It used to be that riding the bus was a dangerous proposition, but now driving it can be hazardous to your health.
An elderly Broward County bus driver was slapped silly by an irate bus rider, who accused him of hitting her with the bus doors after she said she didn't have any money.
The unidentified woman had just got on the county bus as it approached a stop at Andrews Avenue and Oakland Park Boulevard when she decided to unleash her fury on the unsuspecting bus operator.
The woman had just told Tassos Kostopoulos, 72, that she didn't have enough money for the bus fare. he said she would have to get off. It costs $1.75 for a one-way trip.
As Kostopoulos opened the bus doors to let riders on and off, one of the doors accidentally hit the broke bus rider, who then went berserk.
After accusing the driver of purposely hitting her, she went on a profanity-laced assault as the packed bus watched in shock.
Then the woman utters the words no bus driver wants to hear.
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"You are lucky that I am not being violent right now. You are so lucky," the woman screamed.
That usually means that violence is imminent. Kostopoulos tried to warn the woman that her actions were being recorded on camera, but that didn't seem to help. The woman looked directly into the camera and pointed at it several times.
And moments later, the woman slapped Kostopoulos across the face, knocking the stunned driver's sunglasses to the floor.
The woman is described as black and in her early 20s, about 5’9” tall, thin, has long, wavy, black hair and was wearing a white shirt and jeans.
Police said she faces aggravated assault charges for being so slap happy.
