An Orthodox Jewish man said he faced antisemitic abuse from a London bus driver who shut him inside the vehicle for about an hour.
David Abraham, 52, said he boarded the 149 bus in Stoke Newington Road, Hackney, at 13:35 GMT on Monday when he dropped his bank card inside the driver’s cab.
He said the bus driver then refused to give it back to him and told him “you look like a Mossad agent”, before calling the Metropolitan Police.
Transport for London (TfL) said the driver’s behaviour was “unacceptable” and he had been suspended while an investigation takes place. The Met Police said the incident had been reported as a hate crime.
A spokesperson for the Met confirmed that officers attended the incident.
They added: “No crime was reported at the scene, but the following day a 52-year-old man reported the incident to police as a hate crime.”
Mr Abraham said the incident left him feeling “scared” to go out again.
He told London: “I went to the driver and ask ‘please can I have my bank card?’
“He said ‘get out, I don’t like Jewish people you look like a Mossad agent’. I said ‘why you say that?’ So I was shocked.”
Mr Abraham said when the police arrived, the driver initially refused to open his cab to allow officers to retrieve his card.
He said: “The driver said, ‘no, no, no. I don’t want to give you the card. If you want to take that card, open this door, take that card. But me, I will not give you the card.’ So the officer opened the door. They (the police officer) just take the card.”
TfL said: “We take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abuse and work closely with the police to pursue anyone who is abusive to our customers or staff.
“We are supporting the police and the bus operator, Arriva, while they investigate and take appropriate formal action,” their spokesperson added.
A spokesperson for Arriva London Bus confirmed that an investigation was launched as soon as the incident was reported, and the driver was suspended pending the investigation’s outcome.
“We are taking it extremely seriously and we will take all appropriate action once our investigation has concluded,” they said.
“We are a responsible employer, and we expect the highest standards from our drivers.
“We never tolerate abuse in any of its forms and we will always deal with any incidents swiftly and robustly.”
The Met Police said: “On Monday, 27 October at 14:03 police were called to reports of a verbal dispute between two men on a bus travelling in Stamford Hill, Hackney.
“No arrests have been made. An investigation is under way and anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 3847/27OCT25.”
