Bus driver busted sniff-testing migrant workers: refusing service to the overly-perfumed

A bus company in Taichung City will face a fine after one of its drivers was caught refusing service to migrant workers he deemed to be wearing too much “perfume.”

The driver of the Taichung No. 97 bus was caught red handed on video stepping off the bus and sniff-testing three migrant workers, before allowing two to board, and rejecting a third, who he had deemed to be wearing an excessive amount of fragrance.

The video also shows the bus driver swearing at the migrant workers on the bus if they got too close to him while wearing fragrance.

The driver used an insult equivalent to “bastard/son of a bitch” … “Spraying so much perfume. F##k your mother,” the driver shouted at the passengers.

The incident came to public attention after the video was uploaded to YouTube.

The Taichung City Government is investigating the incident. According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, Chen Wenzheng, deputy director of the Taichung City Public Transport and MRT Engineering Department, said that the city government and the bus operator had a contract, and the bus driver’s refusal to provide service to the passenger was a breach of that contract.

For the incident evident in the video, the bus company will be fined NT$5,000. Further investigations are being carried out using video records from the internal monitors on the bus, and if evidence of further incidents are found, the company will be fined accordingly.

The video also raised allegations of discrimination, as it also showed that the driver did not perform similar sniff-tests on Taiwanese passengers.

Liberty Times reported that the driver had engaged in such behavior because he was allergic to perfume.

In response to the driver’s claim of being allergic to perfume, the bus company advised him to wear a mask and open a window.

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