NHA TRANG – A bus assistant in the coastal city of Nha Trang was fired for displaying an improper attitude towards two female Russian tourists after clips recording the incident went viral on Facebook.

Three video clips posted on Wednesday by a Taiwanese woman who happened to witness the incident on the bus show a young male bus assistant repeatedly shouting at the Russian tourists, telling them to “get out” of the bus. He was also heard cursing and using a stick in an attempt to hit a foreigner who was trying to intervene in the incident.

On Thursday afternoon, Lê Thị Mỹ Thảo, director of the Nha Trang branch of Việt Nhật Trade and Tourism Co, the bus operator, confirmed to Dân Trí online newspaper that the man on the clip was Đặng Mậu Thanh Bình, 30, one of its staff.

Bình was fired for the incident, Thảo said.

She said Bình admitted in his written explanation to the company that he had cursed the group of foreigners on a bus about to set off from Nha Trang to HCM City on July 25.

He said while he was arranging seats for passengers, he realised that the two Russian passengers, who had bought tickets without seat numbers, were sitting in seats booked by others. He said the Russian passengers objected while he was trying to explain the situation and asking them to move.

He said one of the two women even spat right in his face, adding that his ill-behaved reactions stemmed from anger.

Thảo suggested the lack of problem solving skills and poor English led to Bình’s improper attitude. Thảo said Bình had been working for the company for seven years and was known as a friendly and enthusiastic employee.

However, she admitted that she herself was also vexed at her staff’s behaviour when watching the clip. “Even when passengers were wrong, staff are not allowed to shout or curse them,” Thảo said.

The Office of National Committee for Road Safety has asked the Directorate for Roads of Việt Nam and Khánh Hòa police to verify the information on the clip. It also asked relevant authorities to hand out strict punishments against violations found. – VNS