GUN PULLED ON BUS

State Police responded to an incident on board a SEPTA bus earlier this afternoon according to CBS 3:

During a ride into Center City on I-76, two passengers on a SEPTA bus got into a heated confrontation, police said.

Almost a dozen passengers were on the bus during the altercation.

“I’m glad I’m alive, that’s all I got to say,” said Mark Martin. “I heard two guys arguing, then I looked up and this guy had a 9mm in his hand asking him whether this guy had a problem with him. That’s when I ran up to the front.”

According to passengers, the suspect with the handgun approached the driver and asked to be let off.

“That’s when the guy with the gun ran up to the front and asked the bus driver to let him off the bus, he asked him like two or three times because the guy with the gun was trying to avoid the confrontation,” said Martin.

The operator of the 124 bus then pulled over near the Gladwynne on-ramp and waited for State Police/Belmont to arrive. Two Philadelphia men, Sidney Clayton and Sherman Jerome Bush-Knox, were arrested and charged with making terroristic threats.

PASSENGER STRUCK BY TROLLEY

A 51 year old male was struck in the head by a mirror of a trolley at 69 St Terminal. The incident occured at around 08:20 this morning as the AM peak was winding down. The victim was transported to HUP; there is no word on his condition. This comes on the heels of a pedestrian v. bus accident in University City on Tuesday. The Daily Pennsylvanian reported that the victim (about whom nothing was known about as of press-time Wednesday AM) was crossing Walnut St when a westbound 30 turning off of 40 St onto Walnut struck the victim.

AFTER THE FACT

It's hard to believe (well, no really it isn't) that people are still flogging SEPTA over their half-a**ed operation during the Live 8 aftermath. In case you need a refresher, the entire system went into chaos as SEPTA seemed unprepared for the massive influx of riders trying to get home after the concert. Well, the Daily News (a fully-paid subsidiary of Michael Moore, Inc.) offered a couple of New Year's resolutions to SEPTA's Board Chairman Don Pasquale and SEPTA's Minister of Mis-information Richard Maloney in yesterday's editions:

SEPTA's chief spokesman resolves to remember that his agency's job is to move people. All of them. And his boss, Pat Deon, vows to consider leasing equipment from New Jersey Transit when facing a holiday crunch.

The crush of people heading home from the July 2 Live8 concert turned Suburban Station into a transit nightmare. Thousands waited for hours in stifling heat for trains because SEPTA didn't have enough cars to handle the load. "This was our best day in SEPTA rail history," Maloney declared in grand "Baghdad Bob" style. "It could not have gone better."

Now, if only Fearless Leader would resolve to resign as SEPTA boss, "Brooksie" would resolve to keep his yap shut for the next 4 years, and the SEPTA "Tranist Police" could resolve to operate like a real police department instead of as glorified rent-a-cops who can't get a job with the Philadelphia Police, then all will be well in SEPTA land...

TRESPASSER STRUCK BY AMTRAK TRAIN

A tresspasser was struck and killed along the NEC near Folcroft, Delaware County earlier today. At approximately 14:25, the victim was struck by a southbound Amtrak train in the area of the 1800 block of Baltimore Av near the Folcroft station; the train involved was either Acela Express 2159 or Acela Regional 171, both of which were scheduled to have left 30 St Station a few minutes prior to the incident (14:12 and 14:13, respectively). Folcroft PD requested DelCo Station 01 (Folcroft Fire Co) to assist in the removal of the victim. Service had been shut down for most of the mid-afternoon as police investigated.

SOME GOOD DEED...

Last month, SEPTA donated 20 retired Neoplans to the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) to help replenish their bus fleet that was damaged due to Hurricane Katrina. New York City Transit, the MBTA, and at least one other agency had sent buses to New Orleans as well. Now, there's word that NORTA has rejected the donated buses from SEPTA and the other agencies for reasons that are unknown at this time, but one would have to guess the condition of the used buses had something to do with it.