A Saskatoon Transit bus driver has been suspended with pay following a heated confrontation with a pedestrian in the Place Riel bus loop.

The profanity-laced argument was captured on video by an onlooker and was posted on YouTube earlier this afternoon. It quickly spread through social media networks.

The video, shot Nov. 29 at “around 11:35,” according to the YouTube description, shows a pedestrian deliberately blocking a bus from moving forward. The bus driver can be heard having an intense argument with the pedestrian before getting back behind the wheel. Shortly after, a number of onlookers attempt to move the pedestrian out of the way, causing him to slip and fall as the driver manages to maneuver his bus out of the way.

Star Phoenix reporter David Hutton tweeted the following this evening, confirming that the bus driver has been suspended following the confrontation. Saskatoon transit has launched an investigation which will take “3 to 4 days:”

Saskatoon Transit driver suspended while internal investigation looks into events surrounding this video: youtube.com/watch?v=Knawj6… #yxe #yxecc

— David Hutton (@HuttonSP) November 30, 2012

Transit manager said incident and language used by driver was “unfortunate.” Investigation will take 3 or 4 days. #yxe

— David Hutton (@HuttonSP) November 30, 2012

Update Nov. 30, 2:46 p.m.: CKOM is reporting that the bus driver has been suspended with pay.

“I just want to make it emphatically clear that the operator who was involved in the incident was suspended with pay until we conduct our internal review,” said Bob Howe, city manager for Saskatoon Transit and a former bus driver.

Update 6:22 p.m.: “We are disappointed at the way that the event took place. That’s not how we expect our operators to react in a tense situation,” said Howe. “The language he used was disappointing as well.”

Saskatoon Transit requires that all operators take the Master Training Program that in part, prepares them for dealing with difficult situations, such as unruly riders and citizens, with professional manners.

Howe said that the details leading up to the incident are being investigated with eyewitness accounts being taken into account.

Saskatoon Police Services said that that they were called to the scene at about 11:20 a.m. after a complaint about a disturbance was made.

“We spoke to three individuals once we arrived there,” a spokesperson for SPS told the Sheaf. “We don’t know if this is a criminal case or not and so we are looking into it further.”

The pedestrian involved in the incident has filed a complaint with SPS. The nature of the complaint is unknown.

Watch the video below for another take on the incident showing a higher angle.

With files from Anna-Lilja Dawson

Who do you think is in the right: the bus driver or the pedestrian? Or are you siding with the bystander that gets involved, the mystery character Stupid Things Overheard at the U of S has dubbed “the Baggy Pants Batman?” Cast your vote in the poll below.

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Image: imbetterthanu2/YouTube