Dude, That's No Way to Talk to an Old Lady

By Joanna Miller in News on Sep 13, 2006 9:20PM

A CTA bus driver may need to have his mouth washed out with soap after launching into an expletive-laced tirade at an elderly woman on his bus. The woman boarded the 157 Streeterville bus around 5 p.m. on Monday.

It’s not clear what the woman did as she boarded, but she sat right behind the driver and he then yelled for her to “get back up there,” according to Naperville resident Gwen Sylvain. The elderly woman was apparently looking for her identification – an RTA senior citizen reduced fare permit – to show the driver, but was afraid she would fall.

"She said, 'I can't get it for you when I'm standing up. I’ll show it to you later,’” Sylvain said. That’s when the driver began cursing and berating the woman.

"He really went off on her and then she let him have it and then he got worse," said Warrenville resident Lynn Cordray. She said the woman replied, “How dare you call me that.” No word on what he called her.

The CTA said supervisors at the driver’s bus garage are investigating the incident. Darrell Jefferson, president of the bus drivers union, said drivers don’t need to demand ID if a person looks elderly and are discouraged from engaging in fare disputes.

According to CTA records, behavioral complaints about bus driver friendliness have dropped from 1,212 in the first half of last year to 730 during the same period this year.

Chicagoist has seen some pretty crazy shit on CTA buses and trains, but we’ve never seen anyone being mean to a grandma. We’ve seen drivers yell at passengers who block the doors, talk loud on their cell phones and don’t move to the back, all of which we support. But not yelling at old ladies. That’s never OK.

The go lane via Pedro Juan