A tour bus driver in Singapore has faced an online backlash for ejecting a group of Chinese tourists after they refused to buy more souvenirs.
The disagreement between the driver and the holidaymakers was filmed on August 16 and posted by one of the group members, according to Singaporean newspaper Shin Min Daily.
The visitor said that the unidentified driver, who works for a local tourism company, made them buy souvenirs such as keychains and perfume.
He became angry because he thought they were not buying enough.
The driver then allegedly rejected one visitor’s request to fetch her blood pressure medicine from the bus after lunch, saying: “Nothing for Chinese who do not spend money.”
He also shut the bus door before a passenger was fully on board.
The group demanded an apology from the driver but he refused and ordered them to get off the bus, leaving them stranded on a pavement along the city state’s busy Race Course Road.
The tourist who posted the video said she knew the travel agency might sell products but did not expect forced selling.
She said the driver verbally abused them, and when they wanted to call the police they were threatened by the tour guide.
The group had booked their tour to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand with a Chinese company, but when they arrived they realised the booking had been passed on to a local agency, and they were expected to share the bus with another group.
After they were left standing on the roadside, the restaurant where they had just eaten lunch invited them back inside and offered them complimentary drinks and ice creams.
A member of staff said another bus then arrived and picked them up.
A driver who claimed to be a colleague of the person in the video confirmed to Shin Min Daily that they did sell some “small and affordable” goods to tourists.
Requesting anonymity, he asked for some understanding because drivers often had to carry heavy luggage and were seldom given tips.
“The bus driver can sell goods to tourists, but should not force them to buy,” an online observer from Singapore said on Facebook.
“The driver’s behaviour should not be allowed in a country where tourism is an important industry,” another said.
The Singapore travel agency refused to comment on the incident, or say if the bus driver would be disciplined.
The group of tourists has reportedly filed a complaint to the Chinese Embassy in Singapore.
Inappropriate and abusive behaviour by tour guides and bus drivers attempting to force visitors to shop is commonly reported in China.
Last month, a tour guide in northern China was fined 30,000 yuan (US$4,200) after shouting at a tour group: “Spend money and you are god, do not spend and you are s***”.
Also in July, a tour guide in southwestern China asked visitors to leave the bus if they were not intending to spend any money. She was later disqualified and lost her licence.
