"On a bus, that’s not right. That makes me not want to catch the bus," says Waipahu resident and bus rider Britnee Greene.
The bus driver stopped the bus in Waikiki and alerted police. 29 year-old James Ricky Wilpolt was arrested for indecent exposure and harassment for also taunting another passenger.
"It’s very serious because if that’s even happening one time on one bus ride, think of the people affected, there are infants and children. Someone who is doing indecent exposure, no that’s not cool," says Richard Howard, bus rider.
TheBus says the driver reported the crime to the Central Control Department and immediately alerted HPD, saying in a statement "A growing percentage of our bus fleet is equipped with cameras and we hope they will be a deterrent to on-board criminal activities."
"They should be recording everything that goes on the bus, that way no one can deny what’s happened because they can go back to the cameras and there you go," says Greene.
Last month a passenger threatened to kill a female bus driver and pulled out a replica gun. In April a man also threatened a driver, during his arrest officers recovered he was carrying a dagger. In January 3 teenage boys were arrested after assaulting a driver and damaging a bus door and window.
"If its so crowded how can the cameras see everything way in the back of the bus?" says Yvonne Omiya, Kalihi resident and bus rider.
Also this weekend, 22-year-old Akiori Shorey was arrested for allegedly approaching a man at a bus stop, shooting him with a sling shot then threatening him with a knife.
Bus riders say criminal activities at bus stops are more common than on a bus and some would like to see increased safety measures.
"Kalihi bus station has security, Waipahu Transit has security, I’m not sure, but this bus stop should because we’re in the middle of downtown a lot of things happen here," says Greene.
TheBus asks that passengers help to assist drivers and report incidents they observe on the bus.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
