Chloe Cleverley says she was subjected to a rude comment by a Transperth bus driver.
Camera IconChloe Cleverley says she was subjected to a rude comment by a Transperth bus driver. Credit: Supplied/Jon Hewson

Stop the stereotype jokes

Katelyn Booth, Weekend CourierWeekend Kwinana Courier

But a 17-year-old girl from Kwinana said she felt humiliated when a Trans-perth bus driver reportedly made an ‘inappropriate and stereotypical’ joke about the town and its folk on February 18.

Chloe Cleverley told the Courier that after asking the bus driver to wait while she grabbed her tertiary concession card from her wallet, the driver commented: ‘That’s fine, you’re from Kwinana. Of course you would have one.’

The comment plays off a long-running joke that all Kwinana residents carry a concession card because they are unemployed.

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But Chloe’s mother Fiona did not see the funny side and lodged a formal complaint with the Perth Transport Authority on February 20.

She said she had not yet heard from the PTA.

A PTA spokesman said they had received the complaint and would carry out a full investigation.

‘Because we aim to deliver a safe and reliable service to all our passengers, Transperth demands the highest standard of service and professionalism from the bus drivers employed by our contractors,’ he said.

‘That is why we take allegations of this nature very seriously.’

Chloe catches public transport to and from university in Fremantle.

‘I was in shock when I heard the driver say these comments and upset that people refer to people Kwinana so poorly,’ she said.