Mother detained on TTC bus because daughter was sleeping in stroller

The Toronto Transit Commission has apologized to an Etobicoke mother a week after she and her four-year-old daughter were detained on a bus when the driver suggested something might be wrong with the little girl.
Rebecca Clements was pushing her daughter in a stroller, when the driver asked to see the little girl. When she complied, the TTC employee told the mother to stay aboard the bus and blocked their exit.
Following a complaint to the TTC by Clements, TTC officials told Global News the bus driver was “concerned about the well-being of what appeared to be an unresponsive child.”
“I’m on alert. I’m nervous when I’m on the bus now, and I never used to be,” Clements said following the incident. Global’s Sean O’Shea has the story.
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[@osmosis321]

At the very least, they should reassign this driver to another route. Imagine going through that and being stuck taking the bus with the same driver who held you hostage.

[@sessions9869]

They should fire the driver

[@osmosis321]

@@sessions9869 I doubt the union would allow it.

[@divasmith3570]

Sue

[@MrUranium238]

What right does the bus driver have to hold someone hostage? I would immediately seek an attorney.

[@kandik7641]

You can make a citizen arrest if you feel something is wrong with a child. You'd probably be angry if she was riding the bus with a dead child.

[@Ont785]

@@kandik7641 Good luck with that… You don’t have any right to restrain anyone. You call the police. “Citizen arrest” lmao

[@Odin6900]

​​@@kandik7641u can make a citizen's arrest, but you better know what you are going, because you will be the one committing a felony.😂

[@davidfoster3427]

None, observe and report. Why is this not at least on alternate duties.

[@robertadams8192]

Anyone can, under the right circumstances, make a citizens arrest in Ontario. But you need to be extremely careful because you can only make a citizens arrest if you have a reasonable belief that a felony is or has been committed. And two things, which this driver didn't do, is you have to let the person know you are making a citizens arrest and you have to tell them your reason for doing so. Plus you can not force the arrest (which I think trapping someone on the bus against their will might be considered force ... a type of hostage taking). You are also required, by law, to contact the police asap and it sounds to me like the driver may have only contacted their supervisor. If this is TTC policy on how drivers are to respond it is inadequate, and possibly illegal, as policy does not supersede the law. The driver meant well but TTC training in this matter sucks. If she had actually been someone who was harming the child she might have reacted by harming the driver or another passenger. Plus holding someone for half an hour was unreasonable. BTW, making an unjustified citizens arrest can result in a law suit.

[@bruins7708]

He legally has no right to hold her there if there is nothing wrong,he can call police and report he thinks there's a problem but to hold someone for doing nothing illegal is grounds for illegal detainment and a lawsuit

[@Odin6900]

Illegal detainment. If you do that to someone in your home or at a business....thats a crime. Lawsuit time

[@andrew20146]

Sounds like a false imprisonment case.

[@Herman992113]

I would like to hear the driver side of the story as well.

[@evelyngott2056]

Sue them for false imprisonment. He held them against their will.

[@kandik7641]

You'd probably want him sued if she was riding the bus with a dead child.

[@evelyngott2056]

@@kandik7641 her daughter was asleep. Why didn't the bus driver ask the mother to wake the kid up. Guess he was too stupid to think of that, but then it doesn't take a lot of brains to be a bus driver does it.

[@elinebrock5660]

​​@@evelyngott2056this is the reason not everyone is a brain surgeon. The bis driver seems to need one, though.

[@Vicki1930]

​@kandik7641 In Canada suing people isn't a way of life the way it seems to be in the US.

[@kandik7641]

@@evelyngott2056 maybe because if the mother had done something to the child she could turn violent. It's so disgusting to call someone out for being stupid because of the job they have. No doubt you're the type to call a Starbucks employee stupid while getting your latte there. Bus drivers are trained to call their supervisors if they suspect something and not handle it themselves because bus drivers get assaulted everyday. If she had smothered or drugged her child, how do you suppose it would have gone down if he'd confronted her?

[@user-kn1gr9pc5y]

Outrageous what people think they can do in this day and age!! No excuse!

