FacebookA woman was left terrified after being confronted by a man wearing a mask on the top deck of a bus – a scene very similar to a recent episode of Luther.
The 22-year-old – who’s asked to remain anonymous – was travelling on a bus in Sheffield on January 3 when she encountered the man, who was seated a few rows in front of her.
The hooded figure started speaking to the young woman, asking her where she lived, if she was alone, and what her name was. He turned and revealed he was wearing a white mask which, combined with his hood, concealed his identity.
The mask was reminiscent of the ‘no face’ ghost, seen in the animated film Spirited Away.
Ghibli InternationalAfter managing to capture some of the unnerving situation on camera, the frightened passenger shared it to Facebook, writing:
Creepiest bus journey of my life on the 120 back from town towards Crystal Peaks. This guy staring ahead while I’m sat behind asking me questions like what’s your surname, are you alone, where do you live.
He turns around with a mask on his face and walks suddenly towards me then stops, turns around and goes back to his chair. #watchoutwhenyoureonthebusalonegirls #becareful
Thankfully, the 22-year-old was able to quickly get off the bus and away from the man, escaping to a local shopping centre.
FacebookShe added on Facebook:
Just glad Crystal Peaks was open and I could make a beeline for that once I got off the bus.
The video gained thousands of views on Facebook, and many people were quick to point out the similarities of her situation to a recent episode of BBC’s Luther. Just a heads up, if you’re yet to watch the new series, there are some spoilers below.
In the first episode of season five – which aired on New Year’s Day – a serial killer hides on the top floor of a double-decker bus, wearing a white mask with his hood up.
He waits until he’s alone with one other woman before crawling towards her seat, and then stabs her to death.
While the situation obviously wasn’t exactly the same, the white mask, hood, and location, are eerily similar.
Speaking to HuffPost UK, the female passenger explained she didn’t want ‘any hate’ towards the man in the mask, adding she started filming simply ‘to raise awareness of the dangers of travelling alone as a woman’.
BBCShe said:
I don’t want any hate towards the guy, that was never my intention, he clearly just needs some sort of help.
Local police were made aware of the situation, and a spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said:
We are aware of this and our officers have spoken to a man in his 30s.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.