i don't care how much you have sympathy for the effect being fired is going to have on the rest of someone's life... there are so many reasons this person needs to be fired if the allegations are true.

this isn't the type of thing you do when you're having a bad day, or getting over some personal issues, or anything like that. this is pure, unmitigated hatred, and anything short of firing this asshole sends the wrong message and at least subconsciously tells all the people out there who think like this that they're free to behave in the same spirit and only face minimum consequences on the off chance they're caught doing it.

as a sidenote, when does this moron turn this into an argument over religious expression?

It's very nice to see somebody who is not vindictive like Ms. Zezula. That driver definitely needs some retraining but probably doesn't deserve to lose his job. He must have some deep issues not only to act like that at all, but to act like that in a place like PDX.

Perhaps they should put a flyer on the actual bus at the same time as the incident to get a hold of witnesses.

Regardless of our wishes, it might be hard for Trimet to justify continuing to employ the driver without overhauling its diversity training for all employees.

lyle said:
"i don't care how much you have sympathy for the effect being fired is going to have on the rest of someone's life... there are so many reasons this person needs to be fired if the allegations are true."

I'm going to echo that sentiment, and invite all to ponder, for a moment, the impact of keeping that man employed on the lives of the people who ride his bus.

Driving a bus is not the sort of income level where being fired puts you inches from the street, either. I understand the impulse of the girl's mother, all too well, but it's misplaced. Should a Portlander wind up barred from *reaching* their place of work due to their sexual orientation -- or any other characteristic a bus driver doesn't like! -- they're going to be more liable to take a hit; and he was in a position of power and abused that power.

Maybe everyone needs to hear the other side of the story. Hmmm. passing judement based on only what the young girls say? Sounds about right for the media. That makes a lot of sense.

The girls were making out in the back of the bus and another passenger complained to the bus driver. It was not even initiialy known that it was two girls making out and not a boy/girl. They were given a warning and after not heeding the warning they were asked to leave the bus. Tri-met even has some form of policy in regards to this.