Shocking moment screaming bus passenger refuses to move for three-time combat veteran, 96, who was trying get past in his wheelchair, before attacking another passenger
- The video, captured by a fellow passenger, comes from Monday morning on the city of Albuquerque’s ART bus
- The passenger, John Benavidez, said that he saw the elderly man in his wheelchair asking the woman to briefly move aside so he could turn the chair
- ‘He asked the woman on the other side if she could move for a second so he could turn around his wheelchair and she refused to do so,’ Benavidez said
- The woman snarled back: ‘Leave me alone. My space. It’s my space. I know my rights. Everybody’s watching you. Leave me alone. Leave me alone’
- Benavidez said that the driver finally got up and attempted to reason with the passenger and ask her to move and the elderly man began to bargain with her
- ‘Young lady, I’m a combat veteran of three wars. Three wars! I’m going to be 97 next month and you are trying to hinder me.’
- Eventually the woman left the bus, but not before throwing punches at another passenger
A now-viral video is showing a woman resorting to screaming on a New Mexico bus at a 97-year-old man who claimed to be a combat veteran after she refused to move to allow him to turn around his wheelchair, with the woman eventually coming to blows with another passenger.
The video, captured by a fellow passenger, comes from Monday morning on the city of Albuquerque’s ART bus – which is piloting a ‘free fares’ program in 2022 – when it turned ugly at a stop.
The passenger, John Benavidez, said that he saw the elderly man in his wheelchair asking the woman to briefly move aside so he could turn the chair.
‘He asked the woman on the other side if she could move for a second so he could turn around his wheelchair and she refused to do so,’ Benavidez told KRQE News.
The woman snarled back: ‘Leave me alone. My space. It’s my space. I know my rights. Everybody’s watching you. Leave me alone. Leave me alone.’
Watch video below.
Video taken by a passenger on an Albuquerque bus showed a woman getting into a shouting match with a 96-year-old man who said he was a combat veteran
Video shows the woman saying: ‘You guys are disgusting!’ before another passenger becomes irate with the woman and she throws punches at him, before eventually leaving
Benavidez said that the bus driver finally got up and attempted to reason with the passenger and ask her to move.
‘All you got to do is get up for 30 seconds,’ the driver said.
This is when the elderly man began to bargain with the woman, saying: ‘Young lady, I’m a combat veteran of three wars. Three wars! I’m going to be 97 next month and you are trying to hinder me.’
Finally, the driver ordered the woman off the bus.
‘Alright, ma’am. I need you to hop off the bus now since you’re refusing to comply. Alright I guess we’ll get security,’ he said.
Video shows the woman saying: ‘You guys are disgusting!’ before another passenger becomes irate with the woman and she throws punches at him, before eventually leaving.
ABQ RIDE runs Albuquerque Transit and ‘sincerely ask that passengers be respectful of one another and our drivers’ in a statement
Benavidez said that he’s seen behavior on the buses devolve recently.
‘It’s been a problem for the past few months. People refusing to wear masks, not obeying commands of the driver, twice in the last month I’ve witnessed two people doing drugs on the bus.’
His solution is that the city should enhance security.
ABQ RIDE, which runs the city’s transit, released a statement in response to the incident.
‘ABQ RIDE continues to monitor and gather data of incidents onboard our buses to assist in generating policy that will keep our passengers and drivers safe. Safety is a top priority for ABQ RIDE in ensuring passengers, drivers and motorists get where they need to be without issue. We sincerely ask that passengers be respectful of one another and our drivers,’ said Lorena Sanchez, spokesperson for Albuquerque Transit.
It is unclear if the woman is facing any charges.
Do you know this veteran? If so, e-mail [email protected]
Source: Read Full Article
