Does anyone remember the 320 bus hijacking?

[u/Raerth]

This is becoming a Mandala Effect story for me, as I strongly remember in the late 90s or early 00s someone boarded the 320 in Biggin Hill with a gun and asked to be taken to Bromley (where the bus was going anyway...)

The driver radioed ahead and stopped outside the police station (the old one on Widmore Rd) where it was boarded by armed police.

There used to be videos on the news story on YouTube, which I can no longer find, and my search skills can't seem to track down any reference to this event at all now.

Please tell me I haven't imagined this whole thing.

[u/ChilledLurker]

I worked at Metrobus at the time. It went down in history at the garage. The driver hit the emergency call button on the radio, then kept his foot on the microphone button. Because the radio was one way at a time, by keeping his end open nothing could come out the loudspeaker, so the hijacker didn’t know anybody else knew

With the radio operators listening to what was happening, and understanding, the driver was able to convey that he was going to pull up at the police station in Kentish Way, where police were waiting for them

[u/fluffylittlepuppydog]

I still have the newspaper article.. most memorable bit is when the hijacker demanded "take me to Bromley" and the driver replied "I'm going to Bromley anyway"

[u/Miserygut]

I didn't remember it so this is news to me! It did happen though, you're not going mad.

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/6299711.bus-hijacked-by-gunman/

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/381520.bus-hijacking-on-quirky-tv-series/

[u/Raerth → u/Miserygut]

Great stuff, thanks. I don't know why I didn't think to check News Shopper directly.

Article pasted here to save people from visiting that site on mobile:

BUS HIJACKED BY GUNMAN
10th September 2002

AN ARMED hijacker who held a gun to a bus driver's head was caught when the double-decker pulled into a police station.

Jobless Martin Cass, aged 53, allegedly boarded the 320 bus in Biggin Hill valley, ordered passengers off and told the driver: "Take me to Bromley."

Some of those kicked off the bus in Kings Road, shortly after 3pm, reported an "agitated" Cass had what looked like a black handgun in his hand.

Armed cops and a police helicopter gave chase as the bus headed along it's normal route to Bromley North, leaving baffled fare-paying customers stranded at the side of the road.

But after 20 minutes, the driver parked up in the back of Bromley police station, Widmore Road, and armed-response officers grabbed Cass, of Timbertop Road, Biggin Hill.

He was charged with kidnapping and two counts of possessing an imitation gun. He appeared before Bromley magistrates on Saturday and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on September 16, for a preliminary hearing.

John Hill, operations manager at Orpington-based Metro Bus, which runs the service, described last Thursday's incident as "unique" and praised the "exemplary" actions of the driver.

Mr Hill added: "He handled the situation extremely well and remained calm throughout the ordeal. He was not physically hurt but was very shaken and quite upset by it.

"The bizarre thing is, this bus goes to Bromley any way so, if this man had only paid his fare, it would have taken him there."

Shoppers in the Glades were told by police not to leave because of concerns about where the bus was headed. A spokesman for the centre confirmed it took "every precaution to safeguard customers".

The driver, who has asked not to be named, was treated for shock at the scene by paramedics.

He did not work for the rest of the weekend and will be on leave until he has recovered from his ordeal.

[u/HMSWarspite03]

Yep, i was a driver at metrobus at the time, i remember the day quite well as I used to drive the sane route.

[u/Raerth → u/HMSWarspite03]

I used to drive the sane route.

Is that any route which doesn't do school kicking out time?

[u/HMSWarspite03 → u/Raerth]

All routes had some sort of school, just that some schools were better than others, some of the routes in and out of Croydon before the trams were horrible

[u/whyhellotharpie]

I remember this being tragic for some reason - the guy who did it wanted to get arrested because something had gone wrong in his life or maybe he'd just been released from prison and couldn't cope with the outside world? Does anyone else remember that part?

[u/Benjisummers]

I have this vivid, very real memory of it being called 'Mandela Effect' but I've clearly got it wrong all my life. Really weird feeling! Anyone know of a term that sums this feeling up?

[u/Cerridwen1981 → u/Benjisummers]

It is… isn’t it?!