Post by Kain on Aug 31, 2004 17:23:02 GMT -4
This was out a UK Newspaper
I really thank thats a super story.
Kane
Free bus pass for Nibbles the hamster
Charlie Hamilton
The Guardian
A hamster at the centre of a cash-for-travel row has been awarded a free travel pass, it was announced yesterday.
The 10-year-old owner of Nibbles, Jordan Underwood, was stunned when a bus driver demanded that he pay an additional 10p on top of his own 55p fare to take his pet on a bus ride into Northampton town centre.
The bus company First Northampton apologised to the pair for the top-up charge yesterday, awarding Jordan free bus travel for a month and giving Nibbles his own lifetime travel pass.
The pair were then given a trip around the town on one of the company's buses, which carried a sign reading "The Hamster Special".
Austin Birks, a spokesman for the company, apologised to the pair and thanked them for drawing attention to a gap in the firm's travel policy.
He said: "We realised we had no policy for hamster travel so we have released the first ever guidelines for hamsters using our buses.
"First, hamsters are encouraged to travel free of charge on any of our services, preferably accompanied by a fee-paying human.
"Second, young hamsters will be asked to give up their seat to an elderly or infirm hamster.
"Thirdly, we request that hamsters do not use mobile telephones or Walkmans while travelling on our buses for the comfort and convenience of other hamsters."
Jordan, from King's Heath, Northampton, said he was pleased with the firm's gifts but felt Nibbles was still not satisfied. He said: "I think they should do something more. They could buy him a bigger cage or a wheel.
"If they don't know where to buy him those things, then they can send me the money and I'll buy them for him."
Charlie Hamilton
The Guardian
A hamster at the centre of a cash-for-travel row has been awarded a free travel pass, it was announced yesterday.
The 10-year-old owner of Nibbles, Jordan Underwood, was stunned when a bus driver demanded that he pay an additional 10p on top of his own 55p fare to take his pet on a bus ride into Northampton town centre.
The bus company First Northampton apologised to the pair for the top-up charge yesterday, awarding Jordan free bus travel for a month and giving Nibbles his own lifetime travel pass.
The pair were then given a trip around the town on one of the company's buses, which carried a sign reading "The Hamster Special".
Austin Birks, a spokesman for the company, apologised to the pair and thanked them for drawing attention to a gap in the firm's travel policy.
He said: "We realised we had no policy for hamster travel so we have released the first ever guidelines for hamsters using our buses.
"First, hamsters are encouraged to travel free of charge on any of our services, preferably accompanied by a fee-paying human.
"Second, young hamsters will be asked to give up their seat to an elderly or infirm hamster.
"Thirdly, we request that hamsters do not use mobile telephones or Walkmans while travelling on our buses for the comfort and convenience of other hamsters."
Jordan, from King's Heath, Northampton, said he was pleased with the firm's gifts but felt Nibbles was still not satisfied. He said: "I think they should do something more. They could buy him a bigger cage or a wheel.
"If they don't know where to buy him those things, then they can send me the money and I'll buy them for him."
I really thank thats a super story.
Kane