Asphotos

'Whoopee cushion' deactivated
July 31, 2005 – 8:35PM

A Sydney bus driver began wondering what he'd picked up today when a suspicious popping sound drifted down from the back of his vehicle.

But he refused to let his imagination run wild, despite the recent terror bombings targeting London buses and underground trains.

Instead, he calmly went to investigate and found the source of the “pops” was not some kind of evil explosive device or bomb timing mechanism, but a “whoopee cushion-style toy”.

The driver found the small foil bag, which made the popping sound when crushed, on a rear seat of the government bus at Coogee, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, about 4.50pm (AEST).

The driver duly completed his run – picking up and setting down passengers as usual – and only alerted the police when he arrived at Circular Quay about 25 minutes later.

Officers from The Rocks station subsequently took possession of the offending toy.

A police spokesman dismissed an earlier media report that the driver had been injured by a firecracker.

“(The toy) appeared to be activated by pressure, and not an explosive,” he said, adding that the bus driver had done the right thing in contacting them.

“We're asking people to remain alert, not alarmed, so he brought it forward,” he said.

AAP