WARNING: Video contains strong language
An altercation on a West Vancouver Blue Bus Sunday evening that went viral on social media has sparked an investigation by TransLink police as well as debate about behaviour on public transit.
The heated exchange broke out on the 250 Blue Bus from Horseshoe Bay after one passenger apparently refused to move the bag next to her so someone else could sit down.
Christine Starr, who was riding the bus, said she grabbed her phone and started filming after the woman who refused to move her bag hit the woman who'd asked for a seat with it. "That's when the racist slurs started and everyone started going off," she said.
From there, the situation deteriorated quickly, with others to chiming in with, “Mrs. Trump please get off the bus.”
At one point the woman who refused to move jumped up and shoved one of the other passengers, who continued to call to the driver to stop the bus, while others chime in with profanity-laden commentary.
The woman who refused to move also yelled a death threat to the passenger, who retaliated by brandishing her phone above the woman.
Starr said she was shocked by what happened. "I've never seen anything like that on the bus," she said.
As an Indigenous woman, she said hearing racial comments tossed around was upsetting.
Starr later posted her video on Facebook with the comment “Crazy ride home from Horseshoe Bay.”
By Tuesday afternoon the video had been viewed over 200,000 times.
Donna Powers, spokeswoman for the District of West Vancouver, which operates the Blue Bus, called the incident “really unfortunate.”
Powers said as the bus was going over the Lions Gate Bridge at the time, the driver, who has 12 years’ experience, decided it would be safer to continue to Georgia Street where everyone would be able to safely get off the bus and continue to their destinations.
“There isn’t an exact protocol for that situation,” she said. “That’s not to say it wasn’t a horrible experience for the people who are on the bus.”
Powers said the district is waiting for the TransLink police investigation before deciding if any procedures should change.
Unfortunately, “bad behaviour is on the increase,” in public places, including the transit system, said Powers.
There used to be a time when physical and verbal aggression was “almost unheard of,” on the buses, said Powers. “Now it’s all too common. . . There used to be things that you just didn’t do in a public place.”
Those kinds of incidents are behind a “respectful behaviour policy” recently passed by council, which allows the municipality to suspend a person from district facilities for one year if they step over the line of certain behavioural expectations.
Powers said there have been an average of two cases a year over the past five years that have resulted in people being banned.
Those weighing in on the bus incident on social media offered a range of opinions. Some blamed the driver for not taking action sooner. Some blamed other passengers for escalating the incident. Others opined that those riding transit “should be able to feel at least reasonably safe and secure while riding.”
And a few said incidents like that are why they don’t take public transit.
Starr said it wasn't obvious if the woman was mentally unstable or just "having a bad day."
Regardless, "You don't treat people like that. Period," she said.
Starr added she'd like to see the woman apologize for her behaviour.
