Monday, December 28, 2009

Pen Fluid #4

Violence on the rise
Just in this past month, Edmonton has witnessed multiple attacks on cab and bus drivers, raising the question of their safety on the job.

Riders on the 10 Clareview that December 4th morning will probably never forget their ride to school or work, as Gary Edwin Mattson allegedly punched and than dragged the bus driver outside where he continued to stomp on the skull of the 58-year-old driver, all over a dispute over bus fare.

A few weeks following that beating and yet another bus driver was attacked over bus fare again. This involved two teens near the at the Coliseum transit center during the morning rush hour.

Two teenagers are accused of arguing with the bus driver and than pepper-spraying him before running off.

And just days after that, five teenagers have been arrested and may be charged in connection with a cab driver who had both his wallet and cab stolen.

Both the police helicopter and the canine unit were used to catch all five suspects, and luckily the cab driver didn't receive any injuries.

These are just a few examples of dangers that drivers meet on a day to day basis. And these attacks just occurred in the month of December. The total number of attacks on bus and cab drivers may result in a quick change.

January could lead to more protection for all drivers, with Plexiglas installed in more cabs and buses to protect their workers.

Is Edmonton becoming too violent? Or should we just abolish bus fare? Are we asking too much from our city's cab and bus drivers?

Too many questions will no answers put the pressure on ETS and cab services in Edmonton to come forward with the right solution.

And the winner is...
And 2009 always gives way to “Best of the Year” lists, and we too at Full Metal Pen, could also not resist. After flipping through papers and scanning through websites, we have the Best News Quote of 2009.

And seeing as how 2009 was as eventful as any other year, it's a toss up between a story that happened in the beginning of the year, and a fatal car crash that happened just yesterday.

The first was during the trial of Kenneth Butler, who was accused of second-degree murder and aggravated assault on a cab driver.

In court, the cab driver recalls the events of that night and told the court what Butler had allegedly said to him.

“Take me anywhere. It doesn't matter. I'm going to kill you no matter what.” The cab driver said in court, at what Butler had supposedly told him. “I just killed my sister-in-law and now I'm going to kill you.”

A line that seems more fitting in a horror film than reality, nothing is more real than the three month long coma that the cab driver suffered through after the brutal attacks.

The second “Best News Quote of 2009” goes to Walter Romaniuk, who witnessed a fatal crash in Calgary on December 27th. While his wife performed first aide on a lady who later died, Romaniuk chased after two men who fled from the truck that was involved in the collision.

In the excitement of the chase, Romaniuk was able to yell at the two men.

“I suggested he go back to the scene of the accident he caused,” Romaniuk told the Canwest News Service.

Pretty calm words for someone who allegedly just caused a fatal highway crash.

No comments:

Post a Comment