Why do people hate bus drivers so much? Three-quarters of attacks on transit workers occur on buses, and yesterday the already high number of bus driver attacks in 2012 got one higher when a rider allegedly attacked Bx10 driver Jose Rondon out of the blue, breaking his nose.
"He was getting off the bus and just started wailing on me," Rondon, 58, told the news of the midday attack at West 231st Street and Broadway. "No words were exchanged. I was caught off guard. People were screaming and yelling at him, getting on their cell phones and calling the police. It was a weird situation. I was bleeding and disorientated. I finally realized I was being hit and I grabbed for his arm."
The alleged attacker, later identified at Fernando Lopez, then simply stopped and exited the bus. Police later picked him up when passengers helped identify him on the street. No word on if those passengers were eligible for the new rewards program for helping identify criminals who assault transit workers!
Beyond that new reward, the MTA has mulled a number of methods for keeping driver attacks limited—including giving workers tasers. One plan that will definitely help? Getting more driver partitions installed. Because if people keep attacking their drivers, how can those same drivers go and do things like this?
