"Who the hell are you to tell me to wear a mask?" Bus driver suffers after mask-wearing request

Mandatory Mask Wearing on Public Transport Since the 26th of Last Month
"I Asked to Wear a Mask"... Bus Driver Faces Verbal Abuse and Assault

On the 15th, citizens wearing masks were moving at a bus stop in Jung-gu, Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-joo] "I'm even afraid to mention masks.", "Is it really that unpleasant to hear requests to wear masks for safety?"

Nearly a month has passed since the mandatory mask-wearing policy was implemented on public transportation due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), but it appears that compliance is still lacking.

Health authorities have allowed public transportation drivers to refuse boarding to passengers not wearing masks, but there have been repeated incidents where bus drivers suffer hardships due to conflicts with some passengers who refuse to comply with mask-wearing requests.

A (54), a city bus driver in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, said, "I refused boarding to passengers not wearing masks according to regulations, but I was told, 'You're not the one buying the mask for me,'" adding, "There are passengers waiting, and I'm afraid something bad might happen if I insist on mask-wearing, so I can't force it."

A emphasized, "Because of the boarding refusals, some passengers only wear masks when boarding but pull them down to their chins while on the bus," and stressed, "Since public transportation is used by many people, consideration for others is necessary."

B (28), an office worker who commutes by bus, said, "Honestly, I feel repulsed when I occasionally see people not wearing masks properly," adding, "I also don't want to be near people who talk on the phone or have conversations without wearing masks properly."

B added, "I want to say something, but I'm afraid of getting into an argument," and said, "If boarding refusals are enforced more strictly so that people who don't wear masks cannot use public transportation at all, it would raise awareness about personal prevention."

Photo by Yonhap News TV broadcast screen capture

There have also been repeated incidents where bus drivers have been verbally abused or assaulted by passengers during requests to wear masks.

On the 20th, the Gwangjin Police Station in Seoul arrested a man in his 50s who verbally abused and assaulted a bus driver requesting mask-wearing and also assaulted another passenger who tried to intervene.

According to the police, the suspect boarded a village bus in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, without wearing a mask at around 2:30 p.m. on the 18th. When another passenger asked him to wear a mask, the suspect verbally abused and hit him, then slapped another passenger who tried to stop him before fleeing.

The bus driver chased after the fleeing suspect, during which the suspect bit the driver's neck, causing serious injury.

Earlier, on the 16th, the Guro Police Station in Seoul arrested a passenger on charges of obstructing business after the passenger boarded a city bus in Guro-gu without a mask, verbally abused the driver when asked to wear one, and caused a disturbance.

On the 28th of last month, a man in his 60s in Cheongju was booked without detention after assaulting a bus driver who requested mask-wearing when he boarded the bus intoxicated and without a mask.

Regarding this, bus driver C (44) said, "Some passengers get on the bus despite being told not to, shouting and cursing," adding, "If passengers who shout and curse get more agitated, they might throw punches, so the stories on the news don't feel like someone else's."

He continued, "These days, passengers are also sensitive about COVID-19, so if someone without a mask causes a disturbance on the bus, others scold them together," but added, "We are taking the strong measure of not operating the bus until the maskless passenger gets off, but I feel sorry for the other passengers."

Citizens wearing masks boarding the bus. The photo is unrelated to the specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Experts emphasize that mutual consideration between drivers and passengers is important to improve conflicts arising from mask-wearing.

Professor Kwak Geum-ju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University pointed out, "The reason bus drivers cannot strongly demand mask-wearing is because the responsibility for the guidelines lies entirely with the drivers," adding, "Also, social conflicts surrounding mask-wearing lead to assaults and verbal abuse, so drivers become more cautious and careful."

Professor Kwak suggested, "From the passengers' perspective, the driver's mask-wearing request may sound like an order, which might cause friction," and added, "Passengers should take personal prevention measures on their own, and drivers should consider how to communicate mask-wearing so that both sides can strictly follow prevention."

Meanwhile, the police stated that they will respond strongly to passengers who do not comply with instructions and refuse to wear masks after concerns were raised about increased conflicts between passengers and drivers following the mandatory mask-wearing policy on public transportation.

At a regular press briefing on the 8th, Lee Yong-pyo, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said, "Basic prevention rules such as wearing masks are important to reduce infection risk," adding, "Although mask-wearing is mandatory on public transportation, if disputes arise, we will strictly enforce related laws such as assault or obstruction of operation."

Under the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, a person who assaults or threatens a driver of a vehicle in operation can be punished by imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 20 million won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.