Disabled man left on bus overnight

[Muttocracy]

http://www.buffalonews.com/nationalworld/state/story/538152.html

01/02/09 06:08 AM

BROOKLYN

Disabled man left on bus overnight

NEW YORK (AP) — A man with cerebral palsy spent a frigid night alone on a school bus after the driver left him there, police and his family said.

Edwin Rivera, 22, was being evaluated at a hospital after police found him Thursday morning in a Brooklyn bus yard, sitting with his seat belt still on. He had been there for 19 hours while the temperature outside dipped below 20 degrees.

His body temperature was lower than normal, and he was a bit dehydrated, but he was expected to recover.

“I’m so relieved, and I’m so mad at the bus company for leaving him,” his sister, Leslie Rivera, told WCBS-TV. At nearly 6-foot-2, “he’s not a kid,” she said. “How do you miss him?”

Rivera’s parents reported him missing Wednesday after he didn’t return from his Manhattan special needs school. Police searched the school and area but didn’t find him.

Apparently, he was left on the bus by the driver or an aide who didn’t notice him. He doesn’t speak, police said.

[CTyankee]

1. This is beyond belief. Does no one care about this individual?

I simply cannot understand the uncaring attitude of the bus driver toward this poor man! What was the matter with her?

[Muttocracy]

2. and how did the police not search the bus, interview others on the bus?

I stumbled across this so maybe I'm missing part of the story, but yeah, how the heck did this happen, and how could a bus driver not be aware of having him on the bus?

[Berry Cool]

3. Just. Does. Not. Make. Sense. At. All.

Sounds like there was something really seriously wrong with the driver here for the driver to completely forget the guy.

[givemebackmycountry]

4. America....

A moral, Christian, caring nation.
This could never happen here.
It must be Islamic or "liberal" propaganda.

I'm tired of reading stories like this.
I'm tired of living in a country where we could give a flying fuck about our fellow man.

This post contained:

:sarcasm:

[silverthunder]

5. I believe it

My husband and I were in las vegas on their bus system and the bus we were riding began to smoke inside. First nearly all the men evacuated - left their wives and kids - i have never seen anything like it. Most of the ladies were incensed and yelling to help me get my husband off the bus - he is in a power wheelchair and is immobile- the driver started crying - i told her to manually lower the lift - but to no avail. It was pandemonium - many of the abandoned wives stayed with us, though the heat and smoke became more intense - we never did see any flames. The fire dept came and helped transfer my husband and the chair - all the while these able-bodied men stood around with their hands in their pockets. We are thankful that no one got hurt; it angered me so much the inability of people - their sheer stupidity and ignorance of letting someone else take care of the problem or situation.

We have also been left on a bus - because the driver could not lower the lift - he continued on his route for about an hour and a half before we went to the yard to get the maintenance guys and supervisor to help - it was more important to finish the route than attend the situation at hand (they simply could have sent out another bus - perhaps that was too hard on them!!!)

Anyway I have many horror stories and heard of many others - this situation warrants legal actions in every possible way - and i believe litigation should be a means of last resort. Thank God he is in decent health, but imagine the anguish and the physical discomfort!!

[Muttocracy]

6. When I read this it was shocking, but sounds like it's more common than most realize

and as you said, how hard is it to have a simple solution like sending out a bus or a mechanic to meet you along the way? Or having a chain of people help lift your husband out?!

I saw an update today on the story in my local paper - will look for a link online.

[Muttocracy]

7. Update: Driver arrested

several images/video and the full story at the links

http://cbs2.com/national/missing.cerebral.palsy.2.898916.html

Jan 2, 2009 9:00 am US/Pacific

Arrest Made In Case Of Abandoned NYC Disabled Man

Family Furious After Man With Cerebral Palsy Was Left Alone On Bus In Frigid Yard For 19 Hours

NEW YORK (CBS) ―

Police have charged a 51-year-old woman with reckless endangerment after she allegedly left a mentally disabled man on a bus overnight on New Year's Eve, CBS station WCBS-TV reported.

...

