A Victoria woman who was asked to get off a bus because she was coughing says concerns about H1N1 have reached hysteria levels.
"I get the concern," said Jenn Chapman, 41, a human resources worker. "There needs to be some precaution, there needs to be some education. But there needs to be way less hype."
Chapman said on Thursday she was riding a bus and coughing into her sleeve, as directed by public health officials -- even though her doctor has assured her she doesn't have H1N1 swine flu.
An elderly woman sitting some distance away told Chapman she shouldn't be riding public transit with a cough. The woman then approached the driver and demanded he take action.
The driver, although clearly uncomfortable, asked Chapman if she was close enough to her destination to leave the bus. Since she was only two stops away, she got off to keep the peace.
"What are you going to do? I was brought up to respect my elders," said Chapman. "She wasn't rational at that point."
Medical officials have said those born before 1957 are the least likely to contract H1N1 flu.
sa国际传媒 Transit spokeswoman Joanna Morton said drivers have discretion in maintaining "a safe and secure" transit environment." But Morton expressed gratitude to Chapman for being accommodating by getting off.
As for H1N1, she said sa国际传媒 Transit is working on a strategy in consultation with health officials to reduce public risk, adding buses are now disinfected every night.
Victoria Coun. Philippe Lucas believes sa国际传媒 Transit should also consider installing hand sanitizers on transit buses. "In such a crowded, high-use public area, it seems common sense that we would have them," Lucas said.
"People are hanging on to the poles on a bus and the benches in the bus in a way that we don't normally at a convenience store or a grocery store."
Lucas said sa国际传媒 Transit should also consider making pamphlets available outlining correct coughing protocol, safe hand-washing techniques and other protective measures.
Lucas recently won support for the idea from the city's environment and infrastructure committee, which is recommending Mayor Dean Fortin write sa国际传媒 Transit suggesting the change.
Morton said any decision about installing hand sanitizers would be up to the transit commission, adding that with about 250 buses in the fleet, it wouldn't be a small job.
In Chapman's case, Dr. Richard Stanwick, chief medical health officer for the Vancouver Island Health Authority, said the complaining passenger needn't have worried as long as Chapman was coughing in her sleeve.
He said health officials hope coughing or sneezing without a tissue or hankie -- or into the crook of the arm -- eventually goes as out of favour as public spitting.
"What we really want to do is see a fairly significant social change in how people handle their secretions."
