Orthodox Jewish man says London bus driver flung antisemitic insults at him, withheld bank card for an hour

An Orthodox Jewish man says a London bus driver hurled antisemitic insults while withholding his bank card in the vehicle for around an hour on Monday.

David Abraham, 52, tells the BBC that he dropped his bank card inside the driver’s cab after boarding. The driver then refused to open to door to allow him to retrieve his property.

“He said ‘get out, I don’t like Jewish people you look like a Mossad agent’. I said ‘why you say that?’ So I was shocked,” Abraham says.

The driver initially refused to open the cab even after police arrived, Abraham says. “The driver said, ‘no, no, no. I don’t want to give you the card. If you want to take that card, open this door, take that card. But me, I will not give you the card.’ So the officer opened the door. They (the police officer) just take the card.”

Abraham says he feels “scared” to go out again due to the incident.

A spokesperson for the London Metropolitan Police confirms to the BBC that officers came to the scene. While no crime was reported, the following day, Abraham reported the incident as a hate crime, the spokesperson adds.

An Arriva London Bus company spokesperson says the driver was suspended pending an investigation, adding the firm does not tolerate abuse, “and we will always deal with any incidents swiftly and robustly.”

A Jewish man from London dropped his credit card into the driver’s section of a public bus.

Rather than returning it, the driver made ignored the passenger, who was trapped on the bus for hours trying to retrieve his property.

The driver reportedly said that he doesn’t like… pic.twitter.com/dH1E76ZUEa

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) October 30, 2025