On 12 April, a 12-year-old boy took an A&S Transit bus for a five-hour joyride.
The bus operator has since responded to the incident.
“He’s Still Young”
A spokesperson for A&S Transit has urged the public to empathise with the boy.
He also hoped the public should not be too harsh on the boy.
The spokesperson told Shin Min Daily News, “He’s still young.”
He emphasised that the bus company will implement more safety and security precautions to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.
He couldn’t reveal much else about the incident due to the ongoing police investigations.
The company also posted a statement on its Facebook page regarding the incident on 13 April.
The post said, “It has been A&S’s belief that the youth must be supported and guided in their passion, be it in buses or anything else.”
“While we do not condone the action of the minor, we hope to support the person and any youth in guiding them to express their passion in healthy ways.”
Speculations
The operator’s response has created more questions than answers.
Many have taken to subreddit r/Singapore to discuss the incident.
Furthermore, how did nobody notice that a young boy was in the driver’s seat of the bus?
Netizens also wondered how the boy managed to drive for five hours without a license.
After all, a typical 12-year-old wouldn’t know how to drive.
In addition, heavy-weight vehicles like buses are more difficult to control.
Moreover, drivers must obey numerous traffic lights and signals to avoid accidents.
A netizen speculated that the boy was probably fascinated by buses and learnt the controls of a bus via videos online.
However, other netizens pointed out that although nobody was injured and the bus only sustained some scratches, it was a dangerous stunt.
A netizen noted that people wouldn’t be so impressed if the boy had caused a major accident.
Criticisms Against Bus Operator
Notably, not all online discourse was focused on the boy’s stunt.
Others were unsatisfied with the lack of disclosure on how the boy stole the bus in the first place.
In the comments on A&S’s statement, netizens pointed out that A&S was responsible for keeping its vehicles secure.
Netizens also pointed out the potential risks of the kid’s stunt and how irresponsible it was for the bus operator to treat the boy’s actions as a sign of adults dismissing the kid’s passions.
After all, the fact that the boy’s stunt went undiscovered for five hours is questionable.
Recap
On 12 April 2023, a video of the boy’s dangerous stunt went viral.
The boy allegedly stole an A&S Transit bus parked at Tampines Avenue 9 and travelled to five locations.
His joyride apparently consumed a quarter of the diesel fuel in the vehicle.
Considering that he was driving at over 100 km/h when the speed limit in Singapore is 50 km/h unless stated otherwise, it is a miracle that nobody was injured.
The user claimed that the police pursued the boy, and he eventually crashed the bus.
He then abandoned the vehicle before getting apprehended by the police officers.
Recent Bizzare Behaviour by Youths
Just a month ago, an 11-year-old child slotted a metal object between the platform screen doors on a train platform at the East-West Line of Jurong East MRT station to prevent the doors from closing.
The now-deleted video was uploaded to YouTube.
He even said, “I’m going on the North-South Line. I don’t wanna be too much of a suspect.”
His actions caused a one-minute train delay.
More recently, on 8 April 2023, CCTV footage showed a boy taking off his pants and humping a cat outside an HDB flat in Bukit Panjang.
The video has since gone viral, and the cat’s owner has made a police report.
According to the cat’s owner, the cat has shown signs of trauma since the incident.
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Why Do Youths Act Out?
All these bizarre incidents involving youths beg the question: Why would they do such a thing?
According to research, youths act out when they have unfulfilled wants or desire attention.
A way to prevent youths from acting out is to teach them to express their needs and wants.
Notably, viral videos showing bizarre actions like stealing a bus could inspire copycat behaviour by other youths.
In 2022, TikTok was blamed for inspiring a crime spree in some countries after youths committed crimes and posted videos online.
University of Auckland Clinical Psychology Professor Dr Ian Lambie noted that although alleged crimes aren’t necessarily a new problem, having videos depicting such actions going viral can be concerning.
He said, “These young people are just using social media in order to treat it like a game and to get some fame and notoriety, and they aren’t really thinking through the consequences.”
Regarding joyrides, an article by The Canadian Press noted, “For a teenager, the car represents mobility and freedom. And joyriding breaks all the rules. That’s the very heart of its appeal.”
The minimum age to obtain a Qualified Driving License (QDL) in Singapore is 18 years old.
If found guilty of driving without a valid license, one can face a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
The penalty for first-time offenders of reckless or dangerous driving includes a jail sentence of up to 12 months, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
Individuals who commit motor vehicle theft may face a jail sentence of up to seven years, a fine and a driving ban (if applicable).
However, since the boy is a minor, he’ll probably be tried in the Youth Courts of Singapore and receive a lighter punishment.
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