[PRCo] Re: Bus stabbing in New Orleans

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

From: Herb Brannon <hrbran at cavtel.net>
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Sent: Friday, June 5, 2009 9:42:09 AM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Bus stabbing in New Orleans
Ed probably remembers when I had nearly 50 stitches around my right eye back
in May 1975.
I was driving the 73-Highland Pk bus with a full standing load of passengers
coming into the stop on the far side of Highland and Penn. Out of nowhere a
guy hit me with something on the right side of my head. My sun glasses broke
and all the pieces of glass went into and around my right eye. The @$$ who
hit me took the transfers out of the cutter. I was trying to stop the still
moving bus and the last thing I remember is pushing the door control handle
into the full forward position which caused the interlocks to come on. I was
in a sort of "twilight zone" for a few minutes. I remember a Pgh police
officer came on board and a young lady who later turned out to be a
University-Presby nurse was helping me. Blood was everywhere on the dash,
steering wheel me, the farebox, even the windshield. Despite the fact that
in that era the method of transport to a hospital were the Pgh Police paddy
wagons (no EMS in those days) I came through o.k. They took me to Eye & Ear
Hospital, which, as the name implies, specializes in eyes and ears. They
knew what they were doing and after being off work from May to September
everything worked out.

Yes, I know what these lunatic people can do. You have to be aware and alert
to be a public transit operator anywhere in the world. Now, in the current
era, the addition of "transit police" dedicated to protecting the transit
authority employees and property, and with the inclusion of public transit
workers in all the Homeland Security laws, the incidents of assault have
been curbed greatly but not stopped.

I know strollers/baby carriages are a real problem these days. Homeland
Security regulations and RTA (and most every transit agency) policy require
the aisle be fully clear at all times in all buses, cars, and trains
operating in the United States. Some women think they are "special" and have
a right to do what they want. I ask them once to fold it. If they do, fine.
If they don't I say nothing else to them and quietly put in a call to have
transit police intercept the train. It works every time. Transit police
don't fool around. These days you either comply or get removed and maybe
arrested. This aspect of Homeland Security works quite nicely for me.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Mr.Brannon;


Sorry to hear about this.  I trust that all is well now as you indicate and that you don't
suffer from any long term effects.  Hope this memory doesn't cause problems.  It is a
very imperfect world isn't it as has been mentioned a number of times yet one tends to
think this type of assault happens elsewhere and not at home.

My apologies for not replying sooner;  there was a deluge of mail when I returned home with
this email buried under the rest.  Trust your career with Cleveland is far less eventful.


Phil
Without  a   'coast'   but  not  a   'cause.'
--  --
"If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God,
and to do that, thou must be ruled by Him ...
Those who will not be governed by God...
........will be ruled by Tyrants."
William  Penn,  founder  of  Pennsylvania



On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 4:09 PM, Schneider Fred <fwschneider at comcast.net>wrote:

> Seventeen year old mother
> stabbed New Orleans RTA bus driver when driver asked her to fold up
> the baby stroller:
> Authorities say a woman who was repeatedly asked to fold up her
> baby's stroller on a New Orleans city bus refused, then poured milk
> on the driver before stabbing her in the chest.
>
> New Orleans police and transit officials tell The Times-Picayune
> newspaper that the veteran Regional Transit Authority driver suffered
> a 4-inch deep wound but she survived.
>
> Authorities say 17-year-old Darrion Scott boarded the bus with her 2
> 1/2-year-old baby and was asked to fold up the stroller. Authorities
> say Scott tore the top off the baby's bottle of milk and poured it on
> the driver before stabbing her.
>
> She has been charged with aggravated battery.
>
> The driver, Hanella Johnson, was released from the hospital
> Wednesday. She has been an RTA driver for 18 years.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20090604/US.Louisiana.Bus.Stabbing/