Two stories of antisocial behaviour

The perils facing bus drivers today

Two separate stories in the past few days illustrate the danger facing drivers and passengers of buses these days due to antisocial behaviour: POLICE are appealing for information after a bus driver was assaulted outside the Citybus depot. The incident happened at about 3pm yesterday after the male driver of the Number 77 (?what?) Citybus bus asked the passenger to stop drinking from a can of beer. A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "The bus picked up the offender – who was carrying an unopened can of beer – at a bus stop close to the Milehouse dept. "The driver told the man that he could not drink the beer on the bus. "While approaching the depot, the man opened the beer and began drinking and the bus driver stopped the bus and told him to stop drinking. "The offender then became aggressive and began shouting at the driver. "He grabbed him on the upper left arm twice and caused an injury before he ran off." This is Plymouth 23 Feb 2010 The newer Ugobuses in Plymouth have the large security screens which are clearly standard issue with First for all new buses. I personally find them awkward as I cant hear the driver speak and it seems so impersonal and out of place in Plymouth. Citybus have so far managed without such fittings and I know many First drivers who would prefer not to have them, but incidents like this do remind you what drivers have to put up with every day. It is sad that such fittings do have to be added to buses to protect staff who are doing a job which many people rely on. These screens can only protect a driver from so much. In the following incident these screens wont have served any purpose... YOUTHS in Southway caused £400 damage to a bus after hurling a brick through a side window. Police say it was fortunate nobody was injured, although the bus had to be taken out of operation to be repaired. Investigators are now keen to hear from anybody who saw the incident, which occurred at the junction of Southway Drive and Clittaford Road at around 5.45pm on February 15. This is Plymouth 25 Feb 2010 I have been on a bus which has been hit by a stone / brick or something similar and it is not a pleasant experience. Luckily for me when my bus was hit, a few years ago, the window was not broken so no one was hurt. You do hope that the yobs behind such attacks get caught and do get appropriate punishment, although it is rare to hear anything further on these incidents. With cctv fitted to more and more buses there should in theory be a higher chance of prosecuting offenders but do they get much success?

Further Reading First on Twitter / Facebook Nothing to see here Citybus on Twitter / Facebook Nothing to see here

CCTV for Plymouth Citybus

Plymouth Citybus has announced that it is spending more than £300,000 on new cctv equipment in almost all of its buses. In a bid to crack down on the problems, 125 of the firm's 167 vehicles are now to be fitted with CCTV cameras. The bus operator today announced it was spending between £80,000 and £100,000 a year on replacing bus windows which youths are smashing with missiles, including rocks and pieces of wood. Six or seven bus drivers a year are also assaulted.
A single-deck bus fitted with CCTV will boast six cameras, while a double-decker will have eight.Minibuses will not have CCTV.The cameras - although mostly installed inside the buses - will also be able to record footage of incidents outside the vehicles too.

Relief for bus driver

Great news for one bus driver today

07:52 - 02 March 2006 This is Plymouth
A bus driver who was stabbed with a needle said a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders when he discovered he had not contracted the HIV virus.Graham Jenkin, of St Judes, was stabbed in broad daylight by an unknown attacker last November as he let passengers off his number 34 Citybus vehicle at a stop in Chapel Street, Devonport.

This was a total random attack which was reported back in this blog when it happened back in November last year. I am glad to be able to bring a happy ending to this horrific story.

It does make you wonder why anyone would want to drive a bus.

Disturbing news item

Disturbing news item tonight:
A city bus driver is living in constant fear that he has contracted the HIV virus after he was stabbed with a needle in an unprovoked attack.

This is a worrying attack and my thoughts are with the driver. No one should have to put up with this sort of thing. The sad thing is the story mentions there were passengers on the bus at the time but they still need to appeal for witnesses! I hope they do catch the yob who did this.

My attention is also drawn to the comment left by the drivers own daughter who partially blames Citybus for their lack of cctv. It does seem odd these days that so few buses down here has cctv fitted. Its a shame that its needed - but if its the only way drivers can be protected - or at least offer a chance that attackers can be caught then surely its worth the extra expense.