Carleton student Sarah Douglas said a bus driver laughed and denied her request to drop her off closer to her home, as per OC Transpo’s Safe stop policy, around 9 p.m. on March 22.
“After 7 p.m. you can ask a bus operator to let you off at a spot along the route other than your usual bus stop, if it is safe to do so — just let the operator know in advance,” the policy states.
Douglas said she has used the Safe Stop program before.
“The driver responded saying, ‘The program is only for people who are in danger, are you in danger?’” she said.
Douglas said she was let off the bus at her requested stop because of a red light. She said she told the driver that she would be reporting the event, and also messaged Hollaback! Ottawa, an advocacy group dedicated to ending street harassment, to let them know about the incident.
“We have heard in the past about similar experiences of people requesting the Safe Stop program and getting scoffed, laughed at, and dismissed,” Hollaback Ottawa’s director Julie Lalonde said.
According to Lalonde, the dismissive tone taken by drivers is problematic because it shames people who have the courage to request stops, and discourages others from using the service.
“It sends a really horrific message to other folks who may have considered using it,” Lalonde said.
Lalonde said Hollaback has monthly meetings with OC Transpo executive about safety, but incidents like this leave her wondering about individual drivers. She said the Safe Stop program will be part of the discussion at their next meeting.
She said she believes it’s time for safety retraining for all OC Transpo drivers to inform people about the Safe Stop program and guidelines they need to adhere to.
“It is about recognizing people’s perception of safety and respecting that. I think that message needs to be driven home to every single driver,” Lalonde said.
Douglas said she received a call from OC Transpo general manager John Manconi on March 25.
“He did apologize saying that the behaviour was unacceptable,” she said.
Douglas said the experience was concerning.
“How many other people are there who have had this problem and who have had the chance to speak up?” Douglas said.
She said she encourages students and other OC Transpo customers to speak up for their own safety.
OC Transpo has launched an investigation into the driver in question, according to an OC Transpo spokesperson.
