A Surry Hills resident recently had her Travel Ten pass confiscated after being bullied by a Sydney Bus revenue protection officer. Lorraine Gable was travelling to work on the 333 route from Hyde Park to Bondi Junction when a uniformed inspector requested she show her ticket. Lorraine had been to the shops that morning and boarded the bus one stop earlier than usual – not realising her blue Travel Ten didn’t cover the extra distance.
Lorraine saw the group of four officers upon entering the bus and was surprised when one of the men came down the isle towards her just as they passed Jersey Road.
The inspector held her ticket high above his head and asked loudly “Do you know what this is?” which gained the full attention of other passengers. The officer demanded Lorraine produce ID and started poking his finger into her hand bag, at one point even threatening to take her to the police station whilst the other officers looked on. The inspector issued Lorraine with a fine, but she insists he refused to return her Travel Ten pass (which still had six rides remaining on it).
Lorraine says she felt victimised and “completely humiliated by the officer’s performance”. She lodged an official complaint with the State Transit Authority and the penalty has since been withdrawn. The issue surrounding the refusal to return her Travel Ten is still pending investigation.
An STA Customer Service Representative advised the officer has been interviewed and denied keeping the pass. According to their fare tracking system someone has used the Travel Ten several times since the incident.
by Caroline Frith
