B36 Bus Driver Calls Child A Terrorist, Refuses To Let Him Board At Sheepshead Bay Road Stop

A B36 bus driver picking up passengers on Sheepshead Bay Road is in the cross-hairs for refusing to let a 10-year-old child board his bus and declaring him a “terrorist.” The New York Daily News is reporting that the family of the boy has brought a lawsuit against the city over the incident, which happened a year ago.

The Daily News relayed the details of the story as told by the boy’s lawyer:

The unidentified plaintiff was searching for his MetroCard as the B36 Bus pulled up on Sheepshead Bay Road last October, according to the suit, filed Friday in Brooklyn Federal Court.

He began reciting a Muslim prayer: “I stand in the name of God the most merciful, the most beneficent,” the suit states. The driver became alarmed, called the boy a “terrorist” and slammed the door shut, the boy’s lawyer, Hyder Naqvi, told the Daily News.

“The driver said ‘Get off!’ and used the T-word,” Naqvi said, referring to the word “terrorist.”

The lawyer said the boy was so hurt afterwards that he was didn’t want to use public transportation, but later he became angry and is resolved to right the wrong.

“He was two days shy of turning 11 when this happened, but he’s old enough to know what it feels like to be discriminated against,” Naqvi said.

According to the report, the parents had complained to the MTA but never received an answer. The boy, now 12, claims he can still identify the driver if asked.