Female Bus Driver Attacked By Passenger
Minister of Tourism Development and Transport Shawn Crockwell today [Feb 11] confirmed an incident on a Department of Public Transportation [DPT] bus in which a driver was assaulted by a passenger.
Minister Crockwell said: “I condemn this attack on a DPT staff member in the strongest possible terms. The health and safety of DPT staff is the top priority for management and efforts are being made to improve driver safety.
“My Permanent Secretary recently met with DPT management and BIU Division executives on this subject and there is another meeting scheduled for later this week. Let me assure drivers that the government takes a zero tolerance approach to attacks against operators and I can promise drivers that plans are moving forward to improve their safety.”
A Police spokesperson said, “Around 11:20am on Monday, February 10th police responded to a reported assault onboard a bus along South Road in Southampton near the junction with Lighthouse Road.
“It appears that a female passenger boarded the bus in that area and assaulted the female bus driver after a verbal exchange. Apparently other passengers then intervened and the suspect, believed to be a 22 year old Sandys parish woman, left the scene on foot prior to police arrival.
“The female bus driver appeared to have superficial injuries but attended the hospital to be medically assessed as a precaution. Inquiries into this incident are ongoing and any witnesses are encouraged to contact PC Jodi Eve at the Somerset Police Station on 234-1010.”
This is not good, and it does speak to some of the social ills we are faced with today. Protection of Bus Drivers is required, but also training of Bus Drivers on how to react/respond to passengers like this to avoid any escalation of such incidents. This will also protect them from injury until further help can be called to the scene.
One word: pepper spray.
That’s two words. LOL
Although I agree with you, pepper spray would also take its toll on both the driver and any other passengers if administered on a bus. Taser them instead!
Maybe she had been aggrevated by the strike Betty. Maybe she missed an important meeting last week because of it. But hey, definately not condoning her actions. If I was the female bus driver I would have kicked her in the chest down the stairs and hoped that she split her head on the sidewalk. These disrespectful little terroists need to be taught a lesson.
They need to put cameras above right of the driver facing the door, and one facing the back on all buses.
Also agree on training drivers on how to react/respond.
while not for violence, I co-sign the kick in the chest.
*snicker….
hit the accelerator, then jam brakes. culprit full of glass as it is ejected through the windscreen, then run over it
I like your enthusiasm and your reference to the culprit but realistically you have almost 30 other passengers young and and old, that leaves the government wide open for a law suit if someone other than the perp is injured. Give them tasers just the hand helds. Not much better than watching 500,000 volts course through someone’s body as they excrete in their own pants. Roll them out the door (or kick) and carry on.
don’t worry BT its not the PLPs fault…its a cultural defect that was years in the making…lousy parents, lousy school system, lousy attitude of entitlement ….. we need a commission of enquiry to identify our problem
Is this a good time to call for the race card or steryotyping ?
no race card here Mazumbo….some of us just think we deserve more just because. Race has nothing to do with it. BTW it was Ewart that used the term ‘attitude of entitlement’ in several instances….and he is right. Some think they deserve what they haven’t earned…and that woman ain’t no where near being a senior or a student….you got it yet?
Ok so it was stereotype, thought so.
You should know, seeing how familiar you are with them.
It’s almost funny how outraged you get when someone says something even a little bit similar to the things you do.
Who’s THEM, watch what you say you might get fired.
The word ‘them’ refers to stereotypes.
You said “so it was a stereotype” and MH said “you should know, seeing how familiar you are with them”.
Of course, you don’t read it properly and jump to completely the wrong conclusion, and manage to add in an accusation that someone has said something racist. How unusual.
I’m used to him calling me a racist, that’s his defense off steering away from factual things I say. That’s why I remind him and his followers from time to time of the History of this Island and why we think like we think, and I’m tired of telling him Black people are not racist because we never benefited economically ,socially, Geographically or otherwise at the expense of another race and considered them inferior, but eventually he’ll get it.
Um…
It’s not me that “steers off”… that’d be you, posting some little tantrum that has nothing to do with what was posted before… EVERY time.
See, the difference between you and me – besides you being a vile racist – is that I actually address the things you say. You don’t. Never have. You just spew hate, over and over.
You’re used to me calling you a racist because you ARE a racists. I’ve explained why many, many times before.
Historical atrocities do not give you carte blanche to deem, treat, portray other people as morally or integrally inferior based solely on their race, which you have done, many, many times.
Black people aren’t racist, not as a whole. I don’t think ANY group on the whole are racist any more (you, of course, have made it very clear that you disagree).
However, individuals ARE racist.
You are one of those individuals, for the reasons I have explained.
Now, are you going to defend your behaviour? Are you going to hide behind this ridiculous “Black people can’t be racist…” thing? Or are you going to do your usual and either run away like the coward you are or lash out again with more false, racist accusations that have nothing to do with what I posted?
“Factual things I say…” HA! That is a laugh.
Anything factual you might say has been twisted and spun to suit your racist political agenda.
YYYAAAWWWNNN Um watching Hidden Colors
You don’t think ANY group on whole are racist anymore WTF, Aryan Nation, Creativity Movement/World Church of the Creator, Klan Groups, National Alliance, National Socialist Movement, The Nationalist Movement, White Revolution, these are factual groups and I don’t think the whole race of white people are racist but there are groups within the white race that are ,like you have groups of whites in Bermuda that wouldn’t publicize their racist views but live it subliminally!!!
That’s what I thought. Nothing to say.
You’re a joke.
Unlike you, I always watch what I say.
Go read it again
You don’t think ANY group on a whole are racist any more I guess you haven’t heard of Skin Heads, Neo-Nazi’s, Klan Groups, etc, etc. SMFH
You’re calling Nationalist Groups racists. I assume you would include the PLP in that? They spend a lot of time pushing a nationalist agenda.
