An ILTUWS reader contacted us this morning about a recent encounter he had with an MTA bus driver. He also sent us video of the incident. It happened on Tuesday at about 4:45 p.m.
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The bus driver “looked like he tried to run a delivery bike rider off the road (crosstown bus at 79th and broadway),” the reader told us, adding that when he “took a picture/video of his bus information he jumped out and attacked me. This guy is going to seriously hurt or kill somebody…”
“What the f*ck are you doing?” the ILTUWS reader can be heard saying in the video as the driver starts exiting the bus before shoving him.
“Get the f*ck away from me, get away from me!” the driver says.
“You think you’re going to have a job tomorrow?” the man asks.
“Dude, you just broke my watch” replied the driver.
The reader did not file a police report, but he did file an anonymous complaint on the MTA website.
Bus driver vs. pedestrian, 79th and Broadway. More details to be posted on the website, soon. pic.twitter.com/e8jxrXEDSf
— I Love The Upper West Side (@iLoveTheUWS) February 7, 2024
More to this I’m sure. People videoing on their phones are often the instigator. Trial by media. The guy didn’t press charges so I’m sure he knows he has a lot to answer for
Likely true, but no excuse for driver to exit the bus and confront anyone.
NYC Bus drivers are among the world’s most prominent misathropes.
Did the reporter even try to reach out to the bus driver for comment? I don’t see any indication in the article. Two sides to every story.
My observation, the complainant was standing in front of the bus when it started to move. Perhaps the complainant was trying to instigate a confrontation by videotaping AND standing in front of the bus as it was pulling away from the curb?
Well, I for one did not know that the appropriate counter move for someone standing in front of the bus is to get out of the driver’s seat and attack them.
I doubt that’s in the drivers’ manual.
However, that behavior is consistent with the claim that the driver menaced a bike rider.
they’re lucky that nobody was shot or stabbed