[@dixonpinfold2582]

Bossiness, nosiness, self-righteousness, meddling and policing other people's actions have skyrocketed to levels not seen since the the Cultural Revolution or the Puritans.

[@madbradmadbrad]

So this paragon of society decides the child is unresponsive, claims to be concerned, and proceeds to nothing to help her but make all involved wait a half hour for cops?

[@Millefiori369]

Theres going to be a spike in violence against bus driver because of this

[@Ont785]

Didn’t realize bus drivers had restraint powers….

[@BOZKESH]

They don't

[@Ont785]

@@BOZKESH Speaking sarcastically ….😉

[@twstdpeppermnt9128]

People need to start minding their own business. This is getting out of hand. Do they want to know when we go to the bathroom too?

[@francesbernard2445]

Yeah. Just the other day a grandpa was complaining about the same thing to me.

[@aprilsflower1622]

There is no way on this earth, a bus driver is going to tell me to, to show him or her my kids, ask any questions about my kid, unless its an age question and that's only for bus fare. To tell me I cant get off the bus, I have every right to physically protect my child and myself.

[@rottenrabbit]

Dumbing down of the population showcased perfectly here.

[@MidnightFallz14]

So did the driver told the mother the reason why she was not able to get off the bus?

[@ravenbaa7989]

That kid was too big for the stroller she can walk should just fold it up entitled mother

[@landon1626]

Who the fk does he think he is? Should be charged for forcible confinement and arrested and definetly FIRED! She should sue as well.

[@dixonpinfold2582]

I think he should undergo a psychiatric assessment as a condition of continued employment. Not kidding at all.

[@erikfriesen1098]

Why is the world so messed up when people who comment on youtube have ALL THE ANSWERS?

[@shari9721]

If the daughter is talking about it then obviously she woke up at some point while the driver was holding them hostage so when that happened why didnt the driver just explain why he had been concerned , apologize , let them go and then explain what he had done to his supervisor and the police when they arrive ? smdh

[@JohnDoe-xv1se]

Bull. That driver should be removed from dealing with the public. He obviously knows nothing about children, was beyond irresponsible, and was power tripping. To pretend he was "concerned'" for the child is a stretch. As the mom said, she could have woke her child if he had expressed his concerns to her, rather than call the cops on her for nothing. She is the mother after all. Get rid of him before he does something even stupider.

[@The66Leadfoot]

"detained" by a bus driver.

[@nikki-nj2ni]

There's definitely more to this story

[@knowmenomo]

The more I see and hear what is happening in Toronto the more im glad I dont have to live there.

[@prp3858]

What in the world is happening in Canada!😮

[@brettfavreify]

Rebecca, move to a small community. People in Toronto are nuts.

[@jb-xc4oh]

Sue the hell out of them to teach them a lesson.

[@wintron]

He can inquire not imprison.

[@Matt-nw2te]

Ummmm… that driver should have been suspended and reassigned

[@samsaarahgjhg1458]

VERY FUNNY. I was assault on ttc and supervisors came and saw the attackers and never did anything to block them from leaving! That is Canada for you!

[@alwaysinapop]

Wow! These TTC drivers will literally do anything but drive the bus lmaoooo

[@pumalogo204]

never on time in my books

[@Dynamatrix1973]

You have to fold your stroller up.

[@HelTra91]

the seats fold up to make room for strollers

[@silvermoon3486]

Strange 😮

[@DaGoyDidGood]

? Drama queen. Driver must have been concerned, for whatever undisclosed reason, and as a upstanding citizen, was inclined to raise an alarm…end off…

[@jayess6219]

Driver must have been high or drunk or both

[@brendaclark4023]

My question is why didnt he call 911 first instead of calling a supervisor. The child would had died if unresponsive?...You get immediate help. Fire him immediatly

[@nikki-nj2ni]

Because that is the procedure he has to follow

[@TheGoddessBast]

What? The? F*ck???

[@Progressive_Canadian]

This driver needs to be immediately arrested and charged with kidnapping and unlawful restraint.

[@Millefiori369]

I swear if that was me, I would've indented that driver's face, then get arrested.

