John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Metrobus riders had to go without service on the X2 line Friday morning because of a union-organized protest following the attack by a woman who threw a cup of her own urine onto a driver earlier this week.
“This morning, X2 bus operators will express to their supervisors that they cannot safely operate their buses without a police escort following years of inaction and most recently Metro Bus Operations’ failure to act on an incident where a rider threw urine on a bus operator,” said David Stephen, a spokesman for Amalagamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 in a statement.
The union promised to explain their actions further in anews conference Friday morning.
The woman accused in the urine attack, Opal Brown, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor simple assault in DC Superior Court Thursday, and was ordered to be assessed for possible mental health services. She was also ordered to undergo weekly drug tests and to stay away from the X2 bus line.
Brown turned herself in to police, and told investigators she “hates Metro.” Her attack was captured on surveillance video.
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: Metro Transit Police via Twitter)
