What to Know
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A man angry at a bus driver for not opening the door for him chased the bus down and damaged the vehicle at an intersection[hhmc]
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The man ranted at the driver as he stopped him from moving, banging on the windows and tearing off the mirrors, video shows[hhmc]
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He screams at the driver for allegedly not opening the door as he chased the bus for 20-plus blocks[hhmc]
An angry commuter stopped an MTA bus in the middle of a busy downtown street in Manhattan Tuesday night, wreaking damage on it as he berated the driver for refusing to open the doors for him as he chased it down for more than 20 blocks, video shows.
Cellphone video recorded by a witness at East Houston and Chrystie streets just before midnight on Tuesday showed a man blocking an articulated M15 bus from moving as he ranted at the driver.
"Go ahead, run me over, just like you ran past every bus stop as I bang on your f—–g door, you piece of s–t," the man shouted as he pounded the windshield.
The man proceeded to break off the driver's side mirror, video shows, then screamed, "Let everybody off the bus! Let everybody off the bus now, because you're not going anywhere."
"You piece of s—t, I bang on your f—–g door, you made me chase you from 23rd Street, motherf—-r," he screamed. "This is Houston! I chased you 23 f—-g blocks and you wouldn't f—–g stop! F–k you, you piece of s–t."
The bus driver stayed inside as the electronic sign on the bus flashed, "Emergency, call police."
Glass could be heard breaking as the man continued to tear apart the bus.
An MTA official said the man ended up cracking both mirrors, breaking both windshield wipes, and shattering the glass on several doors.
The bus operator called for help during the attack but the man fled before police arrived. Three people were on board the bus at the time but no one was hurt. They were put on another bus to continue their trip while the bus operator waited for police to arrive.
The MTA says the bus has cameras, and they're working with NYPD in the investigation.
"We do not tolerate any behavior that threatens the safety and security of our employees and customers," NYC Transit President Andy Byford said. "We take this matter very seriously and are working with NYPD to find this individual and bring him to justice."
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