At approximately 9:30 p.m., a 911 caller reported a female bus driver who was screaming, crying, and driving erratically, said police.
The complainant said the driver appeared to be having a “mental breakdown”.
The incident took place on a westbound #77 Belmont bus; bus number 6574, said police.
Authorities caught up with the bus driver on the 2600 block of West Belmont Avenue, near Belmont and Washtenaw.
An ambulance was called to the scene.
No physical injuries were reported, but the driver needed to be “evaluated”, said an officer.
The CTA employee was taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital, 5145 North California Avenue, for further treatment, said one source.
Copyright © 2011 - Chicago News Report.
It's a stressful job, takes a strong person to remain calm during their run. However, I have witnessed a couple of drivers completely lose their sh*t in public.
ReplyDeletePoor woman. Driving a bunch of rude animals around all day can't be easy. :-(
ReplyDelete20 years ago I was on a northbound subway train from the Jackson stop, when the train started flying through the tunnel and bypassing all the stops. At first, everyone on the train thought we were going express (without notice). But the train kept going faster and faster! When the train finally stopped at Fullerton, the cops were there with a CTA supervisor. The driver of the train appeared to be drunk!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFor rudeness, it's the CTA that can't be beat, not the passengers. It's altogether routine to see mean, nasty bus drivers berating old ladies and just about anyone. A worse group of people, as a group, is harder to imagine than CTA employees.
ReplyDeleteWow, harsh judgment of CTA employees. Admittedly, a lot are not stellar, but let's face it, the majority of the people they have to interact with daily just suck.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteOne time I was riding a 22 Clark Bus and a black tranny got on, his first bus pass was out of funds and he pissily threw it at the driver, and used a second one. A few blocks later the bus driver stopped at a cop driving some kind of moon buggy thing and said he wished for the officer to remove the tranny, he described him as a "boy dressed as a girl" and described the card flinging as assault, and it was clear he threw him off the bus because he was homophobic.
It never fails, everytime I take the 151 and pass through Uptown there is some kind of craziness.
@ Bill Thayer..have you ever stop to think that maybe the reason the bus drivers are so mean is because the passengers are mean and nasty to them. i really dont think those cta employees go to their jobs to be mean and nasty. i have personally seen passengers spit,hit,talked down to as if they were sub human,to these drivers. i ride the bus on the south side of chicago and its ridiculous. and it all starts with the passenger boarding the bus not wanting to pay to ride.
ReplyDeleteI really can relate to those drivers they have to deal with so many personalities daily people are rude and mean these drivers have to practically kiss ass all day to people that are very disrespectful while the ones who make up all the rules sit in their offices and have no clue or just don't give a damn what they actually have to go through
ReplyDeletePeople always say CTA drivers are mean and some of them are.. but what about the rude, stupid, mean and nasty ass passengers that get on the bus... Now I ride the bus everyday and I have seen driver get punched in the face for no reason or how about the passenger who lost her job and got on the bus and throw water on the female driver and only thing the driver did was open the door.. I don't see anyone talking about that...Oh yeah what about the driver who was working the 82 bus and got hit in the head a few times with a hammer when the driver asked him for his fare...Yes we as can sit back and judge the driver attitude but lets stop and think about what do we do to them or what fool got on the bus and piss this driver off.. I'm not saying it right for the drive to stay mad.. but how many of use can go through the hate, rude, mean, ass people day in and day out without it rubbing off on us a little.. I give my hands up to the drivers and dealing with some of these mean,rude,nasty people everyday...and thank you for getting me to work and from work everyday..Thanks...
ReplyDeleteThe majority of the CTA drivers are rude, nasty, have a chip on their shoulder and are obviously not thankful at all to have a job making that type of money in this economy with little to no educaton - face it. Very few and far between are some that are almost over the top courteous. There job is not that hard.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 9:38pm: If that's what the "tranny" did, it needed to be thrown off the bus for being a public nuisance at the very least.
@ Annonymus 10:21 pm:
ReplyDeleteKinda ignorant to assume that CTA bus drivers have, "little to no education" isn't it? I know of a few that have college degrees, but cannot find a job any where else. Hell, one of my good friends works for Pace and is in real estate, but drives for the extra cash since the housing market is kinda "south" right now.
