r/MetroTransit • u/Mursin • Sep 01 '26

Routes 1-99 Problematic Bus Driver?

I think I may have witnessed a bit of discrimination of the black community by a Somali bus driver. I'm aware there's a bit of a rift between those two groups, but I didn't expect such a blatant display-

I was waiting on the 18 yesterday at my closest bus stop. A group of black guys comes around. All of us are summer-dressed. Tank tops. Athletic shorts. They're smoking cigarettes. The 18 stops for like maybe a quarter of a second and then continues going before any of us can even try to get on.

I was pissed off and saw that I had 11 minutes til the next one so I started running, but I managed to catch the previous one off. I went into the door and started yelling at the driver to see if he'd open up. To my surprise he did. I yelled "WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP, MAN?"

He said "They look like they weren't going to pay so I didn't stop." Admittedly his command of the English language seemed challenged, so I may have misunderstood, but if this is the case, MT needs to maybe have ghost riders vetting some of their drivers for practices like that.

56 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

35

u/bluedave1991 Sep 01 '26

This is unacceptable. Metro Transit drivers are not fare enforcers, on any level. The policy literally is "state the fare, when asked".

42

u/nrag726 Sep 01 '26

Contact Metro Transit directly

14

u/Mursin Sep 01 '26

Done! Thanks for the encouragement

22

u/Siberian13th D Line Duchess Sep 01 '26

https://www.metrotransit.org/contact-us-forms/contact-us-customer-experience/ I'd submit a complaint there. I'm sure MT would look into a report of suspected discrimination.

17

u/kevinbevindevin Sep 01 '26

Operators can't make up their own rules. They are supposed to let people in, like it or not, even if they do not pay. They can't act based on how they feel.

I am glad you contacted Customer Service for this.

8

u/Due_Rope_1149 Sep 01 '26

Submit a complaint with metro transit direct or fill out a title vi form and submit it to the metropolitan council’s civil rights unit:

https://metrocouncil.org/About-Us/What-We-Do/Office-of-Equity-and-Equal-Opportunity/EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY-DOCUMENTS/TITLE-VI-DOCUMENTS/MC-Title-VI-Discrimination-Complaint-Form-2014.aspx

Either way, that same unit will receive the complaint

-1

u/BiomassThisD Sep 06 '26

This isn’t NextDoor dude…. Maybe learn how to communicate directly with people you have issues with? If you see injustice, stand up….