a time.
imnotpc
says...
6:38pm Mon 21 Jan 13
vivelavive
says...
6:44pm Mon 21 Jan 13
davenachfan wrote:I cannot believe you are serious! Court?! Bet life's a laugh a minute round you!
It says they are youths, which implies they are teenagers, rather than three year olds. They were out at 8pm apparently without adult supervision.
I do understand about children and teenagers and their development. I would hope when they are caught, go to court that they plead guilty and spend some time at the Youth Offending Team.
PorkBoat
says...
6:48pm Mon 21 Jan 13
PorkBoat
says...
6:56pm Mon 21 Jan 13
http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/news/article-
2265906/Careful-thro
w-snowballs-Firemen-
revenge-teenagers-gi
ving-drenching-power
-hose.html
george smith says...
7:06am Mon 21 Jan 13