Aust'n woman abused by ticket inspectors for helping homeless man

A woman who was abused by ticket inspector's for offering to pay a homeless man's tram fare said she was scared by the ordeal.

Emily Day said she was riding a tram in Melbourne's northern suburbs when ticket inspectors approached a homeless man sitting nearby and asked to see his ticket.

"He (the homeless man) was not in a great place and was struggling," Day told Fairfax Media on Wednesday. "He did not need that and they had zero sensitivity.

"He was sitting quietly on the tram, shrinking into himself and they were just standing over him. It was really rough.

"I was really mad they weren't showing compassion. They were being bullies."

Day said that when her and another passenger offered to pay the man's fare by handing him spare tickets the inspectors then turned on her, leaving her scared and angry.

"They started yelling at us and saying we could be fined," she said.

"All four of them ganged up on me and kept interrupting me.

"One got really exasperated... but he seemed to realize that it wasn't cool afterwards."

Day said she asked the inspectors to waive the man's fine, but they refused.

A spokesperson for Yarra Trams said the man, who could not be confirmed as being homeless or not, was issued with a "report of non-compliance" which left the Transport Department to decide if the man will be fined.

The spokesperson said Yarra Trams would investigate Day's claims that the inspectors abused her.

"Yarra Trams expects employees to show courtesy and respect to people while carrying out their duties," the spokesperson told Fairfax. Endit