BUS CONDUCTORS' PERILS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18089, 13 May 1922, Page 2 (Supplement)

BUS CONDUCTORS' PERILS.

fROU ANGRY PASSENGERS.

How a minority of uncivil passengers on the Fifth Avenue buses, New York., mistreat conductors, despite the efforts of the u civility -campaign," was told recently in a pamphlet announcing an ussay contest on civility, for both bus riders and operators. The pamphlet lists the following cases of " violence," pointing out that they had been " duly investigated and, Verified*' 5 — *, A woman boardeci a "bus at 110 th, Street, fished around for (several minutes in her handbag, then offered the conductor a dirty, crumpled transfer four days old. The "conductor politely called attention to the date of the transfer, and refused to accept it. The woman lacked him on the shins so violently that he Buffered from the effects for several days. A prominent business man, passing down Broadway in ;* ' bus, wanted to, alight at 65th Street. He did not. ring the bell until actually in the middle of that cross street. Wbji he saw the 'bus passing his corner he .-angrily struck the conductor on the jaw. Tae force of the blow knocked the conductor down arid he feR behind the stairs. The company prosecuted the conductor's case vigorously ; the business man went to the conductor's home and apologised Asides making other restitration. Complaint, was received that ons of our oldest conductors, a mac, noted for his courtesy even before the ix>mpany ran its campaign, had used indecent and insulting language when the young daughter of a prominent rninisler asked him a, civil question. Investigation verified the complaint, but it also brought out the possibly mitigating fact that the conductor had been abused by passengers no less than seven times, that day, three of the attacks occuring on the same trip as that in which ha turned, somewhat like ti> friendly dog, goaded gradually to madness, on the cultured inoffensive girls. The pamphlet says that one woman •wrote the company " threatening to use a hatpin on every ' menial' who presumed; to touch her arm or glove in assisting her off or on a bus." " Our drivers and conductors are subjected now and then to almost unbelievable vilification and abuse from a few — fortunately, very few—riders," continues the pamphict, " who apparently belong to those classes in which false ideas of selfimportance and superiority prevail."