Isha Sesay
A MAN has been arrested in Mallorca for spitting on a bus driver who asked him to put on his face mask.
The detainee, 22, had been travelling on the number 35 bus from Palma with his friend at the time of the incident.
According to investigators, he was wearing a face mask but it was lowered on his face without covering his mouth or nose.
The driver repeatedly asked the man to wear the personal protection item, a requirement throughout Spain on public transport, but he was ignored.
After multiple warnings, upon reaching Cala Estancia, the driver informed all passengers that due to the man’s behaviour, they would all have to get off the bus.
Angered, the man cursed and threatened the driver before putting his head into the driving compartment to spit on him before running away.
The driver subsequently had an anxiety attack and had to be taken to hospital.
He was tested for coronavirus which produced a negative result.
Thanks to a detailed description of the suspect being given from other passengers on the bus, the man was identified and arrested the next day.
He has been charged with a crime of disobedience and will be slapped with a fine.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been multiple reports of citizens spitting on other people.
In March, eight Guardia Civil agents were put in self-isolation in Zaragoza after being spat on by a woman with COVID-19.
Months later, a manhunt was launched on the Costa del Sol to find an English-speaking tourist who spat on a local couple after being told to wear a mask.
