A Bus Driver's Fart Was So Bad Her Coworker Went Home and Showered. Her Defense: "Everyone Needs to Fart." A Tribunal Was Not Moved.

In England, a bus driving shift change turned into a legal case, and it started with a smell.

According to an employment tribunal, a driver for the electric bus company The Big Lemon was accused of what the tribunal heard described as significant flatulence. The coworker who took over her seat noticed the odor still hanging around when her own shift started.

It did not stay at work. The coworker told the tribunal that when she got home, her partner noticed the smell too, so she washed her uniform and took a shower right away.

When the coworker raised it, the driver's answer, as reported from the tribunal, was simple: "Everyone needs to fart and let out gases." Hard to argue with the science. The workplace was less convinced.

The concern went to a manager and came up in the driver's employment review. She was later let go after failing an extended probation period over performance concerns, and she took the company to the Bristol Employment Tribunal claiming disability discrimination.

The tribunal rejected her claims. The judge found the complaint about the smell was a genuine workplace concern and that the dismissal was not about her health. Somewhere, a bus seat is still recovering.