Passenger confronts 'racist' man who kicked his feet on bus
It was unprovoked.
A passenger was kicked by another on a bus, resulting in a confrontation at a bus stop with the former calling the latter "racist".
Stomper Heiberg shared a video showing his feet being kicked by a man sitting behind him and what happened at the Pasir Panjang bus stop where both men alighted on June 3 at around 11.30pm.
Heiberg recounted: "While I was on my way home on a bus, an elderly man, roughly between the ages of 55 and 65, was seated behind me.
"Without any apparent reason, he persistently kicked me.
"I politely asked him to stop but he responded by saying, 'If you're not happy, go and sit somewhere else.'
"I retorted, 'You should find somewhere else to sit.'
"Unfortunately, he responded with offensive language, referring to me as a 'f***ing Bangladeshi'.
Heiberg informed the man that he was a Singaporean of Indian descent, not Bangladeshi.
Then he asked him to step off the bus so that they "could discuss the matter and come to a resolution".
"After we disembarked from the bus, I confronted the elderly man, inquiring about the reason behind his racist behavior.
"Shockingly, he threatened to summon his gang members to engage in a physical altercation with me.
"At that moment, he made a phone call and said, 'There's an Indian worker here using an IC and asking me to come down from the bus.'
Heiberg said the man told the individual on the other end of the call to contact the police.
Feeling suspicious of the man, he said, "Hey, you haven't called the police yourself but you're asking someone else to do it on your behalf."
"In response, he rudely instructed me to remain silent. However, determined to gather evidence and capture his face clearly, I cautiously brought my phone closer," said Heiberg.
"Regrettably, this action seemed to greatly upset him, and he reacted by unexpectedly striking my phone with his fist.
"As tensions escalated, the verbal exchange between us became increasingly heated. Realizing the gravity of the situation and concerned for my own safety, I made the decision to contact the police for immediate assistance."
In response to a Stomp query, police said: "On June 3 at 11.51pm, the police received a call for assistance along Pasir Panjang Road. The parties were advised accordingly. No further police assistance was required."
Heiberg said: "The primary motive behind sharing this incident is to emphasise the importance of individuals learning from their actions and understanding the consequences of their behavior.
"It is crucial for everyone to recognise that disturbing or harassing individuals from different cultural backgrounds or nationalities is not acceptable.
"By sharing this experience, it is my hope that the man involved in this incident will realise the impact of his actions and refrain from causing distress to foreigners in the future.
"It is essential to promote a society that values inclusivity, respect and understanding among individuals from diverse backgrounds."
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