A conductor working with the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) on Monday was issued a memorandum after he allowed a pigeon, sitting on the bus windows, to travel ticketless.
On Thursday evening, a government bus connecting Harur town and Ellavadi was crossing a forest area with over 80 passengers. It was when transport department inspectors flagged stopped the bus to check tickets.
At the time, a drunk passenger, in his mid-forties, had caught hold of the pigeon, and was "having a conversation" with it.
After seeing the bird, one of the officers asked the conductor whether he had issued a ticket to the bird. He mentioned that tickets are compulsory for animals. The conductor said the passenger was not carrying the bird at the time of boarding. Not impressed, the inspector issued the conductor a memo.