Bus driver, passengers punched by woman

A bus driver and passengers were assaulted this morning by a woman in Grey Lynn.

Witness Zimena Didozich from West Auckland, said she heard shouting down the front of the bus, and saw a young woman "going off" at the bus driver.

"This young woman was really going off. shouting at the bus driver, calling him names, telling him to give her money back.

"From where I was sitting I could see that he was getting change for her out of the money compartment.

"I don't know what her problem [was], but he might not have been fast enough for her or something, so she punched him in the face a couple of times."

Didozich said the passengersshouted at the woman to leave the bus but she didn't get off.

Some of the people waiting to get on pulled the woman off and she started punching them as well.

"This one lady got punched about three times in the face."

That wasn't the end of it.

The woman got back on the bus, hit the driver again and got back off.

The driver started to drive again but another passenger, who called the police, told him to pull over.

"I think the bus driver was really rattled," Didozich said.

Afterwards Didozich talked to the bus driver who said the woman had a problem with the $20 note she gave him.

"She started demanding her money back and he was giving it to her when she just freaked out and started hitting him.

"It just made me wonder what's going on with her that made her start lashing out at everyone."

Didozich said she only jumped on the bus today because her car was getting repaired.
"If there's one thing I've learned it's that if people hurt others it's because they're hurting inside."

A police spokeswoman said officers were looking for the alleged offender.