Photo by Flickr user exuberance //
A couple of days ago I was riding the 47 to work. I work at a busy pier 39 restaurant, so I ride the 47 about five days a week. While I was waiting for the bus to come at O’Farrell, five or six sketchy looking guys walked up. Instinctively, I put my iPhone away because I’ve heard the stories of people getting their iPhone’s stolen and lets face it, we all know a group of sketchy looking guys when we see them.
I took my normal seat on the back row of the bus and watched as the bus driver did nothing as these guys held the back door open and climbed on. They all stood near the back except for one, who took a seat across from me, we’ll call him Fred. Sitting by the back door was a middle aged couple, and as the back door opened at Geary, I heard a scream, caught a glimpse of a brief scuffle, and saw the group of guys jump off the bus and take off down the street with the middle aged chasing behind.
I’m not sure what the guys stole, whether it be an iPhone, or a purse or whatnot, but obviously something of value was taken straight from the hands of this couple. Now, here is where it gets really interesting. the guy (Fred) who was sitting across from me either did not know what was happening, or was simply that dumb, because he did not get off the bus! Fred seemed as shocked as everyone else. So after his friends leave, he gets up trying to get out as well.
Now I’m not sure what the bus drivers protocol is here, but if it were me, I would hold this guy until his friends were caught. Or as the driver I would at least call the police, or something! What does this driver do? He stops the bus in the middle of the block and lets the Fred out the back as if nothing had happened, and keeps on driving! As those of us left on the bus discussed the situation, I couldn’t help but wonder how the bus driver could have acted better in the situation.
After reading this story, I can’t help but wonder how Muni should be doing in these situations, or what they are teaching their drivers to do when situations like this arise. It seems that they could, and should be doing more to make Muni a safer place.
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This is horrendous. I was robbed at gunpoint by a young man who was on a Muni train with me and followed me when I got off. I told the cops that when I made the report and no response followed. They did not proposition me to watch the footage that supposedly exists on every Muni bus to identify him. Weeks later, nothing. Inaction on every level.
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eugenia Reply:
September 8th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Lee that is horrible. At gun point?! Where were you?
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The driver was probably getting the potentially dangerous guy off his bus asap.
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Let me be the [insert number here] person to say that either Muni drivers don’t care or they’re afraid of getting their asses jumped if they intervened, predominately Asian for some reason (not to be racist). Believe me, I’ve heard stories from drivers and personally (who hasn’t) witnessed Muni operators being assaulted by passengers (predominately black for some reason, again no offense).
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