Unsuck DC Metro: Pitbull, Bus Standoff

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Pitbull, Bus Standoff

DCist first reported a version of this story. Here's another, along with pics.

From Timothy:

At about 8:30 a.m. April 6, at the corner of 3rd and E streets NW, a woman attempted to board bus # 2389 on the D-6 route with a pit bull, apparently claiming it was a service animal.

The dog had a harness and a red vest, but the woman could produce no papers.

When the bus driver refused to allow the woman and dog to board, she and her dog stood in front of the bus, refusing to move.

The bus driver then moved the bus forward attempting to push the woman and dog out of the way!

Metro and DC police were called to the scene, and the bus was off loaded. An ambulance was called, but it was not clear if the woman was injured.

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-3 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

I would say "I hope that driver gets fired", but I have no doubt there's a promotion in his or her future.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

Kim · 728 weeks ago

The bus driver moved the bus forward? Are you kidding?

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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D6rider · 728 weeks ago

Probably not the best idea, but that's what Washingtonians are all about, intimidation. I'm sure the people on the bus would have done the same thing. I'm not keen on pitbulls, either.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Joe · 728 weeks ago

A pitbull in my bus? No thank you!

6 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Dallas is boring! · 728 weeks ago

I love it, I left DC a few months ago and these tyoes of shenanigans just don't happen where i live now.

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James · 728 weeks ago

Because that Pit is so out of control an overweight woman can handle it Joe?

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Kim · 728 weeks ago

People need to get over the pit bull fear, its so ridiculous. Pit bulls can be the sweetest most loving dogs. They are only vicious when they're trained to be - and in my opinion people who train them to be mean (not to mention to fight) should be jailed.

7 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Ever and Anon · 728 weeks ago

I do not know if just a harness and red vest "prove" a service animal is such. Regardless, a bus driving trying to use the vehicle to push a human and dog out fo the way? Assuming the driver was not stupid - they were legally allowed to control that extremely heavy/potentially dangerous moving machine - they had to have known the physical danger to a human or dog body when making that move. Metro drivers seem to be come more and more reckless - and less caring of the concept of life. God help us all should any of us need CPR and they are the only ones around.

+22 Vote up Vote down

Malnurtured Snay · 728 weeks ago

The woman's a complete and inconsiderate jerk. That certainly doesn't excuse the driver trying to push her out of the way with the bus, and that driver should probably be fired, but that woman should be banned from Metro for life.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+7 Vote up Vote down

R. Idiculous · 728 weeks ago

Sure, just move forward until the obstacle(s) in question move out of the way! That's standard MetroBus Driver 101 stuff! Duh! I don't see what the problem is.

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Guest · 728 weeks ago

If you compare the photos, it's clear the bus moved forward while the woman and dog were in front of it.

The driver should have just told the passengers "I need to call transit police you can either sit here and wait, get off and walk the rest of the way or wait for the next bus. Sorry about this."

+16 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 728 weeks ago

I wonder what would have happened if she had McGruff on a leash with a vest on.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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@jetblkeyes · 728 weeks ago

i don't think the driver was trying to "Push" her with the bus, more so trying to maneuver around her, thats what it looks like to me and and seems as though the woman was being a ass about the service dog situation, i am quite sure it is not the first time she has come into issues with having a pit as a service dog so she should have been prepared with documentation, but holding up a bus of people trying to get to their destination is a NO!! NO! in my opinion. i would have been on that bus encouraging the drive to get around her, after she couldn't provide proof, METRO should have sent a memo to all driver that there is a woman who has a pit as a service dog , because it is so unusual

5 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Mathena · 728 weeks ago

Good for the driver! I would have wanted to do the same thing

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MadAsHeck · 728 weeks ago

If you look at the top photo, the bus is right by the curb, with the front tires angled out. It is trying to move around her into the traffic stream. In the bottom photo, it is about six feet out from the curb, with the tires pointed straight ahead. It clearly was trying to move around her, and she moved farther out into the street to continue to be an obstruction. I dislike Metro as much as the next guy, but in this case I side with Metro.

The original poster states: "The bus driver then moved the bus forward attempting to push the woman and dog out of the way!" That's not what the photos tell us. That may be what the woman with the dog said, but I do not believe that is what happened.

