Trevor H.
The bus driver should have not been using that kind of language no matter what had went on. A mentally ill man doesn't realalize if he's doing anything wrong if he even was. I'm sure the man wasn't doing anything that wrong to be talked to like a dog and be treattened. That driver should be fired!! But we'll see what happens with the whinning Union behind the driver!!

James Pickles
Yup. What else is new? These drivers are overpaid babies. You want to talk about not having a sense of respect for your job.


Another embarrassment for OC Transpo, really unbelievable.

Ronnie
exactly why i stopped taking the bus; rude drivers out of control and always blaming the ridership for their problems. i witnessed a similar situation a few years ago at hurdman. i got out of the bus and reported it to two oc-transpo "supervisors" standing at the station. they seemed more defensive of the driver's reactions than having much interest in the verbally abused woman. (who they still didn't approach), and with the driver, still there, he was not even approached either, by the supervisors as the woman stood crying and confused because she was asked to get off the bus. no apologies at all; from ANYONE! just a rude driver, irresponsible supervisors, and their day went on...
nothing would happen to the driver anyways..reprimanded? seriously..nothing more than a slap on the wrist and the permission to do it again. and even today, city council on bus issues is a joke. i'd rather walk than be treated the way these rude drivers treat people. and they still want increased bus fair... only in ottawa..

J.D.
If what is said in the article that the driver stopped on the Queensway to let the passenger off, he should be fired. The 417 is not a place for anyone to be on foot. He could have be killed and also caused a seious accident.

If he had a problem with a passenger he should have called dispatch to send police/security and stop and wait for them where it was safe.

L
Yet another example of how these overpaid, over- compassed jerks have the City of Ottawa held hostage. If this happened anywhere else they would be fired. You cannot threaten a customer and get away with it. I hope the City has some gu-gats and decides to get rid of this driver. I am tired of these guys making 6 figures for crappy service while the rest of us are struggling.

dc, ottawa
The driver's get away with to much already. I find that there's more and more incident similar to this one to often. I also think that as Tax Payer we should have a right to know what kind of discipline will be taken.
The more we pay the less we get.
They DO NOT DESERVE a 2% PAY RAISE.

Amanda
I don't have many words other than the conduct of the bus driver, whether the passenger is mentally ill or not is beyond disgusting. He better be fired!

Charles Matthews
This is not a first. Just in the last few weeks this has happened before to a "challenged" on the same route. That case is also being investigated and agian told that no answers would be given as to "Privacy". There might be a question as to "If" this is the same driver then why was he still on the road.An appology at lease should be given to the passenger and their families and the said driver removed from public contact till he is retrained and deemed to be fit for service to the public.

Daniel Tremblay
We all loose it @ times! Your seing 1/2 a story. One perspective. 15 seconds of video. Obviousely he distracted & annoyed the drive enough. Plus you don't know what was going on in the driver's life.
From experiece. Dealing with the public ! Can realy push your buttons. flip ALL the cards over before you call a full house & claim a win!!!

Geoff Caron
I don't believe a word of this. This is absolutely ignorant. Whomever posted this should be made aware that thete are cameras on the bus. This should be easy enough to disprove! I will not curse like the guy that posted this (I'm sure that's what happened) but this is a joke. Notice we never see the bus driver. Just something else for people to complain about. That's what we're all about. Right? We'll see who's right. It will be me.

Louise
You know its a damn shame to see someone treated this way..Excellent job in bringing it to the public whoever you are...and the guy who thinks he's right, "Look around you, listen instead of shooting off your mouth...it's going on out there"!!

reidjr
Geoff Caron
It may or may not have happend to say 100% it did take place or to say it was a joke its way to early lets wait untill all the facts come out.

reidjr
Daniel Tremblay
It does not or should not matter what is going on in his life there is no reason to act like this sure there could be more maybe he was provoked etc lest wait and see.I work in retail and if i ever did something like that i would be fired on the spot.

Joe
Overpaid? have you seen a bus drivers paycheck? I have! They are in their uniforms up to 14 hours a day and most only get paid 7.5 hours. Break that down and it works out to be 9$ an hour! Babies? Have you met the people that get on a bus? Screaming at a driver for being a minute late! I think its time bus drivers video tape the people that do take a bus so they can see how rediculous they can be! Especially the overpaid and underworked government employees who do nothing all day!

