Making Metrobus Safer for Drivers

Congress recently received legislation approved by the D.C. Council to toughen penalties for assaults on Metrobus operators and rail managers. Capitol Hill should swiftly approve the legislation.

Assaults on Metrobus operators have more than doubled over the past five years, from 36 in 2002 to 84 in 2007. That's Metro's count, but the union representing operators disputes those numbers as being too low. With the safety of the riding public in their hands, Metrobus operators have been spat on, punched, slapped and attacked with bricks, sticks and other blunt objects. Drivers also have been sexually assaulted.

I operated a Metrobus for more than 20 years. I know firsthand what it's like to have your life threatened by a passenger wielding a gun or knife:

"Mother [expletive], if you hit the brakes one more [expletive] time, I'll pop a cap in you."

So warned an assailant aiming a gun at me at point-blank range, irate about the jerky characteristics of the bus I was driving. I was approaching a red light; terrible timing. Should I stop and risk the lives of everyone on the bus if this man standing over me squeezes the trigger, or keep going and risk an accident with other injuries? I opted to run the light, putting on the brakes only when I got to the passenger's stop several blocks away.

In another incident, a passenger commandeered the bus I was operating after ambushing me with a blow to the back of my head. I'm a big guy who played semipro football after college. If I've been a target of attacks, what about female operators, particularly those who drive on night shifts? Nearly 45 percent of Metro's new bus operators are women. Until they gain seniority, they typically work at night, when most attacks occur.

Metrobus operators are mothers, fathers, grandparents and members of the communities we serve. Riders befriend us, share their joys and woes, and rely on us to drive them to their destinations safely. Last year alone, we drove 131.5 million riders around the District, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. We connect communities.

Operating a mass-transit vehicle requires focused attention on the road, passengers and pedestrians. At best, attacks on Metrobus operators can lead to traffic accidents and injuries. At worst, the lives of bus operators and the public are in jeopardy.

The Transit Operator Protection and Enhanced Penalty Amendment Act of 2008 would stiffen fines and prison sentences for assaults against bus operators. We especially support the bill's requirement to post notices about the tougher penalties on Metrobuses and throughout the system. Such postings would signal to passengers that their safety matters and would warn would-be attackers to think twice.

While there is no silver bullet to end all attacks, the legislation before Congress moves the issue of safety in the right direction. Last month, Local 689 of the Amalgamated Transit Union collaborated with Metro in rolling out a pilot program to test driver protective shields on a few Metrobuses. The transparent acrylic panels are an investment in safety.

Over the years, Local 689 has proposed additional safety measures to Metro, including asking it to repair broken surveillance cameras on buses and increase the presence of Metro police officers. In principle, Metro agrees with our safety recommendations, but it seems stymied by inadequate funding for the necessary upgrades. Local 689 pledges to help clear the bumps in the road and drive home the point that a safe Metro benefits us all.

-- Anthony Garland

Forestville

The writer is recording secretary of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, which represents 10,000 current and retired Metro employees.