These days, almost every cell phone has a camera - so we shouldn't be surprised when we see more and more videos turning up of everyday events that normally would escape notice. That's what came across our facebook feed this morning when bus driver Daren Stuart was seen punching out a taximan who had just run into his Stuart's bus. It happened on Saturday evening at 6:15 in Ladyville. The taximan - who looked like he had had a little too much gas in his engine - wouldn't back down from Stuart - which left the bus driver with only one choice. He explained it to Monica Bodden this evening:..
Darren Stuart, Stuart's Bus
"It was like three weeks ago. This guy ran into the tail of my bus and he expected me to pay for his damages. I parked the bus there and told him to call the police so as to settle it then but instead he drove off. On Saturday evening approximately 6:10, he came and parked in front of me on the highway in Ladyville, accusing me of owing him for the damages to his van. I avoided him by driving around him to proceed down the highway. He came up again in front of the AVIS bus stop in Ladyville and again parked in front of me. I tried to avoid him but he just drove along with me."
Monica Bodden
"And this time you have a bus load of passengers?"
Darren Stuart, Stuart's Bus
"That is correct. I had about 25-35 passengers in the bus at that time. They got enraged because they realized that I wasn't doing this guy anything, I was just minding my own business hustling along the highway only to find out that when I stopped at the AVIS bus stop he had blocked my way. I couldn't come back on the highway, and that's when he hit the side of my bus. I decided just to push him off of the bus by pushing him off in the drain on the other side with the strength of the vehicle. He stopped before he went into the drain and I proceeded to go down to Belize City while trying to call 911. Unfortunately every time I tried to call, I keep getting the busy tone. I stopped at the bus stop by the shell gas station in Ladyville where he came again and parked crossway in front of the bus. At this time my enraged passengers alighted the bus with weapons in hand. My broom, tyre pipes, stuff like that, and they attacked the guy. He ran around the tail of the bus and went on the other side where he smashed the 4th window from the door with a beer bottle. That was his biggest mistake because the shattered glass fell unto one of the passengers who got even more frantic and ran outside to take away the pipe from who had it to smash his van with it. At this time I was just coming out of the bus to try and confront this guy to find out what was his issue and why was he harassing me this kind of way. The video take care of it thereafter, I was trying to tell him to 'get out of my face, I don't owe you anything. You were the one that run into the back of my bus. With all the passengers out there trying to calm him down and get him off of me, he refused to comply. When I wanted to get back in the bus, that's when he stood at the door to block me from getting in my own bus. I don't owe the bank or nobody could ever tell you I took a mortgage out on this. So I had to do what was the next best thing, I am a trained martial artist I know how to do what I have to do. Honestly I don't want to be wasting the court's time, if this guy would just pay me for my damages. I ended up with a bended front spring, and the window glass was mashed. If you look, the paint job needs to be done on my bus, I won't even worry about the paint job to be honest. But for the other damages it's in the neighborhood of maybe $370 to take care of that. If I get my money he can go and live his life, I don't care what he wants to do with his life hereafter."
Stuart told us he prefers to settle the matter out of court. All he wants is for the taxicab driver to pay for the damages.
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