Danikkaa
I have two angles on this one:

#1) I have witnessed way too much irresponsible behaviour from OC Transpo passengers. You cannot distract the driver - he has alot of lives in his hand when behind the wheel of that bus!

#2) There's no reason why the driver needed to react so strongly. It takes two seconds to ask the passenger to have a seat, for the sake of everyone's safety. If the passenger is completely non-compliant, it takes another two seconds to call OC Security and stop the bus.

BusDrivingGuy
Being a bus operator for many years I cannot agree with how this driver handled this situation.

I too have had many passengers who's bubble was off centre. They bother me just as those passengers who have never heard of a bar of soap.

Each driver will handle the situation differently but swearing and the threats were not the way to go. I would have stopped at the next stop and orderd him off the bus. If he refused I would then ask for a supervisor or security to attend.

Here lays the problem - this guy is then causing a huge delay on anyone who is on the bus. This is not fair.

Oh, and by the way - asking for this driver to be fired just won't happen. So stop demanding it. Screaming and telling everyone that you pay this drivers paycheque doesn't fly either. I could care less if you are a tax payer or not. Big friggin' deal.

Sit in my seat for a few hours and your attitude will change very quickly. It's amazing how all you 'arm chair' bus operators would handle this situation.

What will happen to this guy off bubble? Probably nothing - except to torment passengers and drivers. There lies the real problem! I cou;d care less what you think of me - I have to go home at the end of the night and dealing with Fp people like some of you reading (if you can) and my safety is more important than anyone on my bus. If you don't like that tough crap! Deal with it. I am the one who's foot is on the controls.

acmacfar
So here's a driver trying to drive a very large vehicle, transporting the public, safely, with someone obviously distracting him to the point of a blow-up. Maybe he should have stopped the bus, called a supervisor and had this person taken off. What's the policy here? I don't condone the blow-up BUT procedure should have been followed. If there isn't a policy to deal with this type of situation than define one. I don't fault the driver here except for the language although as is mentioned this is not the first time this situation has happened. Maybe the language has the desired result i.e. the person got off the bus, operator no longer distracted and passengers safe.

barrhavenite
I don't have to ride the bus, thank God. I did ride them for about twenty years and year after year the service became worse and a majority of the drivers became more rude to the people who pay their salaries. I'm sure the spine-less City will not push for this loser's dismissal because they wouldn't want to upset the ignorant rank and file candy-asses who support the twits that run the union. I feel for the poor people who are forced to use this joke of a bus system this city tries to pass off as a "world class" system, maybe third world. Fire the idiot and maybe regain a little bit of public support.

Mary
I somewhat agree with Daniel Tremblay however when someone applies for a Bus Operator Position they know exactly what is waiting for them if they are given the job facing the public everyday especially in Ottawa. I'em retired since 2010 and always taken OC to and from work for 20 or more years never can I say that I had a miserable driver they were always kind to myself and I will say they do take a lot of crap and you cannot blame them for getting angry but they should be able to control the anger so I would have to say this bus operater is a unhappy man, maybe his homelife is miserable, could be in debt or who knows what but must say I feel he should have been able to recognize a Mentally challenged person and if so this would "maybe" not have happened and union or no union he should be dismissed.

highway safety first
Yes I agree with Ronnie, at least 90% of OC Transpo bus drivers are rude. That is my reason why I never use OC Transpo anymore. It gives Ottawa a bad reputation. Furthermore that bus driver must be sick in the head. He should NEVER stopped a vehicle for any non-emergency purpose on a freeway! Its a total violation under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. Either perhaps he may want to string up the passenger on top on one of those overhead exit sign crossover supports as his reason why he stopped on the middle of Highway 417 instead at a bus stop. No question about it there is something WRONG with that driver by doing a dangerous stop on a busy freeway. Charge him under the Highway Traffic Act that he should be seriously violated for risking a hazardous accident on the 417.

Glen
Dealing with the public can make anyone snap. The customers I deal with on a daily basis are rude, ignorant, and most think they walk on water. What this driver said is what most people in the customer service industry think in their heads on a daily basis. Don't be so shocked people, the employee in the drive thru or the cashier at the grocery store have said worse things about you, the only difference is, they waited until you couldn't hear them. This driver was probably pushed to his limits, and unfortunately, it resulted with him being taped illeaglly, and the video posted online without his permission. I just ask those people who are out for this guys job, would you like to have someone secretly tape you at work, bother you until you snap, then turn around and use only half the video with you screaming in it? Very one sided.

