CHELSEA, Mass. — As the MBTA bus comes toward you, you’ll see the flashing signs that says ‘Face coverings required,’ but maybe the woman didn’t see that.
“The MBTA always says put a mask on, they have a little thing that says it’s mandatory to put a mask on,” said Maribel Bonilla of Chelsea. “It always says on the news, on the TV, on the everything, so it’s not [that] the lady didn’t know.”
Even if she didn’t know, the bus driver said they asked her to put one on and police said she responded by smashing out the bus window.
“She must have some kind of problem before going into that bus,” Bonilla said.
According to police, a bus driver was picking up the passenger in Chelsea at Bellingham Square on Sunday just before 4 p.m. When they asked her to put on a mask, she allegedly smashed out the bus window.
Police are now looking for her for questioning for malicious destruction of property. If you know the whereabouts or identity of that person, you’re asked to contact (617)-222-1050.
“I can sympathize with anyone who doesn’t want to wear it,” said Zane Cassum of Chelsea. “I don’t like wearing it. I don’t really wear it anywhere where I don’t have to, but also, it’s not a big deal. Act like a grown-up; also how long are you sitting on the bus really?”
The MBTA said there have been at least 13 incidents of an MBTA employee being assaulted after asking someone to wear a face covering.
In another incident around 2 p.m. last Wednesday on Cummins Highway at Rugby Road, a bus driver said he asked a man to wear a mask, but that man became so angry at the request that he spat at the driver, mostly hitting the partition door.
“Bus drivers have to deal with way too much I’m not allowed to say it on TV,” Cassum said.
“It takes a little minute to wear a mask,” Bonilla said. “It’s such a controversy. Mask or no mask, people should think it’s more easy to put a mask on than fighting people.”
#MBTA bus operator asked a passenger to put a mask on and she responded by smashing out the bus window. Recognize her ? Please contact us. TYhttps://t.co/09EksR7wxh pic.twitter.com/H71q0cqVEU
— MBTA Transit Police (@MBTATransitPD) July 28, 2021
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