http://www.lep.co.uk/news/War-veteran-94-hurt-in.3373177.jp

A battle of Britain veteran was left bloodied and bruised when he was
manhandled off a bus by the driver, who has now quit.
Thomas Bleasdale, 94, fell flat on his face on the pavement after
being
marched off the Number 19 Preston Bus, just 100 yards from his
Deepdale
home.

Today, bus chiefs said the driver – who is believed to be in his 20s –
has now left the company.

The former RAF engineer said he was told he had to get off the bus on
Deepdale Road because the bus pass he wanted to use – which offers
elderly people discounted bus travel in Lancashire after 9.30am – was
not valid for another 40 minutes.

Mr Bleasdale, who also suffered a badly-bruised hand and sore knees in
the fracas, said: "I normally get on the bus into town about 10am and
it
has never been a problem, but I was going to catch another bus which
was
leaving the station at 9.25am, so I wanted to get there early.

"It does not say anything on the card about when you can travel and I
did not hear the driver say anything when I got on.

"Next thing he was lifting me out of my seat and getting me off the
bus.

"I remember I went flat out on the pavement, someone picked me up and
sat me down, but I cannot remember anything after that.

"What these young people do not realise is that if it was not for
older
people like me they would not be here today."

The pavement at the bus stop, outside Deepdale Infants School on
Deepdale Road, was still covered in the pensioner's blood a day after
the incident at 8.50am on Wednesday.

A Preston Bus spokesman confirmed that the driver had left the company
following the incident and said an investigation had shown there had
been an argument between Mr Bleasdale and the driver before he was
ejected.

-- 
Alasdair.

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:23:46 +0100, Alasdair 
wrote:


>The former RAF engineer said he was told he had to get off the bus on
>Deepdale Road because the bus pass he wanted to use – which offers
>elderly people discounted bus travel in Lancashire after 9.30am – was
>not valid for another 40 minutes.

Look out LEP not getting their facts right AGAIN if I am right this
guy would have a Preston bus pass which entitles oap's to travel for
free within the borough of Preston ONLY not all over Lancashire. LEP
are sods for not reporting things accurately which is why I never buy
an evening post .

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 23:01:59 GMT, mymail@hotmail.co.uk wrote:

>Look out LEP not getting their facts right AGAIN if I am right this
>guy would have a Preston bus pass which entitles oap's to travel for
>free within the borough of Preston ONLY not all over Lancashire. LEP
>are sods for not reporting things accurately which is why I never buy
>an evening post .

I thought the time of day was the issue, not the location.  Unless
Preston is a unitary authority, I should have thought the bus passes
would cover the whole of Lancashire.  Whatever the situation with the
pass, I don't think it was the bus driver's job to assault a
vulnerable passenger and forcibly eject him from the bus.  If this
driver was concerned about carrying a passenger without the proper
documentation and the passenger refused to leave the bus or pay his
fare, surely the correct procedure would be to call the
office/inspector and ask for instructions.

If this very old man were to die within a year and a day, the bus
driver could well find himself on a murder charge.

-- 
Alasdair.

On Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:52:49 +0100, Alasdair 
wrote:


>I thought the time of day was the issue, not the location.  Unless
>Preston is a unitary authority, I should have thought the bus passes
>would cover the whole of Lancashire.
No if you live within the Preston borough you get a free bus pass for
use on " Preston Bus" and any other services only within the borough
of Preston this was the case when Preston corporation transport was
running before it became Preston Bus. Now maybe like us who live
within any of Lancashire's council boroughs Preston oap's are now
issued with what is called a " NOW CARD" which gives free travel
within each individual council borough and a payment of 50p on each
individual service to go anywhere else .
You have raised an interesting point with me here Alasdair can
Preston's oap's travel outside of the borough or not using their pass
I do know for certain people who live in the London boroughs cant
although their passes allow them to travel on the tube and train for
free also.
However come the first of April 2008 we can travel the length and
breath of the UK for free on Stage carriage services.    
>  Whatever the situation with the
>pass, I don't think it was the bus driver's job to assault a
>vulnerable passenger and forcibly eject him from the bus.  If this
>driver was concerned about carrying a passenger without the proper
>documentation and the passenger refused to leave the bus or pay his
>fare, surely the correct procedure would be to call the
>office/inspector and ask for instructions.
>If this very old man were to die within a year and a day, the bus
>driver could well find himself on a murder charge.
Agreed but I think this guy was a right animal to even think of
throwing the old guy of his bus no matter what the reason , but this
is fairly typical of "Preston Bus" personnel a more scruffy uncouth
bunch I have yet to meet on the other hand Stagecoach and J Fishwicks
staff around here are always smart and polite .

Alasdair wrote:

> 
> I thought the time of day was the issue, not the location.  Unless
> Preston is a unitary authority, I should have thought the bus passes
> would cover the whole of Lancashire. 

Not necessarily - East Devon is not a unitary authority but East Devon 
passes are only valid with in the district, the exceptions being direct 
buses into Exeter Bus Station, and the H1&2 from the Exeter bus station 
to the Hospital (but not beyond).

On 14 Oct, 00:52, Alasdair  wrote:
> On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 23:01:59 GMT, mym...@hotmail.co.uk wrote:
> >Look out LEP not getting their facts right AGAIN if I am right this
> >guy would have a Preston bus pass which entitles oap's to travel for
> >free within the borough of Preston ONLY not all over Lancashire. LEP
> >are sods for not reporting things accurately which is why I never buy
> >an evening post .
>
> I thought the time of day was the issue, not the location.  Unless
> Preston is a unitary authority, I should have thought the bus passes
> would cover the whole of Lancashire.  Whatever the situation with the
> pass, I don't think it was the bus driver's job to assault a
> vulnerable passenger and forcibly eject him from the bus.  If this
> driver was concerned about carrying a passenger without the proper
> documentation and the passenger refused to leave the bus or pay his
> fare, surely the correct procedure would be to call the
> office/inspector and ask for instructions.
>
> If this very old man were to die within a year and a day, the bus
> driver could well find himself on a murder charge.
>
> --
> Alasdair.

Manslaughter Not murder

On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:09:45 -0700, DABrown.co.uk@gmail.com wrote:


>Manslaughter Not murder


Does it really matter murder or manslaughter the outcome will be the
same from our mamby pamby judiciary a slap on the wrist and a plea for
him not to do it again just like what happened in court today to the
five little bastards that stoned a 66 year old man to death for no
good reason .