Video: Driver Counts Cash As NJ TRANSIT Bus Heads Down Highway
CLIFTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - NJ TRANSIT officials are investigating after one of their bus drivers was caught on camera counting money with his hands off the wheel while driving on a busy highway.
Clifton resident Aston Smith was riding in the bus, recorded the drivers' behavior and posted it to social media, reports CBS2's Marc Liverman.
"He starts shuffling through the money and at that point only his wrists and forearms are steering the bus," she said.
Smith was headed into New York City in the front right seat when she saw the driver counting bills over a span of about five minutes.
"At that point we were starting to get to the Meadowlands and I was starting to get really concerned because now we're in full traffic, we're next to the fast lane, people are veering around us," said Smith.
With at least 25 passengers on board Saturday, after five minutes the bus had reached North Bergen before the driver stopped sorting bills and put the money away.
Smith didn't say anything to the driver in person at the time, but she did post to Twitter.
"I didn't want to necessarily because now a confrontation would be a further distraction to him," she said.
"I tweeted it at NJ TRANSIT that somehow they would be in contact with the bus driver on his radio and say, 'Hey, listen, pay attention to the road,'" said Smith "That apparently doesn't happen."
NJ TRANSIT issues a statement about the incident, noting the driver's behavior did not appear to be in line with their policy.
"We have specific rules in place that strictly prohibit counting money or tickets while driving," the statement said. "We are committed to taking swift and appropriate disciplinary action."
Smith says she tweeted the video so that others don't face this kind of danger and so such behavior stops for good.
"Our roads are dangerous enough as they are," she said. "I'd like to think that people in cars are paying attention. I certainly think that I'd like to know people who are driving 40, 50 passengers are trained not to handle money while they're driving."