VERY CANADIAN

Hijacker Who Took Bus for a Joy Ride Kept Picking Up Passengers

He even checked their bus passes.

A man who hijacked a city bus in Hamilton, Ontario, and took it for a joy ride kept picking up passengers and even checked their tickets. The driver had pulled into a bus terminal and left to take a short break when the 36-year-old hijacker climbed on board and began driving with passengers seated in the back. As he drove, he continued allowing passengers to get on and off, and even made one rider pay in cash after noticing that their bus pass was expired. The passengers eventually noticed, though, that the bus wasn’t following the usual route and confronted the driver, who had to ask for directions after turning down a side street. In the meantime, the bus’ real driver had alerted police, who tracked the vehicle’s GPS. Not knowing the hijacker’s motive and not wanting to spook him, they followed at a safe distance until they could engage the man. He was arrested about 15 minutes after he took the bus. Police said there was likely a “mental health component” to the hijacker’s actions but that fortunately no one was injured. There were about 10 passengers on the bus at any given time.