By COLlive reporter
Avigail Levy, a Crown Heights mother, is speaking out about a distressing encounter involving her two young daughters and 6 agents of MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) on a New York City Bus this past week.
The incident, which occurred at the corner of Utica and Flatlands Avenues, has left her family shaken and concerned about the treatment they received.
Levy shared the experience with COLlive.com, explaining that her 15-year-old daughter was unaware that she needed to pay for the bus ride.
“They took her and her little 8-year-old sister off the bus, and spent 30 minutes harassing, frightening, and intimidating her for not having ‘proof of payment’,” Levy said. “They demanded ID, which she repeatedly explained she did not have on her. They kept threatening her that they would bring the police, and that she would be arrested.”
The situation escalated, leaving her daughter in a state of intense anxiety. “She had insane anxiety, broke down into hysterical sobbing, couldn’t talk, couldn’t even remember her own date of birth,” Levy described.
Levy and her husband rushed to their daughters, but traffic delays prevented them from arriving in time to intervene.
When Levy and her husband finally arrived, they found their daughters outside a Walgreens, where the MTA agents had left them.
“When we got there, the interrogators had just left our girls outside Walgreens, where they had been harassing them for a full 30 minutes (on the clock – not guestimating…).”
Levy instructed her daughters to get into the car with their father, and then she entered Walgreens to confront the agents.
“I wanted footage or pictures of their faces, so I went into Walgreens,” she said. “They were standing near the checkout, buying snacks and things. One of them asked me why I was recording her. I said because I had seen them harassing 2 young girls and that I was going to report them.”
Levy told COLlive.com: “I’m absolutely disgusