In recent days, trips on public transport in Riga have been alarming for passengers. A fight with blood occurred on a trolleybus, and a woman behaved inadequately on a bus, threatening passengers with a large knife, reports the show Degpunktā (TV3). How should the driver and passengers in the transport act in such situations?
Thousands of residents of Riga use public transport daily to get to their destinations conveniently and quickly. However, it is not uncommon to encounter people in buses, trolleybuses, and trams whose behavior prompts caution. And, as it turns out, sometimes one has to fear for their life.
A passenger on bus number 24, who filmed a woman waving a knife, recounts that upon entering the cabin, she behaved unpredictably, holding a sharp kitchen item in her hands.
"I heard screams and saw her spitting for ten minutes. I didn’t look her in the eyes because I know it can provoke people with mental disorders. When she started moving around more frequently and spitting, I filmed it. Then she began to terrorize two guys who looked at her. She even threatened them with a knife," said the eyewitness.
Fortunately, the situation did not escalate to violence, and after the incident, the passengers continued their day.
While this case was resolved without bloodshed, the same cannot be said for the incident on trolleybus number 15. There, a woman entered the cabin, sat down, and soon saw a group of men who began to shout aggressively and then resorted to fists.
"I was in shock, I didn’t understand what was happening at all. I looked — they were beating a man, and it became clear that after such strong blows, he had a concussion. His whole face was broken, his eyes were swollen, and fluid was oozing from them," the eyewitness reported.
The woman explained that during the fight, the trolleybus driver stopped the vehicle and opened all the doors. The trolleybus remained stationary for a while until the conflict subsided. The aggressive group exited, and later the injured man did as well.
The eyewitness was surprised by the driver’s behavior — or rather, his inaction:
"This is not serious. I expected the driver to take some action — he stopped, kept the doors open, but did not call the police. The driver works for ‘Rīgas satiksme,’ he should be trained on how to act. I think it’s just a matter of pressing a button there."
‘Rīgas satiksme’ explained that that evening the driver indeed did not report the incident to either the police or his colleagues, even though it is part of his duties.
"The driver contacts responsible colleagues, explains the situation, and then appropriate actions are taken. Of course, he won’t shout loudly throughout the cabin to avoid alarming passengers, but if there is a threat in the cabin, the driver is obliged to report it and inform the responsible parties," explained ‘Rīgas satiksme’ representative Baiba Bartashevicha-Feldmane.
In the case of trolleybus number 15, one of the passengers reported to the police, and an investigation is currently underway. As for the passenger on bus number 24 and her threats, ‘Rīgas satiksme’ learned about them only from the video published online and will soon inform law enforcement.
Baiba Bartashevicha-Feldmane also urges passengers to report inadequate fellow travelers, as when such people exit and we breathe a sigh of relief, they are likely to cause the same troubles for someone else soon.
"If what happened is not reported, it becomes impossible to identify such a person later, and there is a risk that he may threaten others — not only on transport but also in other places. Therefore, it is extremely important to report such situations — if not immediately, then as soon as possible, for example, when the person has already left the transport. It is important to specify the vehicle number and the exact time — this allows for quickly locating what happened in the cabin and reviewing the surveillance footage," says Bartashevicha-Feldmane.
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