A 33-year-old man hopes his experience on a bus will remind commuters that not every disability is immediately visible.<\/p>\n
Stomper Billy<\/strong>, who says he has a weakness in his left leg after suffering a stroke two years ago, said he was berated by a woman for not giving up his priority seat<\/a> to an elderly man on Aug 27.<\/p>\n The incident occurred on bus service 8 at about 7.55am, shortly after the bus left Toa Payoh interchange for Tampines.<\/p>\n Billy told Stomp that he suffered complications from both leukaemia and a stroke when he was 31.<\/p>\n Despite being cancer-free, Billy claims he continues to experience weakness in his left leg and has a foot drop, which affects his ability to walk.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the outside, I look like a normal man, but I walk with a foot drop,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He explained that he uses priority seats<\/a> because his condition can make it difficult for him to stand or maintain his balance on a moving bus.<\/p>\n According to the Stomper, a woman approached him and asked him to give up his seat to an elderly man.<\/p>\n He said he explained that he needed the seat because of his leg weakness, but claimed the woman refused to accept his explanation.<\/p>\n \u201cShe started to scold me and said that I am young and I should just stand and give up my seat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cShe then started to take photos of me, so in retaliation, I took videos of her.\u201d<\/p>\n In videos he shared, the pair can be heard arguing as other commuters stand around them on the crowded bus.<\/p>\n At one point, the woman calls Billy an \u201cidiot\u201d and tells him: \u201cMake sure you viral.\u201d<\/p>\n She then appears to strike his phone while he is recording her.<\/p>\n Billy can be heard responding: \u201cSee, assault.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman subsequently tells him to \u201ccome out\u201d, which Billy said was a challenge for him to alight from the bus and \u201csettle\u201d the dispute with her.<\/p>\n She can also be heard hurling vulgarities at him before the video ends.<\/p>\n Billy said she eventually alighted a few stops later.<\/p>\n He added that the bus captain did not intervene, but believes the bus was too crowded for the captain to notice what was happening.<\/p>\n Billy made an online police report after the incident.<\/p>\n The police confirmed with Stomp that a report was lodged and that they are looking into the matter.<\/p>\n The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has previously highlighted that not all health conditions or disabilities are visible.<\/p>\n Under its Helping Hand scheme<\/a>, commuters with invisible conditions who require a seat can obtain a \u201cMay I have a seat please\u201d card to alert fellow commuters that they need one.<\/p>\n In a September 2025 parliamentary reply<\/a> on priority seating, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) also noted that besides the elderly and persons with disabilities, other commuters may need a seat because of invisible medical conditions.<\/p>\n MOT said its approach was not to legislate for every scenario, but to build a caring commuter culture that supports a wide range of needs.<\/p>\n LTA has also advised commuters with mobility needs<\/a> to remain seated while a bus is moving as part of its bus passenger safety campaign.<\/p>\n Billy said this was not the first time his condition had led to questions over his use of a priority seat.<\/p>\n On a previous occasion, a mother asked him to give up his seat to her child.<\/p>\n He did so as he was getting off at the next stop.<\/p>\n However, he hopes sharing his latest experience can raise awareness of people living with disabilities or medical conditions that may not be immediately apparent to others.<\/p>\n \u201cI think people shouldn\u2019t judge someone on the priority seat just because they look healthy, young or able,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope this can help bring more awareness to people with \u2018invisible disabilities\u2019 like me.\u201d<\/p>\n Have something to say? Join in!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Explore more on these topics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n See something interesting? Contribute<\/a> your story to us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWoman allegedly tells him he is young and should stand<\/h2>\n
Why more awareness is needed for invisible disabilities<\/h2>\n
\u2018People shouldn\u2019t judge\u2019<\/h2>\n
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