Vilnius ticket collectors are accused of beating children (video)

The conflict with a female ticket collector from Navapolatsk has become notorious in our country. It is very revealing that ticket collector-passenger relations are also tense abroad. There is a video made with a  cell phone showing two huge male ticket collectors beating minors and it aroused the Lithuanian society.

The video (at the end of this article) shows two male ticket collectors beating two minors in their minibus. The guys are covering their heads with their arms and a woman caught for fare dodging is trying to defend them. Passers-by made the video from behind the bus window. They were also  swearing angrily at the ticket collectors in Lithuanian and Russian.

Both the 14 and 16-year-old guys went to hospital afterwards. One had a head injury and the other was suffering because tear gas had been sprayed into his eyes. An investigation has been started, the ticket collectors may be imprisoned for up to three years.

Meanwhile, the public transport administration is using an aggressive defence strategy. They say that the 14-year-old guy injured the ticket collector.

Head of enterprise Gintas Blyuvas: "The injured man is a former policeman, he has been working here for only two months. He can hardly see anything with his left eye, his nose is broken. His leap is flat and he does not feel it."

A similar incident occurred in Vilnius a week ago. Ticket collectors used  a stun gun to detain 16-year-old Pavel Adelshyn. The schoolboy was made to get off the bus and he tried to run away.

His mother Natallya told Euroradio:

"He did not push anyone, he just tried to step back a bit. Another ticket collector ran up to him, pinioned him, his coat was torn and a stun gun was used on his leg."

Natallya does not believe that the ticket collectors will be punished but explains why they decided to complain to the police.

Natallya: "We did it so that people would know about it. They use stun guns today, what will they use tomorrow? Will they shoot people in the legs?!"

Vilnius fines are much higher than in Minsk. A minor aged 7-16 has to pay 20-40 litas (over 100 thousand Belarusian roubles). Adult stowaways may be fined for thrice as much. At the same time, Lithuanian schoolchildren, students and some other groups of people have travel benefits. Their season tickets are relatively cheap: 20 litas or 65 thousand Belarusian roubles.

Photo by - DELFI portal reader Zhylvinas