[@dixonpinfold2582]

A simple lawsuit will do wonders to provide for the baby's post-secondary education. Get a good lawyer or two.

[@annalisavajda252]

Yeah here in Victoria a girl was told to put on a jacket or be kicked off for wearing a crop top the other day too though it's hot right now she was annoyed too. People sympathize with drivers that that unreasonable passangers so may as well sympathize with passangers with unreasonable drivers. It implies what that the Mother doesn't know her own child that she was neglecting a child in distress? That is offensive but then again there are terrible parents too and the driver doesn't want it on their conscience if that was the case. Is she asleep? Yep. Would have solved it though.

[@KILLCOLONIALISM]

In so called Canada under Canadian law anywhere a man can go topless a woman can also go topless. That driver should be terminated immediately.

[@sunnydelight5255]

She’s right. He could’ve simply asked her to check the child. A silly man. But it is a very minor incident. Doesn’t warrant being afraid or a news report. Just go back on the bus and move on from it.

[@KILLCOLONIALISM]

So you think crimes are not news worthy?

[@jayess6219]

Someone holding you and your child hostage is minor? Got it 👍

[@wintertarzanjagrup2527]

Thats not his business

[@hughjass1044]

Our world today.

[@jb-xc4oh]

Only if you put up with it.

[@francesbernard2445]

A 'Red Arrow' fail? Reminds me of an experience I had once too while riding a bus in which the bus driver started going off course from his route. Had there not been another passenger whom he did not see at first who was in the back of the bus who stood up for me to agree that I was right when he heard me arguing with the bus driver about what the correct route was instead for him to be on given his bus number what might have happened next instead who knows 100% for sure. Then his excuse was that he had just started doing bus driving for a living on a different route that day and it was summer when a lot of the more experienced bus drivers are taking their holdays.

[@michellerose1190]

So many vile males. Gotta watch your back and know how to take your selfdefense to the next level. Cops will say not - but we know what cops are, don't we ladies?

[@dixonpinfold2582]

@@michellerose1190 Cf. Lucy Letby.

[@michellerose1190]

@@dixonpinfold2582 I heard. But I'm less worried about defending myself against a babykilling nurse than some rando warpedmale or ex because they ain't scared of females. They come for me they gonna get a big surprise. Like fab feminist Bell Hooks says, "Fight back. They're coming for you anyway."

[@Jasonsmith-sr1ke]

Slow news day huh?

[@joemadden4160]

So glad I bought a car😁

[@jb-xc4oh]

Public transportation sucks big time......I wouldn't use it even if you paid me..,!!

[@fanglu1623]

Some TTC drivers are very rude and ridiculous. Last month, one ttc driver rejected me getting on the bus and said"one bus can only take one stroller"nonsense. I didn't follow her so I got on the bus. Once I got on the bus, she told me"if you don't get off the bus, the bus won't move". She was not even the driver that day. But the driver was just the same as her. They really stopped the bus and asked everyone to get off the bus. They wasted everyone at least 15 minutes just because the woman's big ego and foolishness. Complaints to TTC is just a waste of time. They defend the drivers. When I showed the bus condition picture to the supervisor to prove the bus wasn't even crowded, they raised some new excuse asking me if I stood behind the white line which has nothing to do with the incident, and it's not even the cause. 😂 TTC will use "safety first" approach as a weapon to cover the drivers' misconduct. 😂

[@user-wk3ce3yj2u]

The bus is the first 2006 Orion VII OG HEV

[@shawnthompson2303]

Better Call Saul

[@Canuckrz]

So the driver allegedly thought the child was unresponsive, so he called his supervisor and the police instead of EMS? Yeah takes a ton of sense /s.

[@Kipling45]

My home intersection 👀

[@Millefiori369]

TTC are clowns, this incident will spike hate...on bus drivers. They should've just fired the guy for being a clown

[@grantbablitz]

In Edmonton they may not allow you on the bus if they suspect you have Russian Heritage.

[@AgressiveAndre]

Really?