Mike
How come when the TTC recently fired drivers for texting while driving their buses, it was made public. Yet for OC Transpo it's covered by "Privacy". Or is that the cities way of saying that they will not do anything, and like usual will ignore it until the public has forgotten about it.

I know there's going to be people who will defend the driver, like normal. But come on, losing your cool and threatening physical violence would get your average person arrested.

M Fortier
Oh go take a bus!!!

THE worst drivers, and so rude! I have witnessed the worst, rude drivers, one of instance.

A woman with a eye-impairment with a cane, was booted from a bus at Hurdman station, when she tried to board a bus, and asked if going to the Ottawa General, and said no, "Go back to Somalia", then shut his door, and said ' stupid b***h" !


We have the rudest transit drivers in the nation.

Maybe another news angle to compare with other Canadian cities?

Corrinne
People can only be pushed so far, I have told people off before, does that mean i should get fired? Probably not. Were only seeing one side of the story here.

Jean Guy
that is how unions treat customers who pay there wages.
nuthin well happen to that so called courteous driver as the unions run ottawa / gatineau .
i will never take a transit systeme again...
Cab !!

JimofOttawa
There's 2 sides to every story and on this video we're only seeing 1. I'd like to see what the passenger did to provoke the driver to react this way.

billy
and what will happen now? the driver will get a "your a bad boy" and go back to work in two weeks time when the public has time to forget about it. I dread taking the bus but have no choice as many many other people have to and OC transpo knows it, so they can do whatever they want knowing full well we have no choice but to use the OTC.

Cindy D.
The bus driver clearly in the wrong here to disrespect people like that, reguardless of what happend, not to mention the man clearly said he had mental health issues,maybe OC Transpo should do an inservice for there employees on how to deal with the public on any level..this is there job, this is what they chose to do,i think the driver has mental health issues! Clean up your act,others i am sure were offended by the drivers actions.

Louis
Hoping the passenger gets off on the Queensway? Is this allowed? Make matters worse hoping a mentaly challenged person gets off on the 417? What's wrong with this driver? He should be fired for putting this person's life possibly at risk.

Paul R
If I had to drive a bus in this city of whining out to lunch citizens with the worst drivers on the road in Canada I would loose it too. I would like to see the average citizen put up with what the public dishes them everyday. It's a thankless job.

That aside; the whole organization is ill and needs adjustment. This driver reflects the public perception at large of this organization. Poor management and adversarial union activities have created this monster and the city now needs to fix it or dismantle it.

Another one
There you go,,Occupy OC Transpo will begin soon!! We only see the part where the bus driver swears at him, actually we don't even see the bus driver. We do not know what he told the bus driver prior to it, although the language was kind of bad, but not so much for teenagers, go to any senior high school, you'll know what I am talking about,, well I think the bus driver was only speaking the teenager's language after all!!

IPS
I can already hear the union defending the bus driver by saying his "right to privacy was violated" by being recorded verbally abusing his passenger.

OC Transpo is such a disgrace.

Wow doesn't surprise me
Really this doesn't surprise me. So the guy (bus driver) was having a bad day. That does not excuse the language and the way he handled this situation. Go to any customer service job......and I mean any and if the person would treat the paying customer like this then it would be out the door. But this is going to continue because the bus drivers' have free reign. And all OC super or other just cover up for the fellows bros or sis. Pathetic.

Julie
I had stop taking the bus years ago because the drivers were driving so fast and people were telling him to slow down and we were so pack and some drivers had some attitude. I call and complain but it was not worth it. The attitude of bus drivers has not changed. I'm feel sorry for those drivers that are competent. As I could see it still the same.

glenn
as soon as the driver pulled over on the queensway, he should have called the police for help. obviously there is some medical problem with this driver.
now oc will never find out who it is as they are incapable of tracking the drivers unless you give the 4 numbers on the bus.
so it's over. calll the police next time.

