Riders of the Ride On transportation system in Rockville, Maryland, reported that people under the influence of alcohol or drugs frequently cause problems on the buses.
The users with whom Telemundo 44 spoke described scenes of harassment, shouting, fights and other incidents of violence that they say are caused by intoxicated people both at bus stops and inside the buses.
“On one occasion, I saw an elderly person who came with some purchases. He got on a bus and fought with the person on the bus, hit the driver with one of the shopping bags,” explained a passenger who preferred to remain anonymous.
Other users with whom we spoke indicated that supposedly any gesture or action can unleash the anger of these people.
“A girl was beaten here and they began to follow her and she asked to be left alone,” said one of the passengers.
“I think (the drivers) don’t do anything out of fear,” added another of the passers-by.
While some have decided to stay alert and have their phones ready to call 911 every time they take the bus, others have chosen not to use the service at night.
The Ride On system is under the direction of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. A spokesperson told us that in recent months they have not seen an increase in the number of reports of violent incidents, but they recognize that they are not oblivious to the wave of violence that is affecting the region.
“This is not exclusively with Montgomery County, this is a national thing,” James de la Cruz said.
They ensure that drivers are trained to respond if they see an intoxicated person causing trouble at the facility.
“It is (part) of the protocol that you must communicate with the central base and the central base will call the police immediately. The buses have cameras inside and outside. All this is documented and those documents remain in the central base,” he concluded. the official.
