Last night, my son, his girlfriend and her friend, were mugged on a bus, by a young man who was obviously very drugged up. They were verbally abused and my son was threatened repeatedly to be stabbed in the neck if he didnt hand over his phone, and his girlfriend, her purse. They had to endure this trauma for around 30 mins, before anyone tried to help.

Things to take into account, this was a single decker bus, very busy with other people, yet nobody done anything to help, no-one even so much as told the driver what was happening. The driver wasnt aware of it either, so i dont know why they bother installing mirrors, because drivers dont seem to look in them. 30 minutes they had to put up with this terror, and nobody done anything to help, im furious and disgusted, if it were these other passengers kids, would they still be doing nothing?!

The police were only informed by my sons girlfriend when the thug started abusing another middle aged man, and she took the opportunity to call them from her mobile, giving them their location.

WHERE was the help?? the driver?? the many other passengers?? why didnt anyone else call the police?

My son and the other 2 girls were very shaken by this incident, and it doesnt exactly build their confidence to know that in the event of it happening again, no-one will probably help, because we are living in a world where people are so pre-occupied with their own lives and looking out for their own safety, they dont care if they see someone else is under threat, they would rather turn the other cheek and allow it to happen. Im disgusted, i am a mother, and i could not have done nothing, just making the driver aware to alert his station for help wouldve been something.

I want to send a message out to the people on that bus, if you see youths in trouble, and can help PLEASE DO, cos one day it might be YOUR child/grandchild/nephew/niece, who ends up the victim of a drug takers violent behaviour.

People need to care more and hide less.

I just wanted to add that they r all safe, and none of them were hurt, but they were very shaken by it.

The guy has been caught, he had apparently mugged another man before he got on the bus.

I agree

I'm the type that would have been right in there

Others.....

Just put thier heads in the sand

Sorry this happened to your son and his friends.

I am so sorry your son, and those 2 girls went through this and yes it is amazing how often people will not get involved!!!! All someone had to do is inform the driver or contacted the police.

Are they kids ok?

Kind of like at work when I was the only one to call 911 when my coworker went into diabetic shock...with at least a dozen customers in the store...most people are useless.

Yes, they all came back here at around 3 am when the police were finished taking statements. They were in shock last night but seem ok today.

Im just very saddened that so many ppl will turn the other cheek when youths r seriously in trouble....the mother and youthworker in me couldnt have done that, i couldnt do nothing, i wouldve at least alerted the driver or called the police.

sorry 2 hear that pink lady glad your son and the 2 young girls are ok.i would off gave them some help straight away even if the WIMP did have a knife and STUCK it UP his ARSE

We will only get more crazy as MORE kids turn to drugs that HOOK them and change their identity into someone they have never been before. So as they feel, THEY HAVE TO GET MONEY,for their fix, THEY, rob,beat break-in steal, and even murder to get their sh$t.

I am very sorry no one had the asss to STOP there attack..but truly we as a society are turning into SEPERATE person's...IT'S ALL ABOUT ME...and I see it everyday everywhere..
Not many will do anything and the rest pretend they can't or didn't see....But for sure,,,your son will NOW watch all people close to him,,with BIG EYES as he should,wink,,

It is a shame that there are not more people willing and able to act. It is also unfortunate that there are so many negative consequence for acting. Afterall, the message from the police is "give them what they want and walk away unharmed and let the police catch the criminal", which seems to have happened in this case.

What DID you expect the other people to do? Put themselves in harm's way in notifying the drivier? Sneaking a call to the cops (which is probably what I would have tried to do). Pulling the emergency stop?

While I agree that we should be empowered to do more and should feel responsible for doing something, I do not believe that you can judge anybody on that bus except for the criminal performing the act. Afterall, you were not there.

Sorry that happened.

Bry

Ive never understood the all about me attitude....i see life as a rat race, the more we can get on our team the better, and there r no I's in team.

We should all help when we can, and its not always about puttin ourselves at risk. The way i see it, it wouldnt have been a big deal for someone to mention it to the driver, it wouldnt have had any impact on them.

This world can be so cold, but I for 1 aint gonna jump on that bandwagon...i will always help when i can.

I suppose for most of them their first thought is 'what will happen to me?'...instead of my first thought, which is 'f* I better do something since these useless twits won't".

I expected ppl to mention it to the driver as they got off....i expected someone to make a call to the police....my sons gf managed without him hearing, they were at the back of the bus. ppl wouldnt have been putting themselves in harms way by mentioning it, or making a call, in HALF AN HOUR!! of this guys tirade against my son!

I guess in this life we have cowards and heros, unfortunately, there were no heroes on that bus last night

OMG! I would hope if that was my daughter someone would try to help her! I wish I had been on that bus. I could not have stood by and done nothing. What cowards and selfish people. No wonder this world is in such a mess.

It is a sad world we live in today when others will actually turn the other cheek when they see someone in trouble. What is really sad is this happens every day somewhere.

Myself I would have at least done something like you said if only to call the police or alert the driver sshshhs or hit him with my purse which is normally filled with change in the bottom.

Just glad to hear your kids and their friends are okay and at least they were raised the right way to stand up for their rights and others. But they did the right thing in the beginning for material things are not worth a life.

Kuddos for them for making a move and getting the guy caught...... Shshhs maybe you should call someone and get them noticed kill two stones with one bird as they say. Have them noticed for there effort and get the word out that more need to take a stand against such crimes.

Yeah I feel ya, my 10 year old son was robbed by a 15 year old kid in the Bronx for his ipod 2 weeks ago in a park fulla people.


Jerks.


Ill pray for your childs safety.

Actually, the first post i made was a letter i sent to my local newspaper...i wanted to air my disgust at the fellow passengers. I dont wanna live in a cold hearted city where ppl would rather see a kid stabbed instead of doing something to help.

Thank God, Lisa, that the kids are not physically harmed, and I know you are very thankful for that. I am sure they will be a bit jumpy for a long while from their close call, and terror attack.

It is so very sad that many people are afraid to care, afraid to help...afraid to get involved. If ONE person would have done something, that the "crowd mentality" would probably have kicked in and everyone would have joined together to fight off this addict. It is a saving grace that the kids had mobiles!!

There is so much violence today in the world, that I honestly think people are "normalized" to it.

Many people are more shocked and surprised when a random act of kindness is done to them, then they are when some violent act takes place, IMO. I offered to take a cart back for someone the other day, and you would have thought that I was crazy from the look she gave me!

I would talk to the police, talk to the newspaper, talk to the bus company...

there is so much violence in the world...

U r so right Deb, kindness nowadays is more shocking then violence, but i for 1 aint gonna let this go till ive made certain ppl aware of how i feel about it.

There should be panic buttons for bus drivers, there should be cameras on single deckers, in fact all buses(we have them on some double deckers)and there should be some ppl that inspire others to follow their steps in helping.

Thanks for all the posts folks, i just needed to vent!

I am sorry this happened. I would expect people to have at least done something if they knew what was going on. It's sad that no one did a thing.