Cleveland Bus driver Artis Hughes

Whatever happened to Cleveland bus driver Artis Hughes? This was the 22 year veteran who delivered an upper cut to an unruly female passenger named Shidea Lane?

Well, that driver was fired from his job and charged with assault last November. Initially nothing happened to him, but after the video was posted and went viral, The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) said his actions were not in accordance to the company’s policies and pulled the plug. The passenger who he hit was charged with disorderly conduct.

Hughes although never suspended or charged with assaulting a passenger before the infamous uppercut incident, had been written up for driving with headphones, talking too much to passengers and hitting his right mirror in a minor accident..Those trangressions didn’t help his case.

According to the Beachwood Patch, as of  two days ago (Jan 9th 2013)  the local transit union is fighting to get Hughe’s job back..

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 268 President William Nix said that the members approved the measure to seek arbitration unanimously.

According to the union contract, this arbitration will be binding — so the third party’s decision will stand.

“We would love for him to get his job back,” said Nix. “He should be made whole.”

He added that Hughes’ firing sent a bad message and was followed by other assaults on bus drivers. “Anyone who wants to get away with something, you can just go out and attack a bus driver and you won’t get caught and you won’t get arrested.”

What’s interesting about the entire saga is that everyone was up in arms justifying the driver’s actions.. Everyone was talking tough about what they would’ve and wouldn’t have done if they was driving the bus..Everyone was talking a good game.. blah, blah, blah…They even held a press conference talking about the help that would be needed..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmGMDs7OLOU

As we predicted after the dust settled, most people have gone silent and are nowhere to be seen. For all the tough talk, very few have taken time to look out for the unemployed driver..This should be a lesson to all.. keep your hands to yourself or risk suffering the consequences and while the crowd may cheer you on, that’s all they’ll do.. When the crap hits the fan, you’ll be on your own.. Lets hope for the driver’s sake the union can get his job back.. Also there have been several other incidents of drivers being assaulted by unruly passengers since Hughes was fired..