Sick, diabetic man says Greyhound bus driver left him stranded on highway

A diabetic Manitoba man says he was left stranded at the side of a dark highway, hundreds of kilometres from home, by a Greyhound bus driver.

Barry Spence, 41, travels from his home in Thompson, Man., to Winnipeg every week for dialysis due to kidney failure from Type 2 diabetes. He started feeling sick as he was heading back homeon the bus May 20.

About four hours into the 7-hour trip, the bus pulled into the town of Grand Rapids.Spencewent into a gas station washroom and threw up.

"When I came out, the bus driver tells me I can't get back in the bus. I says, 'What for?' and he says, 'You're drunk. I called the cops on you. The cops are coming,'"Spencesaid.

In a statement Monday,RCMPsaid that when they responded to the scene at 4:03 a.m.,Spenceappeared to be in good health. The officers told the bus driver they didn't believe he wasintoxicated,Spencesaid.

I would like this not to happen at all for anybody. It was hard. It was scary.- Barry Spence

But, Spencesaid, he wasn't allowed back on the bus.

"He says, 'Well, I don't want him on my bus. I've got 48 [others]to worry about andI don't want to worry about him.'"

The bus left and a stranded Spence asked the officers what he was supposed to do.Gas station attendants wouldn't let him in the store, he said.

• 'He has a hatchet': Man arrested after incident on Greyhound bus
• B.C. Greyhound bus driver leaves Christmas Eve passengers on side of road

Spence said the officers suggestedhe walk to thenext community and to keep far to the right of the highway because it was dark and vehicles might not see him.

The closest town, Wabowden, is more than 200 kilometres north of Grand Rapids.

Wants an apology

An RCMP spokesperson said no charges were laid, and "he indicated to our officers that he would make travel arrangements with his cellphone."

Spence said he walked for an hour before becoming too cold because he was dressed for a ride, not a walk in temperatures that dropped just below freezing.

Sick, diabetic man says Greyhound bus driver left him stranded on highway

7 years ago

Duration 2:16

Barry Spence says he will never use Greyhound again after a bus driver accused him of being drunk and would not let him back on following a gas station pit stop

Spence calledhis mother on his cellphone and arranged to be picked up. His mom then contactedapriest in Grand Rapids and they went to his house to warm up with coffee.

Spence said he'll never use Greyhound again and he's sent a complaint to the companybut hasn't had a response yet.

He would like an apology and perhaps some compensation.

"I would like this not to happen at all for anybody. It was hard. It was scary."

'Zero tolerance policy'

In an emailed statement, a Greyhound spokesperson said because safetyis the "cornerstone of our business,we enforce a zero tolerance policy with regard to unruly or disruptive customers, including customers who appear to be intoxicated on board the bus."

"Our initial response upon observing the customer's behavior was to follow our policy and contact the RCMP to remove the customer. However, after further investigation, it appears the customer may have been experiencing a non-alcohol related issue."

The statement added that Greyhound does not discriminate on the "basis of race, colour, national origin, disability or any other characteristic."

Greyhound said they are continuing to look into the incident.