First Wal_mart...now the transit system...whats next???? I ordered cheese on my damn burger biotch....*blam blam*
NEW YORK – A man stabbed a city bus driver to death over being denied a free ride, then escaped on foot Monday in the first killing of an on-duty New York City bus driver in more than a quarter-century, authorities said.
The man got on the bus in Brooklyn shortly after noon, swiped an invalid fare card, sat down and asked for a free card to change routes.
The driver, 46-year-old Edwin Thomas, told him he couldn't get a transfer because he hadn't paid; the attacker then punched him and stabbed him in the torso in front of other passengers, police said.
The attacker fled, and Thomas was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police are offering a $12,000 reward for any information on the culprit.
Passenger Benjamin Stacking told television reporters that he heard the commotion.
"It's crazy because the bus driver was cool," Stacking said. "He let me on. I was 50 cents short. He let me on and gave me a transfer."
Thomas was a seven-year, "valued employee" who will be sorely missed, said Elliot Lee Sander, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's executive director and chief executive.
"Bus operator Thomas was killed while serving the people of New York City," Sander said. "This is an extraordinary tragedy for the city and the MTA."
The MTA said the last killing of an on-duty city bus driver was in 1981.
Gov. David Paterson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued statements mourning Thomas and praising his work for public transportation.
"In Edwin's memory, I ask all New Yorkers riding public transit tonight or tomorrow to take an extra moment to say 'thank you' to our New York City Transit workers and I ask everyone to keep Edwin Thomas' family and loved ones in your prayers," the mayor's statement said.
Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.
Now what I can't wait to see, is how are they going to make the bus system the bad guy....will they sue the transit system....they got plenty of money...why didn't they put armed security guards on each bus....the bus system could have prevented......notice what I didn't mention...you know like the sleazeball that did the deed...why not blame him??????....Just like nobody is really blaming the wal-mart bargain mob for stampeding that poor guy just trying to make a buck, by actually working, instead of sitting on his butt drawing a welfare check...Don't get me wrong, I am sure if the managers at that store would have pulled their collective heads out of their asses, and said gee...thats an angry mob....maybe we should stay away from the door until it's under control....but that would have made too much sense...gee kinda like the dumycraps, and the press blaming the U.S.A. for the 911 attack...instead of "Lets get them bastards", it's "What did we do to make them attack us, and who we can pin it on for political gain...it's our fault they did it"....and other such liberal viewpoints, the press is so fond of lauding.........My condolences to the family of a hard working man, who met an untimely end, I hope they catch and gut shoot the perp, and let him lay in a ditch.......riff