NEWARK, NJ – Ah, New Jersey Transit. The sometimes reliable, always “eventful” transportation option we’ve all reluctantly embraced at some point. Just when you think your relationship with NJ Transit is at its weirdest—cue Governor Phil Murphy announcing a free transit holiday—a video surfaces to remind us why taking the bus or train in Jersey is often a gamble with your sanity.
So, let’s break down this latest wild ride.
A typical day on an NJ Transit bus turns into a full-on WWE SmackDown. Picture this: A bus driver, already teetering on the edge of “I’ve had it,” snaps when a passenger apparently requests to take things outside for a little roadside rumble.
(Like, who even does that? The world is your arena, but maybe not this bus, dude.)
The bus driver, no stranger to drama it seems, decides to take this challenge head-on, but first, he gives everyone else the boot. “Everyone off my bus!” Imagine being told to evacuate like you’re in the middle of an emergency drill, only for it to be so the driver can throw hands with some guy. And you’re standing on the curb, popcorn in hand, wondering how on earth your morning commute turned into an episode of Jerry Springer.
At one point a woman holding her little baby had to head toward the exit to get out of the way.
As the bus cleared of innocent bystanders (safety first, right?), the driver and the passenger square off. The driver, clearly done with the nonsense, swings at the guy, puts him in a chokehold, and delivers a series of punches. It’s like every commuter’s worst nightmare—or secret guilty pleasure—playing out in real life.
I mean, we’ve all thought about giving the person taking up two seats a piece of our mind, but this? This is next-level stress management.
Now, NJ Transit is doing its best to sweep this little “incident” under the rug, but let’s be real. Free rides sound like a great deal until you remember that you might have to dodge a fistfight to get from Point A to Point B.