SAN ANTONIO -- A group of passengers were allegedly subjected to a 15-minute berating from a VIA bus driver Friday after he became upset when one rider couldn't speak English.

According to one passenger, the driver became upset when an elderly man was 25 cents short on a bus fare. When the driver asked for the extra quarter, the man needed the assistance of a fellow passenger to explain the price discrepancy, said rider Maria Sandoval.

After the man paid the remaining fare, the driver was still upset, said Sandoval.

"The lady told the bus driver, 'He doesn't understand you because he doesn't speak English,'" Sandoval said. "He said, 'I don't care, you are in America and you should speak English.'"

As the ride continued, the driver continued to yell at the passengers for about 15 minutes and said they should learn English, Sandoval said.

"Then he said, 'You know what, we're not going anywhere,'" Sandoval said. "At St. Mary's and Alamo, he stopped the bus and got a piece of paper and went to sit on a bench that was there."

VIA officials acknowledged that they received one complaint about the driver, were investigating the incident and said it was an isolated incident that they take very seriously. The driver is currently on paid suspension, according to a VIA spokeswoman.

Sandoval said she hopes other witnesses would contact VIA to complain.