An 8-year-old boy sleeping on a Yokohama municipal bus was left on the bus after the driver failed to inspect the vehicle after arriving at the last stop.
The incident occurred at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Fuji TV reported. The bus driver neglected to walk through the bus to see if all passengers had disembarked after the vehicle arrived at Hodogaya. He closed the door while an 8-year-old boy who had been traveling by himself was asleep at the back.
Approximately 45 minutes later, another employee noticed a boy waving from the bus window and opened the door for him.
The Yokohama City Transportation Bureau issued an apology and said it will strive to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
© Japan Today
9 Comments
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Disillusioned
Did they take the kid home too?
smithinjapan
Lazy driver. Hard to believe you'd miss this even by accident.
clamenza
8 years old is too young to be traveling alone on a bus. I don’t care what the crime rate is in Japan, that’s neglect
Wrembreck
NEVER let your child ride alone in the buses here, I have witnessed some horrible things. Other passengers will just look away and pretend nothing's going on.
DAaron
Kids of this age traveling alone by bus and train are as common a sight in Japan as there is and most people still keep an eye out for them, that is what makes this story newsworthy. Undoubtedly the bus company rushed this little guy to where he needed to be when he was discovered.
Tommy Jones
Wren: Did you intervene?
Wrembreck
@Tommy Yes I did, I'm a teacher so its instinctive to step in and protect children from harm. Bus drivers won't do anything either.
Tommy Jones
Wrem: Good for you. I never hesitate to step in when a bully is going about their business.