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none · 728 weeks ago

A sad commentary on Metro and its riders.

+15 Vote up Vote down

@keekerdc · 728 weeks ago

Look at the photos...the first, the bus is right up against the curb, the last, the bus is a good five feet out from it and a good twenty feet forward away from the stop.

I find this similar to people who try to hold train doors open because their friends are putting fare on their cards. No respect for the authority of the bus driver or train operator, and no respect for the time of other passengers. In this case, she's just angry that someone actually had the call to call her out on the dog.

Clearly the driver had a suspicion that this wasn't a service dog...so this would-be passenger decides to throw an adult tantrum? She needs a service dog, but is entirely capable of maintaining a position obstructing the path of a bus while it's clearly trying to maneuver out of the situation? Mhmm.

Yea yea, two wrongs don't make a right; that doesn't absolve the pet owner from her ridiculous tactics here.

+7 Vote up Vote down

Linds · 728 weeks ago

It is illegal to ask for papers for a service animal, fyi. Against the ADA.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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anony · 728 weeks ago

Service dogs are required to be able to perform at least three different tasks. Stopping a bus is not an acceptable one.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Cade Tyler · 728 weeks ago

Metro, through it's agent the driver was clearly in violation of the ADA here.

From http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm, "... documentation generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal ..." and "... you may not insist on proof of state certification before permitting the service animal to accompany the person with a disability.. ".

Although I will agree with other comments that the lady was bang out of order in holding up other passengers, as well as putting her and her animal's lives at risk.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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KWM · 728 weeks ago

I think both of these people behaved badly. DC residents have this distorted sense of entitlement, and Metro employees just don't give a darn. Shame on both of them.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Matt G · 728 weeks ago

So basically I can bring any animal on a bus, produce no paperwork or reason, but claim it is a service animal, and I can't be turned away. I'm going to get Koala and ride the D6.

9 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Moldy Metro Smell · 728 weeks ago

There appears to be a prohibition on common sense for Metro employees. Maybe the dog was a service animal, maybe not. If there was any doubt, he should have called the police. Since he threatened the woman with running over the woman, he should be fired. But he won't be. He will be "re-trained.," that is to say, "told not to do that again."

Metro is hopeless and I don't believe it can be unsucked.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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James · 728 weeks ago

1. The bus was clearly trying to go around her.

2. Pitbulls are not service animals.

3. This woman needs to be arrested for reckless endangerment.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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1, 2, 3 · 728 weeks ago

It is obvious to me the driver and the public have had poor training.
1. There should be proceedures taught in Bus Class on the proper protcol.
2. OCC / Transit should be called when there is a hostile ADA rider.(Transit officers mostly in DC)
3. There should be a posting on each bus to educate the customers on the rules.
4. The bus operator should have parked the bus, pulled up the brake, made an announcment to the riders that OCC / Transit Police has been called and then escort those riders who want to get off and catch another bus off the bus safetly.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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jaybeas · 728 weeks ago

I rode the D6 a few days ago with this woman and her pit bull (she got on a little ways up the road from where this event took place). The bus driver didn't say anything when she got on with the dog, and I noticed she had some sort of paperwork hanging around her neck saying the dog was a service animal.

I don't know if the dog is legitimately a service animal or not (that's a debate for another day), but I will admit that the dog was extremely well-behaved and caused no problems for the entire trip, even when some people had to step over him to get off the bus.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Richard · 728 weeks ago

Just what is the policy on service animals?
Service animals are permitted on Metro.
Can Metro challenge a claim that an animal is a service animal?
If so, on what bases?
Once challenged how does Metro proceed if passenger will not comply?
What can a passenger do, what should a passenger do who has an service animal.
If only we were in possession of the facts.

+9 Vote up Vote down

www.AccessTheDMV.com · 728 weeks ago

This is a double edged sword here and here are ONLY a few reasons why:

- Pitbulls are becoming the latest trend in service animals.
-Documentation requesting IS illegal unless it poses a threat to safety or health.
-Pitbulls have a HORRIBLE stigma attached to their names. (blame the owners)
-Due to the above stigma Pitbulls have been outlawed in P.G. County, save that this was in the District.
-The rarity of a Pitbull as a service animal boarding a vehicle could've triggered a red flag with the driver, who may have NEVER seen anything like that (not to exclude the comments of riders who may have had influenced the driver's decision).
-The chasing of the bus alongside the road was wrong and could've ended in a VERY different scenario.
-The driver could've/SHOULD have radioed for a supervisor to be dispatched to the scene to determine the validity of the animal duo, BUT he should not have left.
-There may have been persons/children on board with very real fears of pitbulls.

