Face of the Day

All Auckland bus driver Rajnish Trehan wanted was for an unruly passenger who refused to pay to stop shouting and show some respect to other public transport users.

But his request for some common decency was met first with the passenger saying, “This is my country, you are my servant”, and then with violence.

After his racially charged tirade, the man unleashed a vicious punch to Trehan’s face that left him requiring hospital treatment and urgent dental care for a dislodged tooth. [...]

Trehan said the man was the last of three passengers to board his bus in Great North Road, Avondale.

As is common, he did not tap his Auckland Transport HOP card to pay, Trehan said.

I said, ‘Mate, you need to tag on’.”

The man responded saying he was only going to New Lynn, just down the road. Trehan said he still needed to tag on.

He again refused to tag on and began shouting, Trehan said.

The driver relented, as Trehan said they are often forced to with unruly and unstable passengers. It’s not worth the trouble sometimes, he said.

Trehan said he told him he could go and have a seat [...]

The passenger responded by saying that Trehan should instead show him some respect “because this country is my country”.

“He told me that ‘this is my country, you are my servant’,” Trehan recalled.