'Drivers are gonna start fighting back ... somebody's gonna get knocked out': Bus drivers' union rep warns violent passengers

A union representative for bus drivers with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority in Florida this week issued a warning to violent passengers.

“Leave our drivers alone,” union representative April Murphy said to WFLA-TV. “Pretty soon the drivers are gonna start fighting back. And you know, the passengers are gonna lose 'cause we got some tough people, girls and guys. So, you know, [if] it comes to that, somebody's gonna get knocked out."

Image source: WFLA-TV video screenshot

Murphy's warning comes after video captured a passenger who couldn’t pay a fare punching a bus driver in Clearwater, the station said. A timestamp on the video indicates the attack occurred just after 3 p.m. Dec. 22.

“Footage shows a woman, who seemed upset, leaning over the safety barrier and punching the driver multiple times,” Murphy noted to WFLA.

Police are still looking for the suspect who's wanted for battery charges, the station said.

Murphy added to WFLA that "our drivers are always under some sort of threat every day."

She also told the station that she's been attacked herself: “Some guys hit me with a cane ... a real thick wooden cane ... I had bruises here, bruises here."

Transit driver Kevin Sablan recounted to WFLA that "I've had people get in my face and [try] to call me, you know, certain racial names."

He also told the station that “I’ve had multiple incidents with the same guy, and they just say he’s not allowed to ride my bus. But he continues to ride the system and have issues with other drivers."

How are folks reacting?

Commenters reacting to WFLA's Facebook post about the situation were decidedly in the bus drivers' corner:

• "Sad they are doing a job, a service to our community — [respect] them or don't ride," one commenter wrote.
• "Carry a pistol! Problem solved," another commenter suggested.
• "CCW!" another commenter declared, which is an acronym for carrying a concealed weapon.

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