Police are investigating bus attendant Linda Hockaday, who served as the assistant to the bus driver. Hockaday admitted to knowing that Rivera was still on the bus when it was locked up, WCBS-TV reported. She told investigators she left the man there because she didn't want to be late for church.

...

The bus company, Outstanding Transport, told WCBS-TV that is was "outraged" by the incident.

"I haven't slept since this happened," said Outstanding Transport President Charles Curcio. "We transport the most precious cargo."

---------------------------------------

http://wcbstv.com/local/missing.cerebral.palsy.2.898895.html

Transport Company Owner Outraged Over Bus Ordeal
'Outstanding Transport' President Curcio Says Matron Has Been Fired, Employees Will Be Held Accountable
Reporting
Pablo Guzman
NEW YORK (CBS) ―

Outstanding Transport President Charles Curcio, spoke exclusively with CBS 2 HD about the disturbing bus ordeal in which a mentally disabled Harlem man was left alone overnight locked in to his seat.

...

On Friday, the bus matron charged with seeing him safely home was fired.

Charles Curcio is the owner of Outstanding Transport, the bus company that was supposed to take the severely handicapped man, who suffers from, cerebral palsy and has the mental capacity of a 2-year-old, from his home in Manhattan to a facility in Brooklyn and back home. Except, police say 51-year-old bus matron Linda Hockaday left Rivera on the freezing cold bus in Brooklyn.

Curcio is furious.

"I'm outraged. I haven't slept since this happened. We transport the most precious cargo," Curcio told CBS 2 HD's Magee Hickey in an exclusive interview on Friday morning.

"She's terminated."

...

Assistant district attorney Lucy Lang said Hockaday first lied to detectives, then changed her story. The DA said the bus matron admitted she told the bus driver everybody was off the bus when she knew Rivera was still on the bus. But she told detectives she didn't want to drive him home because then she'd be late for an appointment at church.

Curcio said the way his drivers and matrons conduct themselves will change.

"I can't answer for her actions. The driver is beside himself. Who do you blame? The bus matron. That's what she's there for," said Curcio.

"I am going to hold the drivers accountable from now on."

Rivera's family told CBS 2 HD on Friday that they support the bus matron, saying she developed a good relationship with Edwin.

[happyslug]

8. I make a bet that the Matron had to drive him home on her own time.

For the bus Company had a policy, she was only paid for the trip and once it was over no more pay no matter how long it took her to make sure all of her charges went home. This type of attitude tends to make people want to get their jobs done as soon as possible, no matter the costs for any cost is imposed on them NOT their employer.

Notice it was the Matron NOT the Driver who was arrested, for it was up to the Matron to make sure the patient arrived home safely.

One question why is the Family still supporting the Matron? It was the Matron's job to make sure he arrived home? Could it be the Family knows the rules i.e. the bus company's rule basically forced the Matron's hands? I do NOT want to sound like someone defending the Matron's action, she should have done SOMETHING, but the bus company has to have a policy to make sure Matrons are compensated for having to do extra work.

One last note, we are talking about New York City, one of the few places where trips by mass transit exceeds trips by cars. The Matron may have been in an even worse situation, she may not own a car and thus no way to get him home. I can see her calling her supervisor about the child and telling him to go get him and then leaving. The Supervisor not looking at his messages till the next morning (Thus why the child was found). Not a reason for her to leave him, but I can see her doing it believing her supervisor would take care of the problem BEFORE the night was out. Worse, she may have done this before and the Supervisor did drive the child home, but this time did not look at his voice messages till the next day.

My point something it worse here then an uncaring Matron and Driver, something to do with the policy of the company providing transportation services. Any company providing such services MUST have policies for such situations and some how those policies were NOT followed or did NOT exist (I suspect the later). What is the policy of a child still in a bus at the end of a trip? Does the bus go back out and drop off the child and who pays for the Gasoline and the wages of the Matron and Driver for such trips (or does it come out of their pay, or their are paid per trip, thus no extra pay for the extra trip)? Something is wrong here, and I suspect it is more then the fault of the Driver and the Matron.

[ThomCat]

9. Because she didn't want to be late for church!

That's priceless! x(