Unfortunately this will be happening more often as MetroAccess continues to decrease ridership and WMATA offers classes to persons with disabilities to ride general mass transit.

Those are only a FEW things that come to mind that could've changed the outcome of this story.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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no one · 728 weeks ago

In the last photo, the dog is obviously startled/ready to act. The bus should have never tried moving with someone in front of it. Poor decision in a crummy situation.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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No Money for You · 728 weeks ago

You do NOT have to produce ANY form of paper work for a service animal. It is illegal to ask what medical condition someone has to determine if the animal is a service animal. The ONLY question that may be asked is "What function does the service animal provide to you" and that is it.

5 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Bill · 728 weeks ago

What kind of owner would put their service dog (or pet) in jeopardy like that?

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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hrh king friday 13 · 728 weeks ago

A strategically tossed hot dog would have ended this.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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XDC · 728 weeks ago

Anyone know a place to buy vests for service giraffes? (DC only please)

+13 Vote up Vote down

Guesty · 728 weeks ago

I plan on taking my service happy meal on the bus tonight.

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@iilusionofchaos · 728 weeks ago

As the owner of a (now) retired service dog, I almost WISH my dog was intimidating-looking. Instead, he's cute and small (hearing dog) and has a puppy face to boot, so when I'd go out, despite his vest CLEARLY stating "DO NOT PET", people would walk right up to him and start petting him. Petting service dogs while they are on duty is a BIG no-no. A pit bull would definitely have helped avoid that.

As others have stated, the bus driver was clearly in violation of the ADA here. That being said, the woman's response was poorly thought out, and makes more levelheaded service dog owners look bad. Both of them deserve a smack upside the head.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Lygris · 728 weeks ago

I don't think Pit Bulls are as dangerous as everyone envisions them to be. I place the blame on movies for driving this constant image of a Pit Bull as some vicious killer. After all, this particular Pit Bull is a service animal. The woman takes the dog out in public.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/23518/pi...

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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mike · 728 weeks ago

I can see why people might be frightened of this particular pit bull in the bright red pants - in the picture it looks huge, several times taller than the woman it is supposed to be serving.

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lulz · 728 weeks ago

Has anyone ever seen a pitbull used as a service animal?

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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.50Cent · 728 weeks ago

I have a Pit/Boxer they are the most loving friendly dogs! - I think much of it depends on the owner and training.

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No way · 728 weeks ago

As long as pit bulls attack/kill more people than any other breed, there's no way in hell I'm sitting on a public bus with one. Buses here are frightening enough! It's not acceptable for a vicious breed to be trained as a service animal interacting with the public. It's great that they make good pets for responsible owners, but the general public can't be forced into a situation where they're riding on a cramped bus with a dog known for snapping with little warning. If this "lady" was nuts enough to block a bus in the middle of the street, you think she's responsible enough to keep this "service animal" from attacking an innocent bystander?

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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KWM · 728 weeks ago

A great deal of the problem wiht pit bulls is breeding, not just in handling. All of the nice, responsible owners and good training the the world cannot erase a genetic propensity for volitile and agressive behavior. It will take several generations to breed these characteristics back out of these dogs. Until then, I'd rather not sit in a confined, crowded space full of strangers with one.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Jim · 728 weeks ago

You have a very poor understanding of genetics my friend.

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@cchops · 728 weeks ago

I don't know if he pulled forward at all. It looks to me like he backed up and then tried to pull away and she followed (look at the sign and treebox)

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@cchops · 728 weeks ago

on second thought... hmm.

