MTA: Dozen People Take Over B48 Bus In Queens, Throw Unsocially Distant Party, Then Promptly Disappear
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New video shows a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus turned into an unsocially distanced party, and now the transit agency and the NYPD are investigating.
Smoking hookahs and dancing between seats, about a dozen people had an impromptu party on a B48 bus and there wasn't a mask in sight, CBS2's Ali Bauman reported Tuesday.
"It's really an egregious, unfortunate incident that not only breaks the law, but also violates transit rules and puts our bus operator at risk," MTA Bus President Craig Cipriano said.
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The incident happened just before 3:30 a.m. on Sunday in Maspeth, Queens. Cipriano said the driver pulled his bus out of the Grand Avenue depot at the start of his shift and no passengers were on board. He turned the corner at 49th Place, where a bunch of double-parked cars blocked his path.
"When the bus operator paused and asked the group to move the cars they immediately got on the bus," Cipriano said.
An MTA dispatcher was quickly notified and sent supervision to the scene.
"By the time supervision got there, which was about 15 minutes later, the group had disbanded and the bus operator was able to continue on route," Cipriano said.
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Passengers are currently required to wear masks when riding MTA buses, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
"We've been handing out masks, and we have had some unfortunate incidents of assaults on bus operators over the past few months, and we're really focused on working with our NYPD partners to get more policing on buses towards that effort," Cipriano said.
MORE: MTA Bus Driver Punched In Face After Telling Man To Wear Mask, Police Say
The MTA said it is investigating and working with the NYPD to track down the riders.
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