C P
Several things strike me as odd in this video: 1) If the bus is almost empty, why is someone standing right next to the driver, especially if the bus driver is swearing aggressively...wouldn't you move if the driver's behaviour was erratic? and maybe go to the rear door to exit? 2) We never see the bus driver, therefore whose voice is really on camera. My take is: This is a set-up: Chances are the guy standing by the bus driver and the guy taking the video are partners in the set-up. The guy standing is probably the person yelling profanities and that is why he scurries quickly off the bus...If o were on the bus and witnessing this, and videotaping it...wouldn't you be so shocked you would probably make comments that we would hear on video...smells fishy to me...

Cheryl
Nothing else to say but "YOUR FIRED".

John
This appears to be a setup - how do you know this wasn't staged. People if you are going to take audio get all the facts- more proof! For those of you calling for the drivers' head upon a platter, get real!

I would never expect that. Have you never had a bad day? Who knows what the "mental" person did to the driver???? Let him without sin throw the first stone.

fred
just another reason you should sit down, be quiet and stop anoying the bus driver.

DanInAshton
My take on this is if the passenger is a constant problem on the bus,he has amental problem where he is a distraction to the driver,this person should have to ride public transit with someone to keep him in line.....Instead of the driver reacting like he did,pull over,kill the bus and call for an inspector.I would hate to see an accident occur while this distraction is going on while the bus is in motion...Just a thought.

Frank In Kanata
I have to agree with Ronnie. I too stopped using OC transpo years ago. This needs to be throughly investigated and it would be interesting to see if there was any video from the bus validating what the person captured on his smart phone. After listen to the trascript, if this turns out to be true based on the level of prfanity and abuse the driver should be fired! Unforetunately the truth will never come out as the City and OC Transop will sweep it under the privacy rug.

fed up
I fully agree with the bus driver , the people of this city when they get one the bus they tend to say or ask some of the stupidest things to the drivers and then they wonder why the driver at times snaps back in anger it is the people that drive then nuts. This poor driver ran maybe into many of those ignorant passengers and lost it and this time also I am on his side.

Natasha
Ummm yeah... okay Geoff! Keep talking, no one's listening! This is not a conspiracy!

It is clear what is going on in this video and it's disgusting! The man filming partially did the right thing. He recorded the offensive and uncalled for behaviour of the driver. However, much more could have been done! No one stood up and asked the driver to watch his language or defend the mentally-ill man in any way. There are many things that could have been done to deal with the situation appropriately.

There is now an unfortunate mentally-ill man out there thinking that he was truly at fault. He can be heard apologizing to the driver and passengers at the end of the video as he exits the bus. It should have been the driver who was apologizing!

I sincerely hope the driver will be fired and even forced to do some community service at the Royal Ottawa Hospital. He may learn a thing or two!

SteveM
OC Transpo have cameras mounted in select buses to ensure passenger and driver safety. They also post banners in their buses to state that course language and aggressive behavior will not be tolerated and that vioators will be prosecuted.

Why is it acceptable for OC Transpo to record video but unacceptable for passengers to do the same?

"OC Transpo’s mandate is to deliver safe, reliable, and courteous service at a reasonable price."

Respect is a two-way street. All too often OC Transpo drivers, their management and their unions show no respect for those of us who pay to use their service. It's terrible that passengers must endure the ongoing abuse from drivers, poor service, cold and leaking buses and the ever increasing costs associated with taking what should be an affordable and safe method of public transit.

Shame on OC Transpo and their idiot unions for pointing fingers at the very people they should be treating with respect.

Poffii
OC-Transpo posts their policy on mutual respect and that aggressive language and behaviour will not be tolerated.

This seems to be a one-way street. now that they have seen what passengers have to put up with, will OC-transpo follow through on their policy and suspend the driver?
Let the cameras roll, this is the only way you will see the passenger's view. Turning in a complaint to OC... they want proof or no action is taken.
Now the union wants to go after the person providing the proof.
Catch 22.

dRm
Fire that driver.

I ride the bus to and from work daily and I see a lot of nonsense from OC transpo drivers but this one is pretty bad and not excusable.

Fire that driver. Anything less is not good enough.

Angel Genereux
Geoff & Daniel, you are a part of the problem in society. There is absolutely NO excuse for this kind of behaviour by the driver, period.

If he can't handle working with the public, then he should find another job. The disadvantaged in our society are continuously marginalized, and this practice must STOP!

That driver should be charged for uttering threats. As a social work student, this disgusts me to no end!!!!

