Bus drivers thinking they are fare inspectors will always lead to violence against bus operators

Lynn Bowersox, Metro’s assistant general manager for customer service, said at a recent Metro board meeting that bus operators under pressure often mishandle situations.
“Eighty times last year, our employees made the wrong choice,” she said. “They confronted a fare evader. And 80 times they were spat upon, slapped, punched and twice stabbed as a result of fare-collection disputes that escalated.”

 Bus drivers’ fears of assaults rise to the top of Metrobus challenges - The Washington Post