Get off the Bus: Inside Detroit’s Bus Driver Crisis

A look at the recent crisis to hit the city’s bus system.

Save Our Buses - While Detroit struggles to recover after filing for bankruptcy, bus drivers have become targets of aggression. A resident threw bleach in a bus driver’s face on Sunday, which is only the latest in a series of attacks. BET.com takes a look at Detroit’s crisis on city buses. —Dominique Zonyéé(Photo: Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

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Save Our Buses - While Detroit struggles to recover after filing for bankruptcy, bus drivers have become targets of aggression. A resident threw bleach in a bus driver’s face on Sunday, which is only the latest in a series of attacks. BET.com takes a look at Detroit’s crisis on city buses. —Dominique Zonyéé(Photo: Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

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Motor Industry Fails, But Bailout Misses Detroit - When the motor industry was in danger of crashing in 2009, the government coughed up $85 million to bail out General Motors and Chrysler. But while the auto industry was on the inclement road to recovery, the city of Detroit was on a downward spiral that would rock the nation.(Photo: Carlos Osorio/AP Photo)

Photo By AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

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Bankrupt: Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures - When the city of Detroit filed for chapter 9 bankruptcy on July 17, it was a shock to the nation. Detroit’s chapter 9 filing made history because it was the largest U.S. city to do so. "This is a difficult step, but the only viable option to address a problem that has been six decades in the making,” Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said.(Photo: Carlos Osorio/AP File, FILE)

Photo By AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, FILE

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Motor City Morale Leads to High Crime - By 2012, Detroit’s crime rate hit its highest peak in nearly two decades, with the murder rate ranking among the highest in the nation. “We’ve just lost respect for each other; we’ve lost respect for life,” Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said. (Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

DDOT Suffers - Everything was falling apart including the Detroit Department of Transportation. More than 100 buses stopped running, 250 jobs were lost, and service was terminated from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.  Union bus drivers received an 8 percent pay cut, and now crimes against drivers was also added to the long list of grievances.  (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

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DDOT Suffers - Everything was falling apart including the Detroit Department of Transportation. More than 100 buses stopped running, 250 jobs were lost, and service was terminated from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.  Union bus drivers received an 8 percent pay cut, and now crimes against drivers was also added to the long list of grievances.  (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

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Crack on the Bus - A surge of attacks and other illegal behavior began to increase on Detroit’s buses. A man was reportedly caught smoking a crack pipe on a bus in broad daylight in August.  The driver was able to talk him off, only after another passenger gave the crack user a cigarette.(Photo: ABC 7/WXYZ Detroit)

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Crack on the Bus - A surge of attacks and other illegal behavior began to increase on Detroit’s buses. A man was reportedly caught smoking a crack pipe on a bus in broad daylight in August.  The driver was able to talk him off, only after another passenger gave the crack user a cigarette.(Photo: ABC 7/WXYZ Detroit)

WWE or a Detroit Bus? - The crimes against bus drivers persisted. Drivers were stabbed and even had urine thrown on them. One driver even got into an all-out brawl with a passenger who was upset that her transfer card was stuck inside the scanner.  The August brawl was caught on camera just weeks after the crack pipe incident.(Photo: Fox 2 Detroit)

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WWE or a Detroit Bus? - The crimes against bus drivers persisted. Drivers were stabbed and even had urine thrown on them. One driver even got into an all-out brawl with a passenger who was upset that her transfer card was stuck inside the scanner.  The August brawl was caught on camera just weeks after the crack pipe incident.(Photo: Fox 2 Detroit)

Photo By Photo: Fox 2 Detroit

Enough Is Enough - By October, at least eight DDOT drivers had been hospitalized in a six-month period and drivers were sick of it. More than 100 drivers called out sick on Oct. 21 to rally at Detroit City Hall, forcing the city to cancel bus service. Drivers demanded that cameras be installed on buses to help provide security. Before budget cuts, the police units used to patrol buses.(Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images)

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Enough Is Enough - By October, at least eight DDOT drivers had been hospitalized in a six-month period and drivers were sick of it. More than 100 drivers called out sick on Oct. 21 to rally at Detroit City Hall, forcing the city to cancel bus service. Drivers demanded that cameras be installed on buses to help provide security. Before budget cuts, the police units used to patrol buses.(Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images)

Bleached on the Job - While bus service resumed on Oct. 22 another driver was attacked on Nov. 3. As the driver opened the doors at a stop, an assailant threw bleach in his face and ran away.   The driver was rushed to the hospital, but the suspect remains at large.(Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images)

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Bleached on the Job - While bus service resumed on Oct. 22 another driver was attacked on Nov. 3. As the driver opened the doors at a stop, an assailant threw bleach in his face and ran away.   The driver was rushed to the hospital, but the suspect remains at large.(Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images)

What Now? - To combat the problem, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced in October that it was releasing $24 million for the repair and upgrade of Detroit buses, including the installation of security cameras.(Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images)

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What Now? - To combat the problem, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced in October that it was releasing $24 million for the repair and upgrade of Detroit buses, including the installation of security cameras.(Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images)