You know they say never judge a book by its cover. Perhaps you shouldn't be an ignorant P.O.S. and assume that your CTA bus driver has "little to no education" as you put it. Obviously your line of work isn't working either.
I am a cta employee and there is alot to deal with.In certain aspects I do understand why drivers would have an attitude because of certain passengers but,don't take it out on the rest of the world.As far as education goes,my job pays well,I have two degrees as well as my own business so some of us are well to do and well educated.its a choice we all choose to make.
ReplyDeleteAs a CTA driver, I've been shot at, spit on, cussed out, assualted, and a bottle of urine was even thrown on me. We are often mistreated by people not about bus fare, but because many of these people are being abused at home and wish to take it out on us, as a public employee doormat. I love people and I respect everyone, but I'm there to transport, not to be your punching bag or your doormat, I won't allow you to wipe your feet on me. Often the mean facial expression is for the boarding passenger with BS on his or her mind, most of the pleasant people know what's up. I often wonder about the education level of those who are quick to say that we are mostly uneducated and should be grateful to have a job, and accept the abuse.
ReplyDeleteAs a CTA bus operator who retired at the beginning of 2011 with 35 years of service, I can see both sides of this story. Every day I started out the day with a smile and a good frame of mind. I always tried to do my job as I was trained to do. Depending on what street your working, two different streets can be as different as day or night, pleasant or miserable. The miserable streets have people who are jealous and envious of CTA bus operators because they know that we make a good salary, and they don't. These are the people who are rude, obnoxious, and are just out to give you a hard time. Maybe they just had an ass whipping from their spouse so your the first person they have to interact with so they take it out on you. After you work an 8 hour shift with people like this, you would have to be a Saint to finish the day with a smile and a good disposition. As a line instructor, I had a lot of students who never made it past the first 30 days, because they could not put up with all the aggravation that comes with the job,I can't remember how many time I've heard, "I thought this was an easy job!" and lets not forget all the traffic that you have to put up with. If you ran a store and had people come in your store and do some of the things the passengers do, you would throw them out, on their ear and tell them don't ever come back! Bad weather is another powder keg that sets off some of these riders. If I had to wait 20 or 30 minutes for a bus in cold weather, I would be happy when the bus showed up because I could now get on and warm up, but they instead curse and berate the bus operator. Not all, but many of the operators who are rude get that way from being berated by the riding public. If they would only traet people the way they would like to be treated, this problem would not exist!
ReplyDeleteAnoymous at 10:21. I knew that was coming. I was waiting for it! Bus drivers with online MBA's. I KNEW there were some out there. I knew it! The nails and attitudes don't do much justice for that education. Real estate in Chicago? Don't get me started.
ReplyDeleteAnd Chicago still boasts it's "lower" unemployment rate across the nation (particularly in the Midwest) but UNDERemploymnet is no different. Really, I sympathize with you (real estate agents that became bus drivers, etc). So you proved my point. They have a chip on their shoulder because now they have to drive a damn bus.
ReplyDelete^^^ Racist bigot alert! Small mind in motion!
ReplyDeletebefore you judge a CTA bus driver ,,, judge yourself are you feeding the fire as well ,,a good person is not judge by his education level, a good person is judge by morals and principles something seen far a few around Chicago,,, and racially speaking all nationalities have there share in the daily ignorance that we see on the buses and in the news today ,,,, i am a CTA bus driver i love my job i love people i have my limits with ignorance of all color,,,,
ReplyDeleteRiding the CTA is hell, especially the Red Line, the 151, the 36, the 81. A fiction writer couldn't even dream up these live-action weirdoes!
ReplyDeleteI am a CTA operator and I can tell you until you do this so call easy job, you have no idea of a day in the life of an operator. We take so much crap from the public every day all day. It is not something anyone would think was RIGHT if they were sitting in that seat.
