Metrobus operator pulls knife on car driver

[79MetroExtraMD]

One of those WTF moments
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Metro-Bus-Driver-Displays-a-Knife-89846937.html

[Antozilla]

What about the Metro bus driver who tried to pick up a ho in his Metrobus?

WHILE HE WAS ON HIS ROUTE

What was HE thinking???

Metro staff in the past two years has gotten a serious case of the stupids. 

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

this was bound to happen one of these rush hours...I can only imagine how stressful rush hour shifts can be

as stressful as it can be, he still shouldn't have done that, I wouldn't feel safe with a stressed out driver in rush hour who pulls out a knife

[Tritransit Area]

There is so much I want to say, but it's not quite polite and would violate the terms and conditions of this site, not to mention potentially offend people.  I'd would be SO livid if I was one of their managers - I wouldn't tolerate nonsense like that.

As I sit here, mulling over these driver stories as well as others I've read recently, I must wonder...what kind of people is WMATA hiring to operate their buses?  Do they even consider judging the personality of the people they are interviewing?  Is there no personality test? 

Perhaps WMATA is overly scrutinized in the paper and/or the drivers are just sloppier (with the prostitution thing).  I don't hear of drivers brandishing knives, jumping off buses while in service to punch mascots or trying to pick up prostitutes in their company vehicle (ew) in other cities.  However, maybe it's just that newspapers down there pick up on news more effectively than in other cities.

Somewhere in recent years, people forgot that this system, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, is the official transit system of our NATION'S CAPITAL. For those visiting our country, this transit system should represent every system out there.  Metrorail was built to high standards, and then was practically left alone, save for new railcars for expansion and those new sign things.  Where did this "high class transit" mentality go?  Please don't tell me "lack of dedicated funding", because things like hiring professional drivers that take their jobs SERIOUSLY, drivers who don't do stupid things like the things posted above, is a completely different issue.  There is a serious pride issue down there, and you can't hide it with BRT styled buses in a new swooshy scheme.

This is a crying shame and an embarrassment to the entire transit industry in our country.  It's too bad that complete morons like these make bus drivers in general look bad, because there are many WMATA drivers, as well as other drivers nationwide, that are professional and take their job seriously.

I honestly must wonder....jobs are so hard to find and keep nowadays.  If these guys are so careless now, what were they doing when things were better?

[Tritransit Area]

And $10?!  That driver is cheap too! 

[79MetroExtraMD]

Well to make matters worse, another situation happened on the D12. Seems like someone had some needs to be fulfilled.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Metrobus-operator-arrested-for-solicitation-89839427.html

[Tristan]

Off-Topic-Ish:
I'm not an apologist for WMATA or anything (Brandon, I *FULLY* agree with just about every word of your post) but this line does not need to go into EVERY article about WMATA anymore:

"The transit agency has suffered a series of problems and accidents over the past year, most notably the deadly June 22, 2009 crash that killed nine people and injured more than 70 others."

I really don't have anything new to say about the situation though, that would pass the muster of the strict crew of moderators at this site :-)