Colorado RTD Bus Driver Fired After Protecting Himself From Passenger Who Was High

On paper, public transportation appears to be a safe and price-friendly option for traveling in Colorado, but in reality, it's much different.

According to a report from KDVR, an RTD bus operator recently lost his job of 17 years due to an incident with a rider who was high on drugs.

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Growing Drug Concerns for Public Transportation in Colorado

If you've ever ridden a light rail or public bus here in Colorado there's a good chance you've seen some pretty questionable conduct from other passengers.

Being from Texas, there weren't as many options for public transportation, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect from RTD in Colorado.

I was shocked to discover the sheer amount of public drug use that occurs on light rails and buses initially, but sadly now it's just something I've come to expect.

RTD Bus Driver Pepper Sprayed Unruly and High Passenger

Gary Martinez is the name of the RTD bus driver who acted in defense of himself and other passengers when he pepper-sprayed a man who was high on drugs and was attempting to mess with controls in the operator's area. The bus operator saw the man and his actions as a threat to his safety and the safety of everyone else on the bus.

Martinez was aware that carrying pepper spray was a part of RTD's no weapons policy, but he had experienced previous run-ins with unruly and dangerous passengers before and wanted a way to protect himself.

RTD does have security, but sometimes it can take a while before they arrive on the scene.

Do you think it's fair Martinez lost his job of almost two decades due to the incident?