badboys

 

Bad Boys

    The purpose of this dissertation is to document the happenings on Saturday May 10, 2002 at 11:00am.

    I am employed at West Teleservices and we get paid on Saturdays. Therefore, I had caught the outbound 91 bus(NABI type) at Fredericksburg/Bluemel at 10:44am. We arrived at Laureate and Clark(West Teleservices) at 10:50am. I proceeded to go retrieve my paycheck, cashed it, and started walking back to the bus-circle. To my surprise the 91 I had ridden was still there. I boarded the bus and asked the driver(David Castillo, operator #2340) how long the wait was until he departed. Mr. Castillo was very rude and answered, "Well what does the schedule say?" I responded with, "Don't you know? This is your route after all." He finally told me that he was leaving at 11:00am. I said, "Thank you Sir, that's all I wanted to know".
    I remained standing on the bus, clearly behind the yellow line, leaning on the right-front wheel well where the schedules were. Mr. Castillo then commanded me to sit down. I responded, "I'm sorry sir, I prefer to stand." Mr. Castillo then informed me that he was not leaving until I sat down. I replied with, "Sir, nowhere is it posted that passengers are not allowed to stand while inside the bus. What's the point of these handles running along the top bar then, not to mention all the headroom?" He told me that standing was only allowed when the bus was full and when there was nowhere for people to sit. I have been an avid bus-rider for around two years and I have never been told to sit down by the driver. Therefore, I felt it was within my rights to remain standing. My destination was Broadway Bank on Fredericksburg/Datapoint which was not too far from West.
    Mr. Castillo then told me he was going to call the police. I told him to go right ahead and do so, that it was my day off and I had plenty of time to stand up for my rights(pun intended). Whereas he, on the other hand, had a schedule to keep and so did the other passengers on his bus.
    Mr. Castillo did not have his nametag in place so as I stood there waiting for the police. I asked Mr. Castillo for his name and operator number. He was rude once again and told me, "No, mind your own business." I wrote down the bus number and time of the incident.
    So I remained standing until two police officers showed up. Officer Ed Fuentes(Badge Number 107) and Officer Lutz(Badge Number 139, I never got his first name). They boarded the bus and asked me to sit down. I told them I refused to because nowhere is it posted that I cannot stand while the bus is in operation, that it was my right as a taxpayer and bus-pass holder to remain standing. They asked me to get off the bus and I told them I would not because I had to deposit the money from my check at the bank soon.
    They then threatened to force me off the bus so I complied and began walking towards the door. As I stepped off the bus, Officer Lutz and Officer Fuentes grabbed me by the arms suddenly and forced me down into the bench outside, putting both their combined weight on me. I asked, "Why are you being so rough? I am not resisting. What crime have I committed?" "Because you're stupid", said Officer Lutz.
    I then asked Officer Fuentes to please get my bag I had left on the bus, and he did. I asked him if he minded if I pulled out my mini-cassette recorder out of my bag because I wanted to tape-record all that was happening. He said, "No, how do I know you don't have a gun in there?" I told him he was more than welcome to search it if he wanted to.
     They asked me for my ID and I provided them with it. Officer Lutz asked me if I had any warrants out for my arrest and I let him know that I had a clean record. Officer Lutz then began lecturing me again, telling me that "The bus driver is the captain of the ship, you do what he tells you to." I replied with, "I did nothing wrong Sir, please tell me what rule I was breaking." I spoke in a very respectful manner the whole time and was never brash or rude with the officers. Officer Fuentes then threatened, "Do you want us to take you in for disorderly conduct?" I told him he should do what he thinks is right and that if he thought I deserved to be taken in that he should.
    Just then Officer Lutz asked me, "Where are you from?" I told him, "I was born in Puerto Rico, Sir." "Oh that explains it!" he said. I was appalled and offended by that comment. "What a racist comment", I said, "That's the kind of police my tax money pays for?"
    Officer Fuentes then called a Via supervisor and we sat and waited for him/her to arrive. While we were waiting other bus patrons arrived at the stop and sat down on the bench facing ours. One lit up a cigarette. Officer Fuentes was lecturing me and I told him, "Excuse me, Sir" and asked the lady smoking if she had a cigarette she could spare and she agreed. I asked Officer Fuentes, "Do you mind if I stand up and get that cigarette? He agreed. So I sat back down and smoked it while I waited. When I was finished with the cigarette I rubbed the cherry off and asked Officer Fuentes, "Do you mind if I stand up to throw this cigarette butt in the trash can?" He surprisingly told me, "Just throw it on the ground." Once again, I was appalled at Officer Fuentes, a policeman endorsing littering? I couldn't believe it. I told him, "That's ok Sir, I don't litter." I put the cigarette butt in my pocket.
    Officer Fuentes and Officer Lutz continued to lecture me about the bus driver(who had since left). I told them, "With all due respect Sirs, please spare me the lectures. You are of aware of my stance on this issue and I know yours. We will see what happens."
    So we waited some more. By that time the sun had shifted and was shining directly on me so I asked Officer Fuentes, "Sir, do you mind if I stand in the shade, it's getting hot." He then offered for me to sit in the back seat of his police car. I agreed. I was hoping he would turn the air conditioner on, which he did.
    The Via supervisor eventually came. She had been pulled off some business on the northeast side of town. I exited the police car and the two officers left. The supervisor(I didn't get her name) told me that I was, in fact, allowed to stand on the bus.
    She tried to cover for the driver saying, "It's for your own safety." I told her I understood, but if the bus was going to be a in an accident I would have a better view and be prepared to brace myself better than the other people sitting down not paying attention to the road and regardless, I was behind the yellow line.
    So that pretty much wraps it up for what happened Saturday. I plan to file a formal complaint, not only on Mr. Castillo, but the incompetent policemen as well, especially racist Officer Lutz.

Follow-up:

    I had gone to the VIA board meeting and read this paper in front of the Chairman and President. A couple weeks later I got a response in the mail:

Issue: CTBH(Citizen To Be Heard) commented at length that a bus operator had overreacted and called the police all because he refused to sit down when the operator asked.

Response: Operations staff members reviewed the operator/dispatcher audiotapes of the incident and concluded that the bus operator appears to have overreacted to the incident between he and the CTBH. Additionally, the dispatcher did not properly assess the situation, and could have used better judgment when it came to calling the police. The operator has been counseled regarding his behavior, and the incident has been discussed with the dispatchers so as to avoid recurrence.

My name ain't Victor for nothin'.