anti-spitting on the bus driver signghmss via Flickr Creative Commons

Bus drivers put up with a lot of crap: cranky commuters in the early morning, drunk partiers late at night, and would-be passengers breathlessly demanding that they open-the-doors-right-this-minute-I-didn’t-chase-this-bus-three-blocks-for-nothing. Maybe even witnessing the occasional fight.

But, to my surprise, one of the spit falls of working in mass transit appears to be getting in spats yourself. The kind that requires wiping the saliva off your face afterward.

For example, in 2009 there were 51 New York City bus drivers assaulted with spittle (yes, it counts as assault) who took paid leave after such an “incident.” And it took them, on average, about three months away from the job (with pay) to get over it. Based on these spittin’ images below, it doesn’t seem to be an uncommon weapon of mass disfunction. Has anyone witnessed such an orally corrupt event?

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no spitting on the busfintbo via Flickr Creative Commons

Spitting is now a crime punishable by CSI-style investigation.

no spitting on the bus stillPete Ashton via Flickr Creative Commons

Your saliva is no good here.

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