French bus driver faces disciplinary action for slapping boy who insulted him
A bus driver faces disciplinary actions for slapping a boy who insulted him.
PARIS -- A bus driver in France faces disciplinary actions for slapping a teenager, who allegedly ran on the road in front of the bus and insulted the driver.
The incident took place last week in the city of Arcueil, located in the south suburbs of Paris. A spokesperson for local transport authority RATP told ABC News that “the teenager allegedly ran into the road as the bus was about to pass by and forced the driver to brake hard.”
The driver then told the teenager — a 12 years old middle school student — to be careful and pay attention when crossing the street, according to the RATP. The teenager then insulted the driver, who responded by slapping the boy.
The incident was filmed and went viral on social media, with almost 1.2 million views.
Other employees of the RATP launched an online petition in support of their colleague. It has received more than 300,000 signatures in less than a week.
According to the driver’s colleagues, when he told the teenager to be careful, the boy replied “Shut up and drive your bus.”
“The driver reacted by walking toward the child and slapped him in the face” the RATP said.
The local transport authority condemned the act, saying it was "contrary to the principles and values of a state-owned public transport company."
The RATP confirmed to ABC News that it has launched a disciplinary action against the driver.
“The investigation can last up to two months," the company said. "It’s too early to say what sanction the driver will face."
According to the petition, the faces penalties that range up to firing.
But the company says it will take into account the fact that the driver regrets his action.
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