ReplyDeleteLet me get this right..people who drive the bus have little to no education huh. You sound bitter..You have no idea what a drivers education backround is..You dont know what a driver makes..unless u drive for cta..This is the problem your concerned with things you shouldn't be..As a OPERATOR NOT BUS DRIVER BUT OPERATOR. You and everyone else that rides the public transit service should say THANK YOU for getting me from point a b and c in a SAFE AND TIMELY MANNER. I HAVE YOURS AND EVERY BODY ELSE LIFE IN MY HANDS..THIS IS WHAT I AM PAID TO DO..NOT BE YOUR TRAVEL AGENT OR BE A SHOULDER FOR YOU TO WHINE TO AND ON..I dont have to speak to you if I choose not to.. A VAST MAJORITY OF YOU ARE RIDING FOR A HALF FARE OR NO FARE AT ALL AND U HAVE THE NERVE TO COMPLAIN..YOU DONT LIKE THE SERVICE GET A CAR. ALL ANY OF THE RIDERS NEED TO DO IS PAY YOUR PROPER FARE THEN SIT DOWN, MIND YOUR BIZNESS AND ENJOY YOUR RIDE...JEEZ
ReplyDeleteI HAVE NEVER BEEN OR SEEN A CITY THAT TRUELY DOES NOT APPRCIATE WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH..YOU CAN GET UP AT ANY HOUR OF THE NIGHT AND GO WHERE EVER YOU WANT VIA BUS OR TRAIN. 24HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK...CTA (TRAIN AND BUS DRIVER'S) I APPRECIATE YOU!!! I THINK I UNDERSTAND NOW WHY BUS DRIVERS KEEP IT STRICTLY BUSINESS...SOME CHICAGOAN'S ARE SO UNGRATEFUL
ReplyDelete@ Bill Thayer....go to hell!! you must be jealous because your not in that seat driving!!!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Me and everyone of my co workers appreciate those kind words you just said. Truly people have not a clue as to what goes on in the course of the day. I have been in transportation for 19 yrs working in four different states..and trust me when I say the abuse I have been subjected to here in chgo is..breath taking..and this comes from all walks of life..rich, poor and in between.. Not to mention the kinds of people we service..And the health risks we have to endure..riders who dont bathe..riders who have used the bathroom on themselves..the drunks falling all on us and the passerngers..thats just to name a few..Im NOT COMPLAINING ..IM JUST SAYING..MY SKILLS ARE A BLESSING..But it aint easy not by far..HEY THANKS AGAIN..
ReplyDeleteI just got off a #147 Northbound where a giant fat black woman was on a homophobic rant against some white emo gay guy, it then somehow escalated into a shouting match between her and a another black woman at the back of the bus. It raged for the whole fifteen minutes I was on the bus. The driver just laughed. I reported him just now.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks for showing us where stereotypes come from!!!
To the idiot just getting off the #147 why did you report the driver?? See this is the dumb B.S. I'm talking about!!! If you were so concerned you racist prick or Bit@#, why did'nt you call the police?? I hope all the bus driver's go on strike then WTF you dumb ass's gonna do???
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOSH..THE RULES CLEARLY STATE NO RACIAL OR ETHNIC SLURS..AND YOU SAY A FAT BLACK LADY..AND AGAIN YOU MENTION A BLACK LADY..THEN A WHITE GAY GUY..WHAT IS YOUR MAGIC COLOR..RACIST AS PERSON..I SEE YOU DONT FOLLOW RULES TO WELL..DID U BOTHER TO READ THEM..OR CANT U READ..YOU ARE ONE OF THE REASONS WE (CTA WKRS)BEHAVE AS SUCH..I TAKE OFFENSE TO THE ENTIRE POSTING FROM YOU..NOW YOU CALLED IN TO REPORT THE DRIVER FOR WHAT REASON..I CANT SEE WHERE THEY DID ANYTHING WRONG..ANOTHER SERIOUS PROBLEM IS YOU PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GIVEN WAY TO MUCH SAY SO AND POWER WHEN IT COMES TO OUR JOBS..I DONT COME OVER BY YOUR WORK THATS IF YOU HAVE ONE AND TELL YOU WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO DO IT..MIND YOUR BIZNESS..AND IF YOU WERE SO CONCERNED THIS IS WHAT CPD IS FOR THEY HANDLE DISPUTES..WE DRIVE A BUS..NOT BUST UP ARGUMENTS OR FIGHTS..GET A CLUE..