Norm
Rights-to-Privacy? The driver clearly waived those once he chose to make a PUBLIC SPECTACLE.... I am too disgusted and hope OC and the Police do a thorough investigation to ensure charges, if any, are laid. It seems Common Assault and Threatening Bodily Harm may be in order, in the least!

And to those passengers who were aboard the bus at the time, please present yourself to the proper authority.... this is not something you want to sit silent about.

T in Kanata
Know the young man, he has High school education and some College. Good Kid overall, clear he has health issues, is not a trouble maker, sometimes just talks to himself, and repetitive, a little tolerance goes a long way, he is always doing his best, and clearly sorry that the driver over reacted.
The threats are uncalled for in any case, driver is like most OC drivers, should be fired, do not understand who they work for.

Steve
To Mayor Watson and Council:

Maybe the mentally impaired fellow did in fact trigger the driver off with some comments that were not recorded. That potential fact alone will be used to "justify" nothing happening in the discipline department with regards to yet another incident of rudeness by OC Transpo staff. Most of the abusive OC Transpo interactions are not caught on video, as you can see from the personal experience of bloggers on this site, so there is a bigger problem here. This is what happens in a monopoly where the monopoly rules and gets what it wants from weak politicians every time. It is time to start opening up OC Transpo to private competition. For new routes and new hires, hire private contractors to run the buses. That is what American cities do and it works very well. They contract out about 25-30% of the routes. That keeps the public drivers focused on their jobs and provides a valuable resource in the event of a public strike. The buses still run during a strike, albeit at a reduced rate. Time to fix the system, Ottawa politicians. That is what you promised to do and what you were elected to do. We are counting on you and we know you can do it. Get working!

Graham
He tried to drop him off on the Queensway? Imagine if this braindead bus driver had dropped this mentally ill person off on the Queensway? He probably would have been killed. And the Union is more concerned with the bus driver's supposed right to "privacy"? He owns the bus he's driving?

Hugh
Threatening violence on OC transpo, unreal. You all know what will happen to this driver right, ...............time off, paid, and likely a raise for having to deal with people.

City is out of control and NO ONE will do anything.

Step up Mr. Watson, please Step up.

UNREAL

Lorrie
I'd like to see CTV interview the passenger who took the video and the parents of the boy who was attacked.

Don
So the bus driver had a bad day, there may have been a little too much language issue here but put yourself in the drivers seat. Day in, day out you deal with weirdos and this particular passenger had issues. The passenger had a known physcological issue and just ragged on too much to the bus driver as he is a regular. Perhaps the passenger should be using Para Transpo instead of OC Transpo... although the driver did get out of hand but we all have those days.... it is easy for you to judge that the driver should be in control at all times.... but "crap" happens!!!

Teresa
I completely agree that drivers should not be talking to passengers in that way. But no one knows what it is like to be a bus driver unless you are one. How many rude people do you think these bus drivers have to deal all day long? How many stupid questions do they have to answer day in and day out? A person can only handle so much.
Also, I think it is disrespectful to bus drivers to judge them all based on one driver's mistakes. I have encountered many bus drivers who are cheerful and make riding the bus a positive experience. I am sure you have had those too but no one ever mentions that fact. Just like at any other job there are good employees and then there are bad employees.

concerned mother
I am the mother of a developmentally challenged child. I cannot believe how the driver reacted. If it had been my child and he stopped the bus on the queensway and asked her to get off, she would have and it horrifies me to think what might have happened to her next.
This driver should definitely be fired and to all other drivers out there....let this be a lesson that this will not be tollerated.
we all experience stress in our daily lives - deal with it or leave!

Denis in Ottawa
If a passenger was to lift his/her voice to a driver, an OC transpo Special Constable would be waiting at the next stop. I just hope this investigation is done without prejudice. Time to do a thorough clean-up of the bad apples at OC Transpo.

Mike Beard
This idiot driver should be canned, today, but he won't cause he'll hide behind the union. The guy's a complete tool.

Ian Ottawa
I listened to two drivers on a recent trip down town. One was being dropped off after his shift. The whining and complaining about their jobs was pathetic. If they don't like the job then quit. The fact is, anybody can drive a bus given a weeks training and if it means the customer is safer and treated with respect, all the better. Professionalism should be the tone of every driver no matter what.

