A little girl, about four to five years old, was seen lying asleep on a bus seat with a quilt, pillow and books, on May 21, 2019. (Photo from Weibo)
(ECNS) -- Netizens are appealing to a bus company in Changsha City, Hunan Province, not to fire a female driver who brought her daughter to work when she was unable to find childcare.
The girl, who is approximately five years old, was seen with a quilt, pillow and books, lying asleep on the seats alongside her mother on the night of May 21. Photos of the child shared on social media site Weibo went viral, attracting a mix of responses.
A team leader surnamed Li at the local bus company said on Thursday that the employee, whose surname is Liu, was temporarily suspended from work for violating safety rules and may eventually lose her job.
Nobody in Liu's household was able to take care of the child on May 21, according to Li, who added that drivers were not allowed to carry their children while working as it could affect the safety of other bus passengers. Liu should have talked to the bus company beforehand or enlisted the help of colleagues, Li said. Liu has worked at the company for several months.
Touched by the story, a netizen called Tani-Nio said "home is where mum and dad are,” while Weibo user Xiaoayihao said “it's hard to be a mother.” Another user, Tuoleilaxiaoshenxian, defended the mother's actions, saying of course it's not safe to drive that way but how can an adult explain that to a small child? User Ailvxingdeting said the mother wouldn't have been able to drive well if she had left the child alone at home and she mustn't have had any other choice.
Another user, Kelejiabingcool, responded by saying life is not easy for adults and hoped that every child had the chance to grow up happily.
Others were more concerned about the child's safety. As netizen Shawnm said, it’s dangerous to sleep on a bus seat.