Don’t argue with a fool for he has far more experience thasn you & will quickly drag you down to his level & beat you with his experience.
I guess I proved him wrong again, next time don’t make stupid comments off emotions.
I have to agree with you on the first part but we do not need another commission. We know the problems, we just need to fix them starting in the home then move on to the school system.
We are not meeting the real needs of our children and there lies the problem. We are too busy seeing that they make the academic grades but fail to understand that some of our students are not academic and need to have their needs met as well. We need to stop blaming teachers and blame the Department of Education for their blatant refusal to understand EDUCATION for/of the MASSES!
Agreed. Give them all a stun gun. *zzzt*
when they find her she should be banned from all public transportation
And, presumably, fired from her job.
Whatever happened to respecting your elders? Poor bus driver, must have felt so humiliated. Another article also said that there were tourists on the bus… great way to demonstrate Bermudian hospitality.
Some people’s children bie.
When will buses be fitted with cameras
I hope they find her and make an example of her!
Joonya you are a tough Cookie !
Always ONE person that brings politics into it…SMH……Anyway I digress, how does this passenger think that she could ride for free…Where she boarded the bus is not even a “transfer stop” so she would have to pay…..if you don’t want to pay “ankle express” is free…SMH…..Hope that a solution is found soon……
“after a verbal exchange” did the 2 have history, if so the driver can tell the police who it was.
The main verbal exchange I have with bus drivers is saying Good Morning when I get on and Thank You when I get off, and neither statement has ever ended in an assualt.
I am sure all buses are equipted with radios. Why not devise a code to alert the dispatch that the driver needs police assistance.
Good idea…BUT how many actually work?? Or even turned on?!
GPS monitored hidden panic buttons. Will summon Police if activated. Gorham’s has them…$19.99
I hope its a better GPS system than the taxis have!
why dont you just put the plexiglass cage around the driver like ALL busses in NYC have? Then you can lock the bus doors and wait for police to arrive.
From a comfort stand point its actually pretty nice having your own climate control
I think those kinds of buses have a driver’s side door that they driver enters and exits from. If I remember correctly, there is a way to exit through the partition but it is an emergency exit only.
The current crop of buses have not driver’s side door. Retrofitting a partition would be in effect trapping them in the bus with the assailant blocking their exit. Who would want that?
They would need to work the partition and driver’s side door into bus designs. This would increase the price of them. However, with such a feature perhaps buses could run later a night, particularly on weekends. The drivers would have a barrier of protection from any inebriated passengers and generally feel and be safer from potential trouble makers.
Small high-def cameras are as cheap as chips these days as well as some cables, a drive to store the video on and a small screen to display the monitoring. Get a few quotes from some car detailers. It shouldn’t be too costly to retrofit buses with this. But I’m not certain where the legislation fits in with this.
Ride
I don’t condone violence but let me say this. A lot of these female drivers need to take up a course called Bus Driver Etiquette. I travel by the bus and some of these female drivers are absolutely terrible!!!! If you drop in the wrong fare ( and yes sometimes it is an honest mistake ) they speak down to you. I have experienced this myself. Hey lady where you going??? Really are you serious??!!! You can’t say excuse me and be polite??? I can see that bus driver now. The young girl dropped in change was short and that bus driver spoke down to her. Like I said I don’t condone violence. The rest of you RUDE FEMALE drivers beware.You need to come at people with respect and than you will get it.
Some serious anger management issues here in Bermy. Regardless of the situation, physical violence is never the right choice. Unless of course one is defending themselves or another from physical violence.
Too many people here are just too quick to lash out. Where is the love?
WTF are you talking about?? Literally kicking the little pr*ck out off the bus to stop her from further ASSAULT (physical violence) is self defense numbnuts. Jesus some people on this island are stuck on stupid and will defend everything.. SMFH no wonder we have a backwards society.
She is lucky she not get the Cleveland bus driver that dishes out uper cuts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x4OaY22mXo
BRING ON THE TASERS for all of the drivers. Once the public is aware that drivers are equipped with a TASER they will exercise care when dealing with the drivers. No one in their RIGHT mind wants a blast from a taser.
Absoultely disgusted that a 21 year old grown woman would act so stupid. No one should carry on when told what they need to do to get on the bus. Hope all is well with the driver They lucky, that the driver took in considerdation her job. Makes one want to just cluck her real hard and put her off the bus stop. Hopefully captured on telephone cameras as extra evidence.
shouldn’t been chattin wif hur man….
Spare the rod and spoil the child!! its your fault not theirs.
honestly bus drivers as rude as f*** not surprised this happened
So much garbage up west, thats why i dont even feel like going up there. Ill stick to my St Davis
Speaking of anger management issues. Try to relax Joonya. You’re going to give yourself a coronary occlusion.
Mazumbo…. More verbal spew….go away. The only thing you think about all day is….RACE,RACE,RACE!!!!!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?sns=fb&v=S4q798QaRus&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DS4q798QaRus%26sns%3Dfb
Put that in your search bar and take a look…A BERMUDIAN on a bus talking to the driver. Disgusting.
Poor Bermuda Bus Drivers…
http://m.youtube.com/watch?sns=fb&v=S4q798QaRus&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DS4q798QaRus%26sns%3Dfb
Tighten up on both drivers and passengers. I’m not saying it is right to assault any drivers but some do need anger management courses.
I don’t condone this behaviour, however I will say that the attitudes of some of these bus drivers is deplorable. Some are nasty and do almost anything to ruin your day… Maybe the attitudes of the bus drivers need to be checked as well.