I drove for the MTC, now renamed bus company, from 79 through mid-85. During that
time there were numerous assaults on drivers by passengers who were whacked out on
alcohol, drugs, or rage. On the 5 line alone (Chicago Av.)one
driver was knifed, one thrown off his own bus at gunpoint, one driver was attacked in
the washroom of Butler Square (o-ficial potty break site), etc. One driver was
highjacked. One bus was stolen while the driver stopped for a
bathroom break. Those are the ones I remember. I was assaulted with a malted on the
21 once, another guy came after me for asking for a fare and I took him to court. Two
passengers came to court to speak for him, saying I hit
him back and it was racist to do so. The verbal assaults, of course, were routine.
The flashers were fairly routine. The no pays were beyond counting. Shortly after I
left a driver was raped at the end of the line by a
passenger.
By report of friends still driving, assaults have risen exponentially during the last
10 years. Even if the news media wanted to report all the assaults, the bus company
would not be likely to assist since it would cast a bad
light on the company and make people nervous about riding.
Passengers, too, are assaulted. My kid came home last week saying a guy had put his
hands on her on the bus and harassed her verbally and followed her off the bus to
continue harassing her. Luckily, he picked the wrong kid. She
decked him but good and came home to change her clothes because his blood was all over
her. She didn't have a mark on her. Towanda! But it scares me, the next sorry
geeker could have a gun or a knife or be bigger and stronger.
WMarks, Central
Dennis Hill wrote:
> Steve Brandt posted:
>
> "Beyond that, it was a threshold decision by the paper. I'm told by
> people who monitor these things that drivers get attacked monthly. We
> rarely report routine beatings of anyone, much less drivers, and if we
> did, the newspaper would have room for little else."
>
> Steve please define "routine beating". From what I saw on the videotape, that was
>no routine beating, that was a professional assualt. Maybe when irate newspaper
>readers start routinely beating Star Tribune reporters
> when they don't like the way a story is or is not reported these beatings will
>start getting some ink in the papers.
>
> Personally I think the paper discounted the worth of the man beaten because after
>all he's onnly a bus driver.
>
> Dennis Hill
> Only a bus rider
> St. Paul
>
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