Toddler boards bus alone... 2-year-old child gets on bus by herself in Zonguldak!
Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- A two-year-old child boarded a public bus alone in Alaplı, Zonguldak, Turkey.
- The bus driver, Gündüz Çimen, discovered the child after starting his route and alerted authorities.
- The child was safely reunited with her family, who had temporarily lost sight of her.
An unusual incident unfolded at a bus stop in Alaplı, Zonguldak, where a two-year-old girl managed to board a public bus unattended. The driver, Gündüz Çimen, had briefly exited the bus to buy bread when the child, left with the door open, crawled aboard and settled into a back seat. The situation took a turn when Çimen, re-boarding the bus to begin his route, heard crying and discovered the toddler.
The driver got off the vehicle after stopping at the stop and went to buy bread. Meanwhile, the 2-year-old girl crawled onto the bus, which was stopped with its door open, and sat in the back seat.
Çimen acted quickly to calm the distressed child and immediately notified the authorities. Upon returning to the garage, he brought the child to the waiting teams. Investigations revealed that the girl had wandered off while her parents were briefly at a phone shop. Working with the authorities, Çimen helped ensure the child was safely returned to her worried family. The entire event was captured on the bus's security cameras, providing a record of the surprising occurrence.
The driver, upon noticing the crying child, calmed her down and reported the situation to the authorities.
This incident, while startling, highlights the driver's responsible actions and the swift response of local teams in reuniting the child with her parents. Fortunately, the situation had a happy ending, with no harm coming to the young child. The event serves as a reminder of the unexpected situations that can arise in daily life, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and community cooperation.
The teams determined that the child had separated from her family while they were at the phone shop. Çimen, together with the teams, delivered the child to her family.
Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.