Jen
Shouldn't the boy in the video press charges if he was threatened?

Peter martin
I used to be an bus operator i worked for the Richmond hill transit

and yo know were told we would get ing get a dressing down and fired for being disrespectful to any one after all we are all are humans i thought.

As far as i am concerned this operator needs an attitude adjustment how to care for all your passengers

USer of busses
Okay, first things first people. OC Transpo has camera's on busses - it's only fair that we can then record their drivers too.
What has been said about working with the public is true, but also true is that the language and threats are completely unacceptable.
This morning my 8:30 bus didn't come and then the 8:45 bus was late, they both ended up coming to my stop at about 8:55!! I understand there are things that happen - but this is weekly!?! Do I yell at the drivers, no, could I, sure, where would it get anyone? I am taking steps to inform OC of the really awful service I have received (becoming a weekly event). Just as I am taking the proper steps so could the driver. He could have easily called security when the "problem" was over his head and they will catch up with the bus, no stopping required (until they get there, of course). Yes the driver should be reprimanded, but the passenger (autistic people can be taught - they are NOT stupid people) needs to learn what is happening and learn how to behave properly while on a bus. Nuf said.

Peter
The public has no right to know if any measures will be taken to keep bus passengers safe from employees? Sounds like Ottawa's police department. Really, really disapointing.

bad for tourism
Ottawa is notorious for so many rude bus drivers and not so friendly to strange tourists.
Two years ago I remembered when a woman tourist passenger asked the route 95 driver at Lebreton stop if this bus goes to Lincoln Fields that goes there. She politely said "Does this bus go to Lincoln Fields?" then driver rudely yelled at her "Take a look at the map instead!" by refusing her to board on. That made me sick to hear that response. I`m sure she will never return to Ottawa and and other similar incidents are identical. Tourists will never return to Ottawa and so many residences living in other cities across Canada commonly know about the lack of friendliness in Ottawa.

Donald Bedier
This appears to be a case of the mentally ill person driving the bus, not the other way round. Give it a thought/Don

mac
From the clip we hear/see - it is clear that the bus driver is way out of line - the passenger is just standing holding onto the pole and is apologizing...
????
granted we didnt see what happened to initiate this tirade however - the video clearly shows a passive and apologetic response of the individual who is being berated but the driver.

this driver clearly needs to go to anger management and behaviour classes .... have noticed recently that many bus drivers are becoming more aggressive on the roads... pulling out with no signal - crowding you by making a one lane turn into room for two vehicles as he squeezes you out - sppeding (the # 7 hit 75 going S on St Laurent the other day only to slam on his breaks for a bus stop)... - texting/talking while driving !!! stopping with no signal .. hey I cant see the bus stop when you are in front of me !!

Perhaps the bus drivers need a refresher course in basic attitude readjustment for the positive .. and ... driving courtesy ! - Drivers in general need to bring back common courtesy when on the road !

A. Saunders
This drivers behaviour is deplorable!

Please Mr. Watson, please ensure this driver is fired.

Send a clear and strong message that this type of service should not and will not be accepted.

JR
My son also has issues and OC Transpo is his link to independence. To say that my son is not always socially correct would be an understatement. Watching this video horrified me! All I could think about was that could have been my son -- and I don't know what would have happened to him. He does not take stress well and certainly would not know what to do with someone swearing at him. As he has autistic tendencies, he might have well done harm to himself. Especially stopping the bus on the Queensway and telling him to get out. He would have been so disoriented, he definitely could have walked right out into the road. Some people have an aversion to disabilities and are not very nice - this hurts my son to the core. Most people however are wonderful to him and he feels good about himself. I don't care what precipitated the tirade - is should not have happened! People like my son are not always able to control what they do. They do try their best! Long gone are the days when disabled people were shut away and forgotten. We all need to help others especially those who cannot help themselves. That bus driver is very lucky I was not on that bus to witness this.

Kendra S.
I think its ridiculous the disrespect this man received. I feel that the driver did NOT even consider there could be younger riders abord the bus at that time or even elderly persons. The blatent disregard is sickening. I feel this driver SHOULD BE FIRED IMMEDIATLY.

