A few days after the case of the 11-year-old forced to walk six kilometers in the snow because he did not have a ticket, a similar episode returns to shake the Veneto. This time it happens in the Vicenza area and involves a 15-year-old disabled student who was forced off a bus after reporting to the driver that he had probably forgotten his season ticket. An error of judgment which, as we will discover later, did not exist: in fact he had the travel document with him.
The boy, in good faith, had turned directly to the driver to explain the situation, without waiting for a check. The response, however, was not the one foreseen by company regulations. The driver asked him to get off at the next stop. There, in the rain and alone, the fifteen-year-old awaited the arrival of his grandfather, notified by telephone.
The mother’s story and the complaint
The boy’s mother brought the incident to light, and decided to publicly report the episode to the Giornale di Vicenza. The woman explained:
He was told to get off and he remained there alone, at the bus stop, in the rain. Then he called us on his cell phone and grandfather went to get him.
The mother also raised a central question, linked to the procedures foreseen for those who forget their subscription:
I wonder why my son wasn’t fined, as expected, and then we could have proven that he was in possession of it.
According to the regulation, in fact, season ticket holders are allowed to demonstrate possession of a valid ticket within 15 days, with consequent cancellation of the sanction. In this case, however, no fine was imposed, but much worse was done by forcing a disabled minor boy to be removed from the vehicle in adverse weather conditions.
The location of the transport company
The Società Vicentina Trasporti (Svt) has confirmed the start of an internal audit. In a note, the company clarified that what was described, if confirmed, would openly conflict with company policy and the service charter. The driver’s behavior could therefore be sanctioned.
As mentioned, the episode arrives in an already tense climate after what happened in the Belluno area. Two different stories, but united by a common thread: the rigid application of the rules (and also incorrect, as happened in this case) to the detriment of the protection of minors. While awaiting the results of the investigation, an open question remains: how is it possible to make compliance with the rules prevail over common sense, especially when young people and fragile situations are at stake. Where has our humanity gone?
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