LONDON (Reuters) - A British bus company has apologized to a girl who is led around on a leash by her boyfriend and describes herself as a human pet after one of its drivers threw her off a bus.

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Tasha Maltby, 19, told British newspapers she was the "pet" of her 25-year-old fiance Dani Graves.

Pictures showed her dressed in black Gothic-style clothing with silver buckles on a silver chain -- which the driver of a bus from the firm Arriva took exception to.

She told the Daily Mail newspaper Wednesday she was thrown off and told: "We don't let freaks and dogs like you on."

Arriva would not comment on specifics but said it apologized if the couple felt they had been discriminated against. It added, however, that the driver was worried about safety and the company told Maltby to take the leash off in the future.

"We have spoken to the driver who has talked about health and safety," a spokesman said. "Should she be attached to a chain and something happens on the bus, that could be dangerous. All we are saying is that she is very welcome to use the buses but not when she is on her lead."

Maltby -- who lives on state benefits and got engaged in November -- said her choice of lifestyle might seem unusual but was harmless.

"I am a pet," she told the Daily Mail. "I generally act animal-like and I lead a really easy life. I don't cook or clean and I don't go anywhere without Dani. It might seem strange but it makes us both happy. It's my culture and my choice. It isn't hurting anyone."

(Editing by Michael Winfrey)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080123/od_nm/girl_leash1_dc;_ylt=Alum2ZY2cX1ejdHkJv3EGgMuQE4F

MIIINNDDDFFRREEAAAKKK

i may be crazy, but that would seem pretty nice...sometimes

bus? those two should be kicked out of society.

drop the leash

Liberals can be so judgmental. Those two fellas are quite happy together, live and let live...

if they are both consenting and of age, then they have every right to live this way. however, i feel incredilbly sad for the woman. by allowing herself to be a "pet" she is stunting her possibilities for growth in every aspect of her life.

Alright, but I'm not going to talk to them.

Meh. She's 19. She's happy and having fun. She'll grow up and out of it eventually.

And people thought the hippies in the 60s were bad.


I wanna know......
is she house trained or does she go on the newspapers?

great photoshop work there


and is it me, or is that guy from the emo sgt peppers

i'm not sure if this can be classified as "fun", and i think that the pattern she develops now will haunt her for the rest of her life. even of the man is extremely gentle and kind to his "pet", she is still in her formative years, and the pattern of submission/compliancy and helplessness will likely make it impossible for her to actually get out once she decides she wants out.

if you are a pet, you don't learn to take care of yourself. how is she supposed to just say, "Okay, I'm done" and move on when she has no tools to actually take care of herself? she may be trapped unless someone intervenes.

now she may be fully self-actualized and know exactly what she is doing, and then if/when she decides she wants out, she will have the emotional and practical tools to do so, but i would not lay bets on that.

I love when women judge how other women choose to live their lives.

19 year olds, aren't women.

Misplaced commas, can undermine your point.

When in doubt leave it out.