Philadelphia SEPTA Driver Resigns After Having His Gun Stolen Off His Bus While On Break

Philadelphia-based mass transit system SEPTA has seen better days…

This week, a SEPTA bus driver resigned this week after a gun he was carrying for protection was stolen while he was working. 

The driver was on the Route 39 bus on Sunday night, carrying the gun in a bag. He left his bag on the bus at the 33rd and Dauphin Bus Loop, where he went to take his break. Upon arriving back at the bus, his bag had been stolen. 

According to a report by the Philadelphia Tribune, who broke the story, SEPTA drivers are not permitted to carry guns in their vehicles and doing so is “grounds for termination”. 

But can you blame him?

And so when the driver reported his gun missing the next day, he was barred from work. He wound up resigning the next day, the report says. His resignation came one day after another SEPTA employee “caused a trolley to derail” while he was off-duty and “collided with the Route 13 trolley Sunday morning in Kingsessing”.

The driver was arrested and charged with both leaving the scene and a DUI. 

The Tribune notes that the driver carrying the weapon may not have been as unjustified as many think, noting that “SEPTA operators have faced increased violence from passengers, including threats with guns” as violence continues to spin out of control in the city under far left DA Larry Krasner. 

“SEPTA has been working closely with the unions representing operators and other employees to enhance safety. For operators of buses and trolleys, we have added barriers on vehicles in recent years to give operators some added protection,” a SEPTA spokesperson has said.

“We are also working on an effort to automate announcements notifying customers that they must pay a fare upon entry to the bus to lessen the need for operators to check and request fares. We are going to continue working closely with the unions on these and other efforts to enhance safety for operators and other employees.”