Man takes bus for joyride in Canada, turns down passenger with expired pass

By Jennifer Hauser, CNN

Atlanta (CNN) — Canadian police say a member of the public who took an Ontario transit bus for a joyride, with about 10 passengers still onboard, didn’t even leave “a ding.”

Police say the man, who drove the articulated bus along its route through the city, also carefully denied entry to a passenger looking to board with an expired bus pass.

“It’s comical but at the same time it’s serious. We’re thankful nobody was hurt,” Hamilton police spokesperson Trevor McKenna said, according to CNN affiliate CBC.

The joyride took place Tuesday night, after the real bus driver pulled into a terminal and got out to take a break.

A man then boarded the bus and drove away, making multiple stops for passengers to enter and exit, according a press release from the Hamilton police Wednesday.

McKenna said that at first passengers didn’t realize the man behind the wheel wasn’t actually a real bus driver, but when he started making wrong turns, they helped by giving him directions, CBC reports.

Hamilton police say they followed the bus, “mindful of the potential risk to public safety.” They worked with Hamilton Street Railway to access the bus’s GPS and kept their sirens off.

“We didn’t want to spook him,” McKenna said. “We didn’t want to make this a tragedy.”

After about 15 minutes, police were able to safely stop the bus and take the suspect into custody without any incident. No one was injured.

The suspect, who police are not naming, has no fixed address and has been charged with theft and possession over $5,000, obstructing police and driving while prohibited, according to the press release. He will appear in court to answer any charges.

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