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An Egyptian man said he was shouted at by a bus driver after calling him ‘me ‘ansum’ as a pleasant 'thank you' gesture. The 70-year-old widower said he was stunned and dismayed at the sudden anger of the driver.

Rather than saying ‘thank you’ as he departed the First Kernow bus, Raggaa Komos had instead wished the driver a good evening and added the traditional Cornish expression for ‘my handsome’.

(Image: SallyAdamsPhoto)

Mr Komos, who speaks English perfectly but with a foreign accent, said: “I said to him, ‘have a good evening me’ ansum’. He shouted at me, ‘you’re not from Cornwall. You can’t say that! You’re not Cornish!”

He said he was shocked after the incident on First Kernow service from Truro to Redruth.

Mr Komos, a retired computer systems analyst, had been out for an afternoon to meet a friend in Truro. When she went home to Falmouth, Mr Komos caught a bus back to Redruth at around 7pm.

He does not drink and said he was in a good mood, having enjoyed his afternoon.

(Image: Sally Adams)

“The bus was empty except for one lady sitting near the driver,” he said. “When the people leave the bus, they say ‘thank you’ but I feels it’s empty. Instead I say ‘Have a good day’ or ‘evening’.

“When he shouted at me and I felt his anger. I wondered what would make someone want to talk like that. I felt I was racially assaulted.”

He said he uses the Cornish expression regularly in much the same way as the expression ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’ encourages people to adopt local customs.

“I know the word as the locals use it,” he added. “I say ‘me ‘ansum’ and I use it everywhere. I was acting like the Roman. I was not doing anything wrong.

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“I know Cornwall is a proud nation and do understand the Trewlany story. In a sense I was paying him a compliment by wishing him a good evening.”

Mr Komos graduated in accountancy from university in Cairo in the 1970s. After a career working and living in London for 20 years, he moved to Bournemouth for four years before settling in Cornwall for the past 16 years.

He said he believed intolerance to foreigners has escalated since the Brexit referendum, even against those who are not even from Europe.

“I think the hatred has increased, from the way people look at me and their tone,” he said. “Since the Brexit, the attitude has become hostile.

(Image: SallyAdamsPhoto)

“I am sick and tired of it. I know and understand the Cornish have a grievance against the English but people need to be educated. I don’t cause trouble and don’t know why trouble follows me.

“Most of the bus drivers know me by my first name. As well, the bus is a public service. The man should be respectful.”

A spokesman for First Kernow said: “We can confirm that we are looking into a customer complaint regarding driver behaviour. This investigation has only just got under way and we’re still establishing the facts, however we want to reassure customers that the company takes appropriate action in cases where there is a shortfall in customer service.”