Amidst a string of abusive behavior to MBTA bus drivers who are required to ask riders to wear masks on the bus, this week the MBTA is asking for help to identify a woman who entered the bus in Bellingham Square on Sunday and destroyed the bus and cursed out the driver when he asked her to wear a mask while onboard.
The individual depicted in the photo is wanted for questioning relative to a malicious destruction of property (an MBTA bus) after getting on the bus about 3:57 p.m. on Sunday, July 25.
The woman was apparently asked to put on a mask when entering the bus, and then refused and began breaking windows on the bus before fleeing.
If anyone knows the whereabouts or identity of this individual please contact the Criminal Investigations Unit at 617-222-1050. If you would like to assist our investigators but wish to remain anonymous you can always text us your tip to 873873 or use the anonymous feature on our SeeSay app.
The MBTA said there have been at least 13 incidents of an MBTA employee being assaulted after asking someone to wear a face covering.
On July 21, in Roslindale, a Bus Operator reported that an irate male customer spat at him before exiting the bus. Driving on the Route 30 outbound, the bus driver stated that the man became angry when the operator asked him to wear a mask. Before exiting, the man spat at the operator, with most of the spittle hitting the driver’s partition door, luckily.
All riders must wear a face covering that completely covers their nose and mouth while using public transit. Failure to comply may result in denial of boarding or removal, the MBTA said..
The MBTA said it is constantly stressing the importance of wearing face coverings. MBTA trains and buses make thousands of trips each day, and during these trips, riders hear and see multiple messages about the mask mandate. Throughout the MBTA system, hundreds of digital panels display messages, reminding customers that face coverings must be worn at all times while using transit. While the vast majority of riders comply with the mandate, there is always a small number of people who need to be reminded, and that’s why the MBTA continues its comprehensive public awareness campaign, they said.
While mask reminder signs are already omnipresent around the transit system, the MBTA is in the process of expanding the coverage to even more locations.