“I will not drive such a scum.” A Ukrainian refugee heard insults from a bus driver in Prague
Darya left her war-torn country on March 21. She first traveled to Budapest, where she changed to a train in Prague. She heard an offer from a friend from the Czech Republic, who had already offered free accommodation in the capital for a temporary period. In the meantime, the Ukrainian woman got a job in London, so she waited several weeks for the visa to be processed.
I will not carry such dirt. Go back to Ukraine, you scumbag.
Alleged insult to the bus driver
The incident occurred on March 28 around 5:40 p.m., when she tried to board a suburban bus in the direction of Zdiby in Kobylisy, Prague. She was headed to dinner with friends who informed her that she was entitled to free shipping upon presentation of a Ukrainian passport. However, a stamp is needed to prove that the person in question fled the country only after the invasion of Russian troops.
“I showed the driver my passport, but he couldn’t find the stamp. I spoke to him in English, but he kept telling me in fluent Russian: ‘You are Ukrainian, I know you know Russian, so she speaks Russian,’ Darya told the News.
“I will not carry such dirt. Go back to Ukraine, you scum, “the bus driver should have told her. However, after a while, she flipped through the stamp and was let into the bus.
“I was upset about it, I didn’t understand what was going on, because I didn’t do anything wrong,” she described to the News. As the bus approached the Prunerovska stop, where Darya wanted to get off, the driver reportedly said, “I’ll stop when I want to,” and drove on. All the way, for about 15 minutes, he allegedly frequented her with vulgarities, such as not spreading “her disgusting genes across Europe.”
The driver also had Ukrainian roots
It is said that none of her fellow passengers stopped by her on the bus. When she finally got out, she collapsed and cried on the spot. As Novinky found out, the Prague Integrated Transport (PID) received two complaints about the driver’s behavior the day after, on March 29. The answer to them came only a month ago, when the news of the incident was asked by the News of Prague Square for the transport of Adam Scheinherr (Prague to Himself).
“These were drivers of Ukrainian origin from ČSAD Central Bohemia. The carrier started to deal with the situation immediately. Such events must not happen on the buses of the Prague Integrated Transport, “Scheinherr told the News.
The fact that the driver is also Ukrainian was also pointed out by PID in the reply she sent to both complainants and which is available to the Newsroom. According to the carrier, the dispute was preceded by Darja’s vulgar remark towards the driver, who asked her to suffer. “It is difficult to assume that he would have engaged in such conduct without any motive,” he replies. However, PID apologized for the driver’s unprofessionalism.
“Some people feel that we are fleeing to you and other countries for the better. At the same time, I don’t need anything for free. I immediately applied for a job, I had several offers, I could choose. In Prague, I was just waiting for a visa to go to England, “Darja told the News.
According to her, this was not the only negative experience. After presenting her passport, she experienced similar Ukrainian comments when she left the Czech Republic, on a train to France, from where she eventually traveled to London, where she now lives. She has found a job in the field, as a qualified sommelier she will deal with wine tourism.