Spray attack bus driver sick of dealing with drunks and addicts

Just nine months into his job as a bus driver, David Yanni has had to deal with drunks and drug addicts, and on Thursday was assaulted with what police believe was capsicum spray by an irate passenger. He speaks for the first time since his shocking ordeal. WATCH THE VIDEOS

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Just nine months into his job as a bus driver, David Yanni has already seen too much.

He’s been racially abused by drunks, dealt with desperate drug addicts, and on Thursday he was assaulted with what police believe was capsicum spray by an irate passenger trying to force his way onto his crowded bus.

Night shift means he often drives people home when they are at their worst.

Mr Yanni now has a message for those people: “Stop throwing tantrums like toddlers. I’ll drive you home but there’s no carry-on like that — I’m just a bus driver trying to do his job.

“Unfortunately we’re Plan B for a lot of drunk people … we’re their only way to get home. If we can stop drunk drivers that’s great but if it then turns to us getting abused that’s not good either.”

Bus driver David Yanni wants his passengers to stop throwing tantrums as he is just trying to do his job. Picture: Liam Driver

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The 38-year-old took a part time job with State Transit in March after a career as a photographer wasn’t making ends meet.

At 10.30pm on Thursday, Mr Yanni was driving the Route 392 from Little Bay to Circular Quay when he was left gasping for breath after a passenger sprayed him in the face with a chemical substance.

Mr Yanni had skipped a stop on Oxford St, Surry Hills, because his bus was full when the man ran to Mr Yanni’s bus and refused to get off.

“He had already told me to get f**ked and called me every name under the sun when he planted his backside on the front windscreen and said ‘I’m not leaving’,” Mr Yanni said.

“I said ‘do whatever you have to do’ and he’s sprayed me in the face — I didn’t see it coming.

“I wasn’t expecting it from a person like him as he was well dressed.”

The incident was captured on the bus’ security footage and Mr Yanni said it stung his eyes.

“I don’t know what it was,” he said.

“It could have been anything from breath freshener to capsicum spray — you’ve got no idea what people are carrying around.”

The passenger repeatedly sprayed what is believed to be capsicum spray in his face. Picture: NSW Police

The incident happened late Thursday night on a packed city bus. Picture: NSW Police

A passenger called police, who were yesterday still searching for the attacker, who they described as having a “distinctive” British accent.

The spraying incident is not the worst thing that has happened to Mr Yanni.

About three months ago Mr Yanni, a Christian born in Australia, was racially abused at Pagewood by a drunken man aged in his 60s who got on his bus about 6.30pm.

“He stood behind me and he was saying ‘you f**king Muslim c**t’ … We should slaughter you like the pig that you are and how would you like it if your kids were raped,” Mr Yanni said.

“It was quite sad that he thought it was OK to speak to someone like that … I was quite rattled by it.”

Mr Yanni has been the target of racial and physical abuse in the past and he is sick of it. Picture: Liam Driver

State Transit said 68 bus drivers had been ­assaulted by passengers in each of the past two financial years. Of the incidents in 2017/18, 19 were physical assaults and 36 were spitting incidents.

This year to November 30 there have been 16 assaults and seven of spitting.

Mr Yanni’s solution: if you see something, say something.

“If other passengers stay silent, it makes the perpetrators think they can get away with it and gives them free rein,” Mr Yanni said.

“If we speak up and present a united front a bloke like this would have just gotten off the bus.”

Originally published as Spray attack bus driver sick of dealing with drunks and addicts