Passenger boarded at above time and location with two very large cats in his arms. Cats got loose; one crawled behind driver's seat and wouldn't come out. Passenger said that some Navy guy was chasing him and has stabbed his hand. He requested aid. I placed call. He then got control of his cats and ran off the bus. There was some blood in front of bus.
6/25 12:13 a.m. #24:
It all started traveling northbound on 4th Ave. between Lenora and Bell St. when I smelled smoke. I pulled the coach over at the bus stop on 4th and Bell....I saw offender #1 standing up in the rear of the coach with smoke and burning embers coming from his pants. I announced over the PA, "Sir, exit the coach, your pants are on fire!" He put the fire out while still on the coach. The fire appeared to be out. I continued with the route when I smelled smoke again. Just as strong as the first time. I pulled the bus over at 4th and Wall, called the coordinator.
2/2/07 12:00 a.m. #358:
Steve Wacksman
Details
Hear local authors bring to life real incident reports from Metro Transit:
— Jonathan Raban, "The Dog Incident"
— Eric McHenry, "Fare Evaders"
— Steve McCredie, "Metro: Assorted Weirdness"
— Tess Gallagher, "Exposed Penis and Buttocks," "Back of the Bus," "Entitlement," "The King," and "Have You Seen Me? Descriptions of Metro Passengers"
— Shawn Wong, "The Whistle," "Metro Doesn’t Care," and "The Butcher Knife"
— John Moe, "A Scene in Dialogue" and "Playing Chicken"
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I was stopped at the light at 3rd and Pike. I spotted a funny looking baggie sitting on the right seat. I picked it up and two passengers yelled, "Big Bag of Crack." I became worried and shoved it into my trash can. One man moved forward and I felt unsafe. I was worried a free-for-all would begin. I know I couldn't drive with "Crack Wezzels" crowding the trash can. I called for police, they responded. Turns out it was a baggie of potato-chip crumbs.
4/17/06 5:47 a.m. #11:
At Pine and Broadway going inbound on Rt. 11, a passenger handed me a note that indicated the handicapped male was loading a crack pipe while seated on the bus....I asked him if he was displaying illegal drugs on the bus. He eventually replied, "Yes, of course." I asked him to exit the bus. He asked me, "What would happen if I shot you?" I said he would probably go to prison and I would go to be with God.
Lords of the Flies
Most passengers' periodic encounters with a Metro miscreant leave them shaken but little worse for wear. Unfortunately for bus drivers, they are the captive ones in this environment, and there's only so much they can take before turning feral themselves, as the following editorial flourishes illustrate.
12/12/06 7:45 p.m. #358:
Drunk out of his mind, stoned to the gills, messed up beyond belief, touched with the power of alcohol, and the mind of a fool—this guy is his own worst problem. Called dispatch—they sent the cops who had dealt with this person before. In no time at all I was back on the road and ready for my next adventure.
2/3/07 6:55 p.m. #181:
This is the third report I've had to write on this punk....Again, no help!!! I don't know why I bother? EA button is useless. I have yet to get a police officer when I need one, mostly not at all! I have lost all faith in this system to render help! We really are out there on our own...aren't we?
1/9/07 7:48 p.m. #550:
Leaving 5th and Airport Way S/B I was shot in the eyes with a laser. Was blind for 15–20 seconds with 80 passengers on the coach....I have lasers on my weapons. What would a supervisor do when he finds out the laser was attached to an AK-47? Transit police should have checked out the scene.
8/4/06 12:34 p.m. #174:
I simply do not have time to write an [SIR] every time someone becomes hostile over being asked for the fare. Cripes, if I wrote an [SIR] every time someone became abusive on the 174, King County would go broke paying me OT! It should be noted also that people not paying the proper fare is a daily problem on the 174...this problem should be addressed by actually placing police on the 174. Fare evaders should either be arrested by plainclothes officers or discouraged by uniformed officers riding the coach, which should be followed by a police cruiser. If these steps aren't taken, then it's useless for drivers to write [SIRs] about fare evaders, and Metro management should not complain about lost revenue unless it plans to do something about it.
7/14/06 8:35 a.m. #255:
As passing head of zone partially in traffic lane one over, noted two males screaming, waving hands. Waited for them at Olive/9th. One boarded rear door, other entered into front door with arms waving wildly and screaming deafeningly about passing him up. Got close to [my] head and screamed more, pointed at coach number and screamed something about he would get me with that number. Made no reply: Was extremely upset, in shock, realized [it was] not safe to drive and feared for [my] future....Started bawling with head on wheel. Passenger came to comfort and offer assistance, thanked him....[Other passenger] was smirking, enjoying my hurt.
hhsu@seattleweekly.com
jmetcalfe@seattleweekly.com
Additional reporting by Sean Ludwig and Maggie Mertens.
