A man claiming to be 35 caused chaos on a Wellington bus after he tried to ride for free using a SuperGold card.
The man quickly took a seat on the Metlink bus but the driver was suspicious he was not supposed to have the card, Stuff reports.
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"I don't normally ask people for ID, but he just bolted on to the bus and sat down," the driver told Stuff. "I said, 'Hey, mate, I didn't see your ID'. He came back, flashed it again and then shot off again."
The driver, who has not been named, said he told the man he could not use the card if he was 30 years below the usual minimum age to hold it, but the passenger refused to pay the fare.
Twenty minutes of argument ensued and eventually, the other passengers were moved onto another bus.
An NZ Bus representative was sent to the bus and eventually agreed to let the man stay on board but the driver refused to transport him because of the rude treatment.
The passenger then got off the bus and it was driven back to the depot.
A spokesperson for NZ Bus told Stuff drivers were trained on how to manage difficult customers, although the driver said he did not receive treatment specifically for managing fraudulent SuperGold Card use.
The SuperGold card is for seniors and veterans. You can only get one under the age of 65 if you are receiving a veteran's pension, or included as the partner of somebody getting an NZ Super or Veteran's Pension.
The man attempting to use the card to get on the bus would not say how he got it, Stuff reports.
Newshub.