It was reported by Chadrei Chareidim on Sunday morning 28 Menachem Av that a Netiv Express Company driver on the 989 line attacked a chareidi passenger on motzei Shabbos.
The report says that R.A., a Yeshiva Bochur, was attacked by an Arab bus driver.
The victims says he got on the bus at a stop in Tzefas and sat in a seat behind the driver.
“I called a friend who was supposed to get on the bus further along the route to update him regarding the number of available seats on the bus. I barely began speaking and the driver instructed me to move further towards the back of the bus and I told him that I may sit in the front according to law. The driver told me he would throw me off the bus, so I told my friend who was still on the phone with me that the driver has chutzpah”.
“When the driver heard I called him a ‘chutzpan’, he stopped the bus and approached me and said, ‘Get off the bus’ to which I responded, ‘I don’t want to’ and then he began to choke me and assault me. I told him I will phone police but he was not moved. He said, ‘call police’ and I did. He was then very quiet and said ‘don’t speak’ and returned to his seat. Passengers were in panic from his brutal behavior. Children cried continuously. It was a nightmare”.
The victims continued “We coordinated with someone who has a private car, that slowed down the bus until police arrived. The policeman told me to get off the bus and file a complaint in Tzefas. I hold him I would not get off the bus and I would file a complaint in my hometown of Netanya, asking why it took them 15 minutes to arrive”.
Chadrei Chareidim turned to the bus company for a response, which follows.
“After a thorough investigation conducted by the company, it turns out that the distance between the passenger’s complaint and the truth is as far east as the west, and it turns out that the traveler’s version is false and spiced with tales that never existed”.
According to the company, this is the full version: “The simple facts are that during the ride on line 989 the complainant sat behind the driver and spoke loudly in a way that interferes with the driver and constitutes a safety risk in contravention of the traffic regulations. The driver asked him to stop talking or to go to the back of the bus. Then he began cursing and insulting the driver who had to stop the bus, get up from his chair and stand up to the complainant, demanding that he get off the bus.”
According to the company, “At this stage, the complainant’s mother intervened, which led to the calm and continued travel as usual. Contrary to claims, police or an ambulance were not summoned”.
“The company regrets that instead of internalizing that it acted improperly, the complainant chooses to falsely libel the company while harming its reputation and protects all its rights”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
I am not commenting directly on this case, but yesterday I was on a crowded Egged bus and a charadi man about 55 started yelling and screaming. I could not understand what was going on but 6 or 8 bochrum jumped up from their seats to give him a seat, and he sat down and yelled and screamed for the next 10-15 minutes until he got off.
He was unhinged but the bus driver ignored his yelling as well as the rest of the people. Sometimes being a bus driver is not an easy job.
Both stories are plausible. However, in this day and age the truth will probably come to light soon being that someone most likely had a phone cam and recorded the incident. Furthermore, the police could be contact to determine if indeed the cops were called or not.
Entirely different indeed, so why haven’t YWN reporters gone to the police station to see the report or try to find other passenger eyewitnesses?
> Contrary to claims, police or an ambulance were not summoned
One would think that this could be determined objectively – were the police summoned or not? Don’t police record all calls? Don’t they keep records?
People talking loudly on cell phones annoy me, but I don’t choke them.