FlixBus responds to complaint after coach driver allegedly ‘denounces’ Pride in London as ‘hideous’
The alleged incident took place on a Flixbus coach. (Getty)
The alleged incident took place on a Flixbus coach. (Getty)
A coach passenger was left shocked after the driver allegedly made a homophobic announcement during a four-hour trip.
Speaking to PinkNews, the passenger on a trip from Chester to London last week alleged that their journey became increasingly “unpleasant” after one of the drivers made the anti-LGBTQ+ remarks.
The individual, who asked to remain anonymous, said a new driver boarded the FlixBus in Birmingham and announced that they were unable to drop passengers of at Marble Arch in central London because of the Pride in London march.
But it is claimed that the driver, who reportedly gave his name as Mark, described the parade as “hideous.”
“What had been the start of a weekend I’d been looking forward to for months became a rather unpleasant journey,” the passenger said.
“[I] travelled on… coaches extensively when I was younger. I can remember an instance of one rude driver but there was never a case of [them] adding political comment, let alone denouncing a whole group of people as hideous.
“Before I came out two decades ago, a comment such as this would certainly have knocked me back and reinforced the feeling that I [could] never show anyone who I am because [was] sure to face hostility wherever I [went].”
The passenger made a complaint to FlixBus while still on the coach but claimed to have not had a reply yet.
“‘Hideous’ is such a specific, deliberate choice of word. Something like ‘silly’ or ‘ridiculous’ could perhaps be explained away by a complete unfamiliarity with what a Pride march is… but ‘hideous’ is a conscious choice to denounce everyone in, and connected [to] Pride, as beneath contempt.”
The coach company has shown support for Pride events on several occasions over the past few years, including sponsorship deals with Rome and Milano Pride in Italy. And a spokesperson told PinkNews: “FlixBus is committed to inclusivity and equality, and we expect our partners and drivers to reflect these values at all times so passengers feel safe and respected when travelling with us.
“We take allegations of discriminatory behaviour extremely seriously and are urgently reviewing the journey via CCTV.”
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