A bus driver stunned passengers in Belfast by making an unscheduled stop at an off licence during his bus route.
The driver of the 7B Laurelgrove Metro service pulled up outside the Winemark parking the bus before going inside, the Belfast Telegraph reported.
“After I got on he turned off almost straight away and went on a detour,”
“I had no idea where we were going but then he pulled up in front of a Winemark and went in.
“I couldn’t believe it and I could see a member of staff in the shop looking out the window at the parked bus — it was very strange.”
The bus was on its way back into Belfast city centre when it made the unscheduled stop off at Winemark, at around 8.45pm on Monday 23 January.
In a statement Translink said it had "investigated the circumstances of this incident.
“The Metro driver in question has admitted disembarking the service for a brief time to purchase a soft drink, while there were still passengers on board.
“He has apologised for his actions and Translink will be following the appropriate corrective measures with this employee.”
But the thirsty Belfast bus driver caused a mere inconvenience compared to the fate suffered by frustrated passengers on board a First Capital Connect train from London Bridge on 25 January.
Passengers panicked when the train driver whizzed past all the stops after leaving central London, announcing that due to a breakdown on the line, the late night service would only be stopping at the train's final destination in Sutton.
One passenger told the Metro they were "essentially held hostage" on the train, until one man tugged the emergency stop, which caused the train to grind to a halt at West Croydon.
Forcing the doors open, the passengers all had to filter out through the last carriage, as the train driver would not reverse.
First Capital Connect said that the passengers were told before they boarded the train and would have been dropped back at their stations from Sutton.