Thrown off the bus
I was taking the bus on Thursday morning from Danshui MRT Station to Motian 31, the same bus I take almost every morning, the R36.
The bus also makes a stop in Tamsui at Tamkang Senior High School and Aletheia University. Once the bus stops at this stop, the students get off and I am left on the bus with maybe one or two other people.
Thursday morning was different. Once all of the students got off, I was alone.
The bus driver started giving me nasty looks and shooing me off the bus with hand gestures. He was very unpleasant about it. I sat there for a minute because I did not understand what was going on. His looks got meaner, until finally he forced me off the bus. I was left stranded on the side of the road.
I am still in disbelief.
What if I had not had any money with me? What if I was a child? (Two stops away is an elementary school) I would never have been able to walk the distance to work and make it on time. Not only did I have to pay the bus fair, but also for a NT$100 cab ride.
It is exceptionally sad when you realize that you are not safe taking public transportation.
Valerie Caroon
New Taipei City
Scientology suit frivolous
I write in response to the AP article, “US couple sues Church of Scientology over donations” (Jan. 25, page 7).
Our Church lawyer just recently served the papers on this suit: “We understand that this has to do with fundraising and we can unequivocally state all funds solicited are used for the charitable and religious purposes for which they were donated. To see the church’s world renowned humanitarian programs visit www.scientology.org. This frivolous suit was generated by the same group of anti-scientology apostates who recently lost another frivolous lawsuit and were ordered by a federal court to pay the church more than [US]$40,000. The statements to the media made about the church and its ecclesiastical leader by these bitter individuals are blatantly false.”
Stephanie Tsai
Church of Scientology
Greater Kaohsiung
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