This past Saturday, Nov. 6, a student was trapped inside an American University bus when the driver closed the doors on their arm, driving off with their wrist and bag dangling outside, despite pleas to open the door.
A video of the incident was posted on the Barstool American Instagram account, with a screenshot of messages exchanged with the victim, explaining what had occurred.
The student, who is now safe, screamed “Can you open the door! My hand is in the door!” as the bus driver talked to another passenger.
The victim wrote that their “bag and wrist was outside the door and he [bus driver] drove off with my stuff out the door.”
According to the screenshot, the driver abruptly closed the bus doors due to a student’s mask hanging below their nose.
AU bus drivers are instructed to ensure that all passengers have their masks up due to Covid-19 safety protocols.
Although this precautionary measure is a necessity and fundamental to the well-being of the AU community, student outrage shows that many do not believe that is an excuse to threaten a person’s safety by holding their arm in between the bus doors.
AU students commented on the post, referencing other negative experiences with the same bus driver. User @stellajuniper explained that “This same driver stopped the bus in the middle of traffic to take a kid’s smoothie away in case he was GOING to pull his mask down and drink it, poor kid was just holding it lol, with his mask on.” A different student, @connorbloms, mentioned how “this guy [bus driver] stopped in the middle of a green light and caused a traffic jam because of the mask thing.”
The American University Instagram account also commented on the American Barstool post, saying, “We are aware of the situation shown in this video and are working to obtain further information. The safety of our community is our priority and we appreciate when concerns are shared with us so we can take the appropriate steps. Please contact operations at shuttle@american.edu.”
Students used yesterday’s incident as an opportunity to shed light on the school’s neglect towards other matters in regards to the safety and well-being of AU community members.
@nojogo02, a student at American, commented on AU’s lack of action towards McDowell’s mold situation: “If you care about our community, why does McDowell still have a mold problem that isn’t being addressed?”
An article from The Eagle explained how several residents expressed concern over McDowell’s growing mold after suffering from symptoms, such as a cough and sore throat, which could be connected to the dorm’s moldy environment.
No further action has been taken in relation to the bus incident. Students, however, continue to show their dissatisfaction towards the school’s handling of safety issues: “Get on top of your sh*t, no wonder students are transferring” commented @diplomatt2025.