[@jayess6219]

😂😂😂

[@wjkwjk3484]

I think the driver just wanted to make sure the child was safe and okay. I do not see any problem here....from James Bond0007

[@redpillbulgaria-v2.063]

Or he was a creep & a pervert ...

[@wjkwjk3484]

@@redpillbulgaria-v2.063 I do not think so Mr. redpillbulgaria. You watch too much movies.

[@margaretr5701]

@@redpillbulgaria-v2.063 I question, pervert?

[@HeyLookPropane]

Strange situation all around. And one that honestly I don't understand why the news is covering it.

[@rustyyb8450]

Could do the same with hyperactive children. Or tired children. Or fearful child.

[@timwhite8878]

I do not see any thing driver did wrong.He just wanted make sure kid is ok.

[@Jditditsk]

🤡

[@acerbic6817]

explain it to deez nutz

[@hg60justice]

when a bus driver goes karen on you.🤣 the driver could have handled that better.

[@petercunnington6808]

I would Sue the bus company until they fire him

[@jayess6219]

Ttc Busdrivers allowed to smoke crack now? 😂😂

[@greendude27]

sue the TTC

[@larsonfrederick7885]

So isn't the US alone madness like this happens lol

[@georgepeters4950]

Sue😊

[@dantankunfiveancestorsfist]

Sue the driver and the bus!

[@ZMadtrapper]

It's called FORCABLE confinement. CHARGE the driver EH !!

[@haleyd2951]

When my daughter was 6 months old, I took her on a bus to visit cousins. I had her in a baby wrap. She had various medical issues so she was uncomfortable a lot. So Id bounce and rock her and she would settle down. As soon as i stopped bouncing she would cry all over again. Two old ladies got a kick of of it and would laugh, probably remembering their fussy babies. Anyways when I was getting off the bus the bus driver told me he didnt appreciate me shaking my baby. I said there is a differece between boucing/rocking a baby and shaking a baby to the point of shaken baby sydrome. I called the bus line and called and complained. If I abused my baby, pretty sure her surgeon, orthopedic nurse, pediatrician, family doctor, physiotherapist, and the lactation nurse that came to the home might of picked up on it

[@LucasVitorFonseca]

Better safe than sorry

[@Cristy-ug5qe]

The safest place for a young child while outdoors IS THEIR STROLLER 👍 Who is SO STUPID to find that wrong, and why did anyone acted upon that regular activity...😫💔

[@vsirrmk]

Nonsense. As if bus drivers always suspect that a sleeping child in a stoller is dead.. Obviously, there was something very unusual about that mother and that sleeping girl. What happened to " better safe than sorry" ?

[@dixonpinfold2582]

Obviously that driver isn't all there.🤨

[@ricladouceur6202]

Sorry but this was none of this driver's business. This was definitely an unlawful detention and he should be charged.

[@jb-xc4oh]

Exactly...!!

[@MUFC1878AC]

TTC drivers do what they want, thinking they the own the roads.

[@fanglu1623]

Yes. They think they are Queens . One TTC driver rejected me and my child saying that one bus only can take one stroller. Once I got on the bus, she told me that if I don't get off the bus will stop. And she did that . Very ridiculous

[@mattmccarty72]

Good for the driver. If this story was about an unresponsive child found in a stroller, we would be praising the driver. Why didn't she just wake the child up. Stop blaming people that care. I'm sure she has a lawyer now, because her child "fears" not being able to get off the bus, and mommy needs a new car !

[@jayess6219]

Bus drivers lucky mother wasnt black 😂

[@HelTra91]

She said in the video she would have woken the child up if she had known that was the reason he was keeping her there.

[@tylerhergott3893]

She said in the video she would have woken the child up if she had known that was the reason he was keeping her there.

[@BOZKESH]

This is forcible confinement , she should press charges and have civil suit against TTC. A ttc driver has no authority to hold anyone against their will

[@SingleAndAlmostBrokeinSurrey]

Oh woman, kids are very resilient. They can manage "traumatic" bus ride like this one while asleep the whole time. Don't inject unseen scenes to her innocent brain!!! Get help for yourself and for your 4 year old if it persists.

[@Dracoool]

Stop huffing paint.