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Guest · 728 weeks ago

Maybe every Metro bus should have a MPD officer on board. The officer can throw any pitbull that looks like it's going to attack down the bus steps and shoot it.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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TheRedQueen · 728 weeks ago

Regardless of people's fears of pit bulls, no one has the right to refuse a Service Dog access to public spaces. I raise and train Service Dogs, and my boyfriend has a SD of his own. There are many people in the world that are allergic/scared/dislike dogs...but that doesn't give them the right to refuse a SD team. We face discrimination every day, in all sorts of places...not just when we have pit bulls as SD. So yes, while the woman didn't help matters any...I can see why she did what she did. It's extremely frustrating to be refused service time and time again.

Under the law, a Service Dog is considered a piece of adaptive medical equipment...so you cannot refuse their entry...just as you can't make someone leave their wheelchair at the door, or make them take off their glasses when they enter a public facility.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Alexandra · 728 weeks ago

I've been on the bus SEVERAL times when she's come aboard and let me tell you why it pisses me off. Firstly, I am a HUGE pit bull lover. But, they are NOT services dogs. At all. One reason being is that they scare and intimidate other people and are just not trainable in assiting techniques like other breeds. My best friend is terrified of pit bulls. So, just thinking of her, or perhaps someone on the bus who is also terrified, makes me very angry at how inconsiderate this woman is, and how ridiculous the drivers are who just let her get on. No one takes a stand, but they don't seem to realize that the dog terrifies certain people and that she is blatantly LYING. Metro, get your act together. Put up signs of this woman in break rooms, and hold meetings on how to address people like her.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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dj7 · 728 weeks ago

I'm pretty sure I've seen this women board the 36 northbound to friendship heights on weekday mornings. while the dog has been calm on the bus it is a little unsettling to see a full grown pit bull sitting on a bus with you. The driver shouldn't have moved the bus and she shouldn't have stood in front of it.

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guest · 727 weeks ago

Look at the pictures carefully; in the first one she's leaning on the bus talking on a cell phone (standing in the street); second the bus has apparently BACKED up in order to pull around, she moves into the street; and third she's in the middle of a street blocking the flow of traffic.

1) Bus Operators are suppose to protect their passengers which he was doing
2) She should be charged by MPD for jay walking, possession of a Pit Bull; and disrupting the flow of vehicular traffic.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Sandee · 727 weeks ago

Under the ADA, a businesses may ask if an animal is a service animal or ask what tasks the animal has been trained to perform, but cannot require special ID cards for the animal or ask about the person's disability.
http://www.ada.gov/svcanimb.htm

Pitbulls are sweet and loving when raised properly and not trained to attack. Shame on those who just buying to the sterotype of pittis.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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>Nicole · 727 weeks ago

If it was truly a service animal she'd have her paperwork with her ; All of us that work with service animals have our paperwork handy..

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JasonF · 727 weeks ago

I don't think "paperwork" is required..but I'm no lawyer either. I will say that regardless.....WTF was the bus driver thinking. I bet it was a stand off of attitudes more than anything.

It's illegal for a women to stand in the road however, and even if injured...she potentially may not have a legal recourse. However, the bus drive likely should be fired because right or wrong should not have moved the bus forward.

Both wrong...and both idiots. It would have been easier for the women to call WMATA and complain. It's not worth it.....take it from someone who's been pinned between two buses before (while trying to extract my bike off a Ride-On at NIH no less.

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Anne T · 727 weeks ago

ADA states that you don't have to produce paperwork. And PITBULLS can be service dogs! you can have these type of service dogs an Autism Service Dog, Therapy Dog, Guide Dog, Hearing Dog, Mobility Dog, PTSD ,Diabetic dog,Seizure Alert Dog or any other Working Dog.

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CeeCee · 726 weeks ago

I have been on the bus with this homeless woman and her GIANT pit pull terrier. She often rides on the 30 bus routes. The dog seems scared and unsure of himself, and is not neutered. I love animals and don't agree with people calling them bully breeds. However, I don't think a crowded rush hour bus is the place for this dog. He is NOT a service dog. He is wearing a knitted red vest, not a service animal vest. She would not be able to maneuver and control this dog on a metro bus if the dog got out of hand. Quite frankly, I was scared and moved all the way to the back of bus. She sat in the front seats, where the dog proceed to jump up and he is so big that he took up two seats. There were children on the bus, and the dog was uncomfortable around them. This is an accident waiting to happen. I hope other bus drivers do the right thing and do not let this woman on the bus.