Bus Driver Curses Mother in Front of Child

From Dorothy:

I live in Congress Heights. My daughter goes to a charter school eight blocks away, and we try to walk unless we're running late. The M8-M9 shuttle is an option usually runs about every 15 minutes.

The M8 turns about three blocks away from her school, so I prefer the M9, which stops across the street from it. The other day, the M9 was nowhere to be seen, so we decided to catch the M8 and walk.

While boarding at the station, I asked the driver if he had a guess on when the M9 might come. All he could answer with was, "After I leave."

There are no timetables, the app I use wasn't syncing, and there was a bunch of children standing at the shelter waiting for the M9 as if they'd been there for some time.

I asked him if that was his best guess, and he said, in a surly manner, "Yeah."

I commented to my daughter that this was the state of the District as it stands. She's 11, and very bright, and we often compare Metro experiences.

 My comment meant that, we've gotten to the point where drivers can't even guess when (or if) the next bus would show up, the schedules are so out of sync.

At this point, the driver said to me, "Why did you say to me what you just said?"

I told him, "I was talking to my daughter, not you."

He replied with, "Don't give me that bull***, y'all b*****s all the same."

We got off, because I'd rather show up 20 minutes late than show my daughter that disrespect from someone you've paid to provide a service for you is unacceptable.

Another time, when I caught the 92 bus on Alabama Avenue, when my card did the "add funds" beep, before I could get out my wallet the driver said, "You welfare b******s are all the same, you get on the bus knowing you need to add money and you don't."

I have been gainfully employed since high school. Why do we have to get this attitude from Metro? And on an almost daily basis at that?

I know drivers worry about getting pelted with rocks, etc., but honestly, I'm beginning to think that sometimes they bring this type of behavior on themselves. If the drivers are disrespectful to the adults in front of their children, how do they think the children will react to them?

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