[@francesbernard2445]

Funny how some of the much older kids riding the bus on a long bus trip which they are on seem to wake up just when they are about to get to their stop or when you need another sentinel in the city around who can help the lost find their way again.

[@jayess6219]

You are clueless

[@CyberThug1080i]

Why wouldn't he be we be more drivers like that on the lookout for abused. It's obviously a problem.

[@Gago_ka143]

What did the bus driver sign to do? drive the bus so just drive the bun

[@rustyyb8450]

No report was made concerning the driver's belief about why "sleep" was not a likely explanation. Apparently the driver simply thinks the worst when seeing someone asleep. That propensity needs exploration.

[@user-ul4ew7vt7h]

He probably thought he was doing a good thing, but he could have just expressed his concerns to the mom. Please do not let this stop people from being aware of their surroundings, expressing their concerns and still have the child’s best interest at heart.💕

[@failingstate]

This woman, 🤣

[@giftedfooljjhg1981thepasmb]

Her daughter is twenty

[@Dracoool]

Who knows what the "intentions" of the bus driver were? Maybe he has skeletons in his closet? If I was her husband I would pay that bus driver a little visit and we would "chat"......

[@brickjohnston4060]

Oh im sure you would big chutes.

[@Dracoool]

@@brickjohnston4060 ...bet on it.

[@whiteclouds9775]

once on an empty bus driver asked me to go to the back, its ok i can walk instead of taking dirty crack ttc.

[@TheGreatSeraphim]

Why are we trying to shame someone for ensuring a child is okay?

[@illmagical]

Uh because this is arbitrary detainment.

[@Rundvelt]

@@illmagicalNot really. We'd have to see how the child presented. It sounds like she's making stuff up, because why would you be afraid of being on a bus that is calling police? That's like super safe.

[@illmagical]

@@Rundvelt So what we have is your fantasy vs reality.

[@marciloni12]

Because he is not the police, to detain her. And I've never seen a bus driver even look at a sleeping child in covered stroller😮 Are they required to check?

[@osmosis321]

@@godsaveourplanet LOL that movie IS far right.

[@steveleslie2170]

His pension...is now her pension...or at least should be.

[@johnfish837]

Anybody can hold anybody until police arrive if they believe a crime has been committed...But the police have to be summoned immediately. They can only stop the person from leaving and only use the minimum physical force necessary to hold them...Same as a holding suspected shoplifter until police arrive.

[@ricladouceur6202]

What crime. Having a child asleep in a stroller.

[@douglasdonaldson2510]

Wrong! A crime MUST be observed for the detention to be lawful. Where do you people come from?

[@666katch]

What kind of person would even say that!

[@KILLCOLONIALISM]

They come from one of the country's that inspired the nazis to colonize Europe and put the Jews into reservations.@@douglasdonaldson2510

[@hugosmith6776]

you ARE correct - BUT - if you are mistaken it is YOU who is going to court......

[@cecilybardoel4052]

Global, if you start with real news, I may, no nevermind.

[@pannamal5182]

She looks questionable

[@francesbernard2445]

Did you know in our man's world both children and women when telling the truth are believed less often than men are? - Men like you.

[@mastert5618]

Take legal action.

[@sallymenezes]

Calm down...The driver was concerned, if the child was sleeping, how was she traumatized? As a visitor to Canada, I was told, the people like their privacy, the driver could have ignored it no harm no foul.

[@Millefiori369]

Are they going toshow us a picture of the driver and his name?

[@meusatrumtempestas]

Now that would be interesting

[@Millefiori369]

"Driver are trained to say something is they see something..." drivers should be trained to drive the damn bus and mind their own damn business.

[@haameisanaei6481]

Let me tell ya, I have never seen a bus driver that was not a prick! You can say what you want !

[@StevenCanadianSniper]

i would of walked off bus and told cops to take a hike!!! lol imagine! i’d be like ok bud have a good one!!

[@Nonogrow420]

Aaaah a new canadian,...afghani perhaps,welcome🫣🫣🤔🤔🤐keepin the loser cruiser safe 😆🌈🤮💩🥃🫣🤐