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Anatomy of a Bus Driver Beating
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 30, 2010
Modified Jun 30, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 30, 2010
Modified Jun 30, 2010
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So here's how it went down with that MTA bus driver who got punched in the face by a rider dissatisfied with the quality of his commute. According to driver Gilberto Davila, the situation devolved pretty quickly after he stopped to let on Jason Ferreira, 22, in Bensonhurst Monday morning. Not long after boarding, Ferreira asked if the bus had arrived at Flatbush Avenue yet, prompting Davila to laugh and tell him that since the bus had only traveled two blocks, Flatbush was still at least 20 blocks away. "That's why you goddamn bus drivers always get beat up," Ferreira "exploded," according to Davila's account in the Daily News. (They also get spat upon and stabbed, too.)
"If it weren't for the cameras, I would kick your ass," Ferreira continued, under the impression that video cameras were recording inside the bus. Then things got physical when Davila pulled the bus over. According to the News, both men are over 6 feet tall and weigh over 200 pounds. "I stood up and I got clocked in the face," Davila says. "He hit me and we got tangled. I wanted to get him off the bus, but I couldn't. I was born in Brooklyn and I can handle myself, but he's a strong young man. He tossed me off the bus like I was a feather."
It's still unclear how Ferreria was apprehended, but it appears that he did not commandeer the bus and proceed to his precious Flatbush Avenue at his desired pace. Instead, he was charged with felony assault, misdemeanor menacing and harassment, and released on $500 bail. Davila walked away with a black eye, scrapes to his face, bumps on his head and a pain in the neck.
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John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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