Jane
Clearly this driver went over the top and should face some type of reprimand but I have seen worse cases where the passenger treats the driver like a piece of crap. I used to go to work on the Bayshore to Carlingwood route mid morning. I witnessed bus drivers go out of their way to make sure the seniors on their routes got aboard the bus safely -- often helping them up the stairs and not moving the bus until their senior passengers were seated and secure. This came at a price -- because the driver had taken this time they were almost always verbally abused by the passengers at Carlingwood -- yelling that they were late, what the f... is your problem, that kind of thing. I don't know how long I could take that kind of abuse without a blow up of my own. Maybe they should have video monitors on the bus to show exactly what goes on...

LaurieM.
It's appauling that a driver can talk to a passenger like this. Would the driver be responsible if he was successful in getting this passenger off the bus on the Queensway? That would have endangered the passengers life.
This video shows lack of control and composure on the drivers part. This is bullying, big time!
I think smart phones are definitely making things safer for people and worse for those doing things they shouldn't be doing, like this driver.

Travis (Barrhavena**
I don't condone the bus drivers actions, and I do feel he needs to lose his job. That's just my opinion.

However, there is a problem that needs to be addressed that can affect whether he deserves to be fired.

Riders are not supposed to distract the driver. His principal job is to drive the bus, and get passengers to their destination safely.

When a passenger, any passenger, is found to be disruptive, at that point, all passenger's lives are put at risk.

I wasn't there, and I didn't get to see what led up to the cellphone video being taken; the most important part to video IMHO. How disruptive was the passenger? Does he do this often? Every single day? Was he better or worse than other days?

Very important questions need to be answered before we can get a full picture of the situation.

Torture is not allowed in Canada. If the passenger was making annoying sounds and stuff on a daily basis, for their whole bus ride, then it could be considered torture. It's the same torture that retail workers painfully endure every Christmas by the repetitive replaying of Christmas carols over the PA system.

Even the most laid-back, friendly, and out-going people can be turned into complete a**holes.

The best thing the driver should have done was to call OC Transpo security, and have the man removed from the bus for causing a disturbance.

Mental illness is no excuse for causing a driver to become distracted or impaired from his principal job. And there's no excuse for being an a**shole to another person, especially when there are systems in place to deal with it in a respectful manner.

Anyone can crack. The problem is only going to grow worse.

sharron
Wow when I first saw this I'm like is that driver really talking to a passenger this way. And unfortunetly he was mentally handicapped, obviously the driver knew this already. Yet to begrade anyone like that who takes a bus is pathetic. They think because there in a Union they're able to get away with what ever they want, and they do. Let's step up to the plate & support this guy cause we know that City Hall will just try & sweep it under the rug.

Wendy
There is absolutely no excuse for this driver to talk this way to the passenger. Noone should get away with speaking this way at work. I don't care if the passenger was poking him in the ear. Tell the passenger to get off or stop the damn bus and call security. That's it. FIRED!

Tanya
The bus driver was in the wrong to do this , to talk to someone that way but im confuse, on youtube says that the kid aint mentally ill and that he is trying to be like a tom green impersonnator. By the voice of the bus driver, its seems that he is one of regulars that comes in and he is super nice and I have been on his bus before and he was super nice with me. I take the bus late at night and you get crazy people like this trying to press on the bus drivers nerves.. I do not think this bus driver should get fired but he should be displine for his actions.

Seascape
1. This should not merely be investigated internally (conflict of interest).

2. Making a threat of violence is a criminal offense. The young man who was threatened by the driver should contact the police and press criminal charges against the driver.

3. The union head who suggested that it might have been someone other than the driver who made the threat might want to explain why the person making the threat said:
"...when I open that f---ing door, you get out..."

people need to understand
First off people, this is the far from a "staged" act! I went to high school with Matthew, this is what he deals with and its part of some condition! Second of all, he doesn't have many friends, expecially to have them on a late bus video taping it on a phone! Come on think hard! And for the bus driver, I work cusrtomer service, I get annoying people and thoise who threaten me with whatever, you look the other way and stay calm and call up! There is no reason for either of them to be prevoking eachother, but at the same time it isn't fair for someone to say the things that were said either way! What if that was your child/teenager and you just saw this? Whaty would be your thoughts than?

