S'pore woman asked to leave bus for carrying 'durians', throws 'durians' out of bus instead

If it's your first time convicted in court for littering from a vehicle, it can get you up to a S$50,000 fine, a year in jail or both.

Khine Zin Htet | December 17, 2023, 08:57 PM

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When a man and a woman were caught carrying durians up a bus, the bus captain got out of his seat to ask them to leave the bus.

While the man looked ready to get off the bus, the woman thought of a "solution".

She threw the durian out of the bus instead.

Another passenger captured the entire episode on video and uploaded it to social media.

Bus driver seen talking to lady

In the 38-second video on Instagram account @SgfollowsAll, the bus captain can be seen talking to a man and a woman seated near the bus doors.

He also gestured at them, presumably to ask them to leave the bus.

It is unknown how the bus captain knew they had durians on them.

Subsequently, the two passengers stood up and walked toward the bus' rear door.

Threw durian out the door

When the man was approaching the door, the woman stopped the man and said in Chinese, "Don't get off, don't get off."

She then retrieved what was supposed to be a bag of durians and threw it out onto the ground from inside the bus.

Gif via Instagram/ @SgfollowsAll

The man and woman then went back to their seats on the bus as if nothing happened.

While durians are prohibited on buses & trains...

You might recognise these signs inside buses and trains indicating actions that should not be done on board.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

While no fine is indicated on the "no durians" sign, it doesn't mean you would not be penalised for it.

According to the Rapid Transit Systems Regulations, anyone caught bringing prohibited items on board an MRT or not complying with signages can be fined up to S$500.

It is unclear if the same regulations apply to public buses, but SBS Transit stated on its website that:

"For the comfort of others, do not bring items on board the buses that may offend others, e.g. durians, pets."

A post on Facebook by the Ministry of Transport in 2021 also explained that durians' "overpowering aroma may be unpleasant" for some passengers.

In addition, the smell could also linger inside the public transport vehicles as they are air-conditioned.

... it's definitely illegal to dump them on the ground

While it's unknown if anyone has ever been penalised for bringing durians onboard public transport, it's definitely illegal to litter.

According to the Environmental Public Health Act, littering carries a fine of up to S$2,000 upon first conviction in court.

The same act states that any person who "dumps or disposes" of "any refuse, waste or any other article from a vehicle in a public place" upon first conviction may be fined up to S$50,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

Top photos via Instagram/ @SgfollowsAll