The Very Mortal Life of City Bus Drivers

Late last month, a Boston-area man was arrested for allegedly boarding an M.B.T.A. bus and assaulting the driver. According to the Boston Globe's MetroDesk blog, police reports say the suspect got on the bus and confronted the driver about pulling away from a previous stop without letting him board. Witnesses saw the suspect punch the driver until he hit the ground, then kick him while he was down.

The job of city bus driver has long been one of the most stressful and hazardous gigs in town. If staying on schedule or fighting through traffic or remaining in a seated position for hours doesn't get you, then fending off shod foot from some vengeful guy who was late to the stop will. And when a transit authority makes the hard cuts that reduce service, it's the drivers on the front line that feel the sometimes-mucus-filled wrath of the public.