Jen
I don't think we are getting the full story here...what went on in the few minutes before the video started? I don't think the bus driver handled the situation correctly however I do not feel he should be fired.Bus drivers have to put up with too much and frankly you couldn't pay me enough to put up with all they do. Passengers just need to learn to get in, sit down, and keep quiet. This is also a clear example why those with a mental illness or those who can't always control their behavior based on a medical condition should not be allowed to go out unattended. For those quick to pass judgement....I work in the medical profession and have had to deal with those with mental illness and disabilities.

Disgusted
All I can say is maybe if this bus driver (and any others out there that can't handle the "stress" of driving a bus) maybe its time you find another job. Your dealing with the public constantly - you don't like people or don't have the patience for certain people then get another job. We all have bad days but sorry if anyone else were to rant off at a coworker like this idiot ... guess where we would be ... walking down the street with a pink slip.

pinkpurr1
This is absolutly no excuse for a tirade this. EVER. Any job, whether it is working with the public or not, every job has it's challenging days and certainly we ALL have gone through some really tough times, but the bottom line is there is never any reason to speak to anyone like this. Not as a (supposidly) professional person or as one human being to another. It is beyond rude, beyond disrespectful. This driver ought to be ashamed, and fired.

Jane Davis
If the voice heard is the bus driver, the appropriate steps should be taken so that this does not happen again, whether it is a reprimand, firing, rehabilitation, reconciliation with the passenger, or a combination of these steps. If the driver endangered the passenger, the driver should also be prosecuted.

Many bus drivers are very polite, pleasant, and helpful. Behavior like this does a disservice to fellow bus drivers as well as the public and should not be tolerated.

Peter
This has nothing to do with pay scales or unions. It has nothing to do with the driver being distracted, annoyed, having a bad day or whatever. The driver is an idiot, a bully, a coward, a sorry excuse for a human. Certain jobs require specific types of individuals who can tolerate situations and modify their behavior because of the environment they work. These are the individuals we need to have as drivers. When you are in the wrong job you need to get out. Not everyone is fit to be a bus driver.

BusDrivingGuy
@Louis

You are an idiot. Before you open your mouth know the facts.

Queensway is a transit station. It is located just west of Woodroffe and Pinecrest but again you wouldn't know a bus until it hit you.

Matter of fact you probably don't even use the transit system.

For the rest of you morons who are screaming or this operators head be aware that we don't need to take this sh-t anymore.

Maybe you'd prefer us to go postal. From now on no more Mr. Nice Guy!!

Kojak
It should be taken into consideration just exactly what was mentioned on the televised report. It would be nice to know what lead up to the meltdown of the driver. It's always the driver at fault because nobody gets to know or see what lead up to the driver losing his cool. Although the driver should never get into politics, it wasn't daytime tv language but it wasn't anything nobody would say to their ill-behaved children.

D
People, OC Transpo does NOT have camera's installed on any busses. Those signs are remnants from a pilot project.

Gordon
Threating a passenger, That in going over the Line.
There is zero tolerance for this behavior where I work ,So YES the Bus driver should lose his JOB.

Or Maybe the the worker's union will want to put the money up so he can go to anger management class.
Bottom line the Union will win again. He will keep his Job

ShelleyK
Love how everyone jumps on the FIRE him bandwagon.
No bus driver makes 6 digits a year, the bus was not stopped on the highway, it stopped at the park and ride. And if you really believe your 2.75 is paying the wage of the driver you are sadly mistaken.
Being in control of a confined moving object filled with a mix of Human passengers who have opinions such as yours and the feeling of ENTITLEMENT to express them to the drivers and complain every chance you get should make you rethink your objective in life. Because it is public domain, any tom dick and harry can board a bus. Why is no one complaining about the kid who clearly needs to be out under the supervision of someone reliable, why is no one standing up and saying " HOW ARE ALLOWING SPECIAL NEEDS PEOPLE TO WANDER ALONE" Bus drivers can not go to the back room to take a breather, they can not have a coffee break to relax and clear our head
I challenge anyone to drive for 71/2 hours back and forth without a decent break and tell me you didn't experience psychological stress after the first 3, and tell us that you remained calm the whole way through. This seems like a worst case scenario, final straw, stress leave time for this poor driver, for being stuck without a choice but to pick up any person the rest of the community is too busy to make sure has the care they need.
better yet, you tell us which Starbucks you work at and we will come in everyday annoying you in the same way, and have you forced to stand at the counter and deal with it.