Brooklyn Bus Driver Killed

Last Wednesday a NYC bus driver was stabbed to death while driving his bus in Brooklyn. My Godson, Eric was just about to start his route when this event happened. Eric drives in the same area of Brooklyn where this incident took place. Needless to say we were very disturbed at this event.

The buses in NYC are a major means of transportation. Taking a bus is very different than taking the Subway. Buses are much more personal than trains and people are more likely to engage in conversations with strangers on a bus than on a train. On a bus it is very easy to beat a fare. Fare beaters often enter by the back of the bus. Some fare beaters pass the driver and ask to be let on and many drivers will let that happen. Some fare beaters after they are on will ask for a transfer so as to not have to beg a second driver for a free ride. For a bus driver it is one thing to sneak on a bus without paying for a fare, but a far different thing to sneak on and then want a transfer. There are some people whose brains don’t calculate the fact that they are not entitled to a transfer.

I often ride the bus with Eric and there isn’t a run that he drives without several people who get on the bus for free. Saturday evening for example one guy got on with no less than 12 zero balance fare cards, which is another trick. Eric wanting to get going just told him to go ahead. For a while I used to categorize the fare beaters and count them so as to see what kind of patterns would develop.

On Wednesday a young man of 21 entered the bus through the back door. He went a few stops and got off through the front door. He asked the bus driver for a transfer and the driver hesitated but gave the kid the transfer. The young man punched him in the head and started to get off the bus. Then the young man turned around and stabbed the bus driver multiple times, at which point the man fled on foot and the bus driver slumped over his wheel and died there on the bus. The driver of the bus that had pulled up behind him got off her bus to see what was going on. She freaked out seeing the sight of the driver slumped over the wheel with his guts hanging out. The police arrived first and pulled the driver from the seat and took him to the hospital in their car. He was DOA.

The shock of this horrible event sent waves throughout our city. Every bus changed it Outside Title to the B46 in honor and respect of their fellow bus driver. Eric and his family were very shaken by this event. By the end of the week all were exhausted from thinking about whether there would be copy cat events. Eric was especially worried, wondering whether he would make it home from work without incident. In all of our minds was what affect it would have on his 2 year old son if he did not come home after work because of a violent event.

A day after the crime was committed the man was arrested. His drug supplier had turned him in. The man had a long history of violent crimes and was currently on probation.

New Yorkers viewed this differently than when a policeman or firefighter was killed in the line of duty. It is not the duty of a bus driver to be killed over a fare. There was a sense of enragement over this event and a deep sadness that his family would be forever affected. The funeral viewing is today. The MTA has arranged special buses to take its employees to the funeral home and again tomorrow for the actual funeral.

Not everyday is bright and sunny here in Brooklyn.


Pictures: 1. Barre on the B15 2. Eric on the B61 3. Barre And Little Eric at the beginning of the B46, the line where on which the bus driver was killed.