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 8:14 PM, several of us called 911 and the 911 operator said for the bus to pull over and wait for an officer, and he didn't comply, he kept cracking jokes about charging $10 to have people watch the two women fight. That's why I reported him. 911 said to stop the bus and he didn't.
ReplyDeleteI used those words because that's what they looked like, the argument clearly started because the woman was offended by a flamboyant gay man in her presence, the whole bus roared when she said "You tryin' to look straight! Your parents must be ashamed of you!!", and he answered "You must be mentally ill if you think I'm straight!" and other things along those lines went back and forth. She was gay-bashing. I've attended black church and they are aggressively anti-gay, venom spewing forth on the subject as a matter of fact. I don't care if I'm breaking the rules, I am sickened by the black community's severe homophobia.
You had better ask for all the facts before you capslock and try to win an argument with me. That woman started it. Another woman couldn't mind her own business. If that bus had people of any other color on there it might have been one stray comment and then awkward silence, but black people just love to shout and argue.
Oh and as a extra special note she was hogging two whole handicapped seats, partially with her giant rear end, and the rest of it with bags and suitcases. A skinny old lady stood around, hanging on a strap looked pained when this woman could have moved her $hit so she could sit down. This woman's homophobia and general inconsiderate nature of everybody around her (cursing violently in front of children) trumps anybody else's BS.
ReplyDeleteIt's really not so much racism as just reporting the facts I'm faced with daily, people of different cultures have varying levels of politeness in public and SOME CULTURES are sorely lacking in manners.
Well, I have to say that both myself & partner ask the driver, when we get on, how they're doing and when we get off, we tell them to have a nice day/evening and thank them. It's not a hard thing to do and we appreciate the public transportation in this city. However, there are still some pretty rude drivers out there who appear to hate their jobs and that's not my fault. I have also experienced drivers letting people get into it on the bus and don't seem to care. This can then endanger their passengers. it's simple, the driver should really tell these rowdy ignorant passengers to shut up/knock it off or stop the bus and make them get off! We had the misfortune of being on the Foster bus one time when the kids were getting out of school. They were all pretty rude, loud and ignorant. Hell, you couldn't even hear yourself breath. BUT the driver NEVER said a word to them. Not cool. On the other hand, I wouldn't want their job. The flip side of that are the ignorant passengers who would let a senior stand rather then give up their seat. I see more women offering their seat then men. One time, on the 147,a senior with a CANE got on and NO ONE moved to offer her a seat. The bus driver sat there UNTIL someone got up...it was a women who eventually offered her a seat.
ReplyDeleteSorry but I have to agree about black people thinking the bus is their own personel space to scream & yell and heaven help anyone who says anything to them. Manners seem to have gone the way of the dinosaurs.
First off we check at the window with the clerk. Go see the manager before you start your shift. They charge with some nonsense. Now go pick up these passengers after I pissed you off. Eggs thrown at you , bullets shot at you , being spit on , getting your ass whooped for having on a cta logo on your arm , buckets of water thrown on you , just because the fire hydrant is on , being raped in the terminal just because. Walk a mile in my or coworkers shoes before you judge !
ReplyDeleteI can see it now, I pull over and wait for police because a passenger said the police told her that on the phone. Hah I could just wait for my 3 days off with no pay for delaying service ya that is going to happen. Police can intercept the bus its not like they dont know where its going.
ReplyDeleteWow..ppl have too much time on their hands to make comments about the CTA drivers,passengers and whatever else is taking place here. I drive for CTA and I can tell you one thing..PRAYER is how I make it. Not all humans can drive and remain sane. I could careless what someone says about the CTA..long as I know I do the best I can when I sit behind that wheel is good enough for me. That's why it's called PUBLIC transportaion. You can't change the folks that ride, and you can't change the drivers..just pay your fare(corret amount) and sit down and enjoy the ride.
ReplyDeleteI noticed at my local El station there is one guy paid to sweep VERY SLOWLY and another guy is paid to watch him sweep, everyday. Must be nice
ReplyDeletedrive a bus take it or leave it
ReplyDelete