Man grateful after SBS Transit officer helps recover passport left on bus
An early morning panic at Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange turned into a moment of relief and gratitude after an SBS Transit officer went the extra mile to help a distressed passenger recover his missing passport.
At about 5am, Senior Assistant Interchange Supervisor Nithyananthan Palne, also known as Nathan, was approached at the passenger service office by a visibly upset man.
Source: Google Maps, for illustration purposes only
The man, a Malaysian in his 20s, had lost his passport the day before and had no idea where it might have gone.
Without the document, he was unable to return home and had spent the night sleeping at a McDonald’s outlet.
‘He was crying’: SBS Transit officer springs into action
Desperate for help, the man suspected he might have left his wallet on one of the buses he had taken, but could not remember which service it was.
With no other options, he turned to Mr Nathan for assistance as soon as the interchange opened.
“He was crying, saying he couldn’t return to Malaysia without his passport and didn’t know what to do!” Mr Nathan recalled.
Source: SBS Transit on Facebook
Mr Nathan immediately sprang into action, contacting staff across multiple bus interchanges to check if a passport had been found.
When those checks turned up nothing, he extended the search to Seletar Bus Depot.
There, he received encouraging news: a Bus Captain had discovered a passport tucked under a seat on Service 24.
Source: Land Transport Guru, for illustration purposes only
After verifying that the document belonged to the distressed passenger, Mr Nathan personally travelled to Seletar Bus Depot to retrieve it.
He then returned to Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange to hand the passport back.
“He was overjoyed the moment he got it back,” Mr Nathan said with a smile. “He even called a few days later to thank me again personally!”
The Malaysian man subsequently wrote in to SBS Transit to commend Mr Nathan for his “prompt and efficient action”.
Source: SBS Transit on Facebook
In recounting the incident on Facebook, SBS Transit also publicly praised Mr Nathan, highlighting his dedication and commitment to service.
A track record of going the extra mile
This was not the first time Mr Nathan had stepped up to help someone in distress.
In a Facebook post dated 21 July, SBS Transit shared another incident in which he assisted a man who had lost his wallet containing his work permit and S$2,400 in cash meant for his family back home.
After confirming the location of the bus, Mr Nathan brought the man to it, where the wallet was successfully recovered.
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Featured image adapted from SBS Transit on Facebook and khai9000 from Getty Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
