A Bus Eireann driver who turned his bus around for an elderly lady who realised she was on the wrong route says he doesn't expect praise.
Kind-hearted Joe Carroll, who lives and works in Cork, was 15 minutes into his regular Limerick-Cork run when an anxious pensioner told him she had gotten on his bus by mistake and needed to travel to Galway.
After explaining to his passengers that he wanted to turn back, he then radioed ahead to the depot to make sure the Galway bus be held for his elderly passenger. It was a simple gesture that helped the elderly lady and delighted his passengers, who took to social media to praise him.
Cork Beo reports that Joe didn't expect praise, he just felt it was the "right thing to do".
The 41-year-old dad-of-two, originally from Abbeyleix but living in Watergrasshill, said he didn't think what he did was a big deal at the time.
He told Cork Beo: "Mallow is the last stop before you get to Cork, so I went up the Mallow road and she was like, 'I'm on the wrong bus!'".
"She told me she meant to go to Galway, I thought for a minute because the Galway bus passed me, so I radioed in and tried to get him to wait up at the stop.
"So I turned back and then I saw the bus driver pulling off from the Mallow stop when I was getting there, I probably would have kept going after him until I stopped him.
"Luckily they got the radio in and they stopped him and she was able to get on with her journey.
"I didn't think much of it at the time but i just did it automatically, that's the kind of person I am."
Funnily enough, Joe actually spotted the story on social media but didn't realise it was about him until he read further.
"I saw the story on Facebook and thought - that's a nice thing for a bus driver to do - and then realised it was about me!".
"I got loads of thanks on the day and since but I just thought it was the right thing to do.
"We'll all be old some day and she was so grateful".
Bus Eireann have also praised their employee and said he will be rewarded for his classy gesture.
A spokesperson for the company said: "The driver of this service has been identified, his actions and quick thinking is another example of a Bus Éireann employee going the extra mile for one of our customers and will be acknowledged by local management in Cork."
A passenger on-board the Limerick to Cork service praised the bus driver and said everyone was more than happy to help the lady out.
Passenger Yvonne Ellard said: "Well done to the bus driver on Limerick to Cork route who turned back to Mallow when an older lady realised she was on the wrong bus and also got the Galway bus to wait for her.
"She realised it as soon as it turned onto the Cork road instead of towards Limerick when it left Mallow so it hadn't gone far.
"He rang or radioed ahead to ask the Galway bus to wait for her then turned around to bring her back. Poor lady was so grateful."
"The driver did ask if people minded if he turned around. It was only an extra 10-15 mins, so nobody minded. We will all be old some day and it could happen to us."
