The bizarre behaviour of a bus-driver who lost his cool in a Dublin traffic jam shocked a judge yesterday.
The President of the Circuit Court, Mr Justice Smyth, was told that Dublin Bus had been unable to offer any explanation for the driver, who went over the top only a few hundred yards from a city-centre terminus and left passengers screaming to be set free.
Mr John Quirke, counsel for a 14-year-old victim of the driver's traffic rage, told the court that the driver pulled his bus out of a long line of traffic in Amiens Street, drove some distance down the wrong side of the street and then cut into a one-way street against traffic.
"He drove erratically, and passengers became so worried they demanded he let them off," Mr Quirke said.
Among the passengers were Mrs Jane McGurk, her 10-year-old daughter, Danielle, and six-year-old son, Alex.
Mr Quirke said the driver eventually pulled into an undesignated area and allowed some of his worried passengers to disembark.
"Unfortunately Mrs McGurk's six-year-old son, Alex, was left stranded and deserted on the footpath as the driver suddenly closed the door and drove off again with Mrs McGurk and her daughter, Danielle, locked inside," Mr Quirke said.
The court heard that Danielle, terrified as to what might happen to her brother, had tried to kick open the bus doors while Mrs McGurk and other passengers screamed at the driver to stop and let them off.
Alex had run screaming after the bus for a distance of about 200 yards and at one stage had tried to stop it by running out in front of it. When the bus had stopped the extremely tearful, upset and traumatised family had been reunited.
Mr Quirke told the court that claims for compensation had been made against Dublin Bus by the three McGurks. He asked Judge Smyth to deal only with Danielle's claim yesterday.
Mr Quirke said Dublin Bus had conceded liability in the case and had offered Danielle €3,800 damages in settlement of her claim. He recommended that the court accept the offer.
Judge Smyth, approving the settlement, was told that a more substantial claim was being made on behalf of Alex and Mrs McGurk.
He said he found the circumstances of the incident "very strange" and asked if there had ever been any explanation forthcoming from Dublin Bus.
Mr Quirke said there had not but he believed the driver concerned had been dismissed as "unsuitable". The driver concerned should have driven along Amiens Street and into Talbot Street where all of his passengers would have alighted.