12-year-old 'left stranded' after getting kicked off OC Transpo bus

A 12-year-old girl trying to get home was left by the side of the road near her school after a bus driver accused her of lying about her age to try to get a free ride.

Claire Brophy, a student at a Stittsville high school, should be able to ride for free across OC Transpo, per its policy. But twice in the past week — both with the same driver — she was accused of pretending to be younger than her age.

The first time, she said, she'd already boarded and sat down on the bus when the driver summoned her to speak with him. He asked her age and didn't believe her answer.

"He, like, mimicked me," she recalled. "He said, 'Well I could say I'm 12 and ride the bus for free all day.'"

She pushed back, asserting she was in fact 12. He told her she needed an ID. Unable to provide one, he ordered her off the bus at the next stop, which was one stop away from her school.

Her mother, Kourtni Brophy, called the driver's behaviour "wildly unacceptable" and "extremely dangerous."

"She was left stranded on the side of the road," she said. "Anything could have happened to her."

The girl's grandmother was able to pick her up and take her home, Kourtni Brophy said.

For the Brophy family, this latest incident worsened an already troubled commute. Claire has had to rely on OC Transpo this school year after the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) cancelled hundreds of yellow school bus runs.

Claire encountered the driver for a second time Tuesday afternoon as she was leaving school to head home. This time, Claire said, he berated her for attempting to board the bus without proof of her age.

He let her on, but warned it would be the last time she could ride without photo ID.

Came home from school 'very upset'

"She came home from school on Tuesday, obviously very upset, worried about how she would get home from school in the future," Kourtni said. "Being 12, I mean, what kind of photo ID does a 12-year-old carry with them?"

Kourtni reached out to OC Transpo, OSTA, local politicians and the school principal to alert them of the driver's behaviour. She has since learned that OC Transpo offers "child cards."

The OC Transpo website reads: "For children who look older than 12 years of age or regularly travel alone, we recommend getting a Child card. To obtain a free OC Transpo Child card, visit the Rideau Centre Customer Service Centre."

Asking for proof of age is up to the discretion of the operator, the agency said.

"It's concerning to me," Kourtni said. "Because what is the benchmark for how we're judging which children look 12 and over and how are we deciding what children need this card or not?"

"I don't think that's a resolution to this situation," she added.

Claire's twin brother is taller, Kourtni said, but hasn't received the same treatment.

OC Transpo apologizes

In a statement to CBC, OC Transpo said it's committed to ensuring all customers feel safe and welcome in the system.

"After being made aware of this event, the operator's conduct was reviewed to ensure it aligned with our standard operating procedures," said Chad Maahs, the agency's manager of bus and Para operations.

"We have been in touch with the customer and their family and have apologized for what they experienced. We are taking steps to address their feedback."

In the meantime, a vice-principal at the school has provided Claire with a signed letter confirming her age — though she hasn't had another run-in with the driver in question.

Kourtni said she hopes the child ID policy will be reviewed and that a similar situation won't happen again. For her family, she said a real resolution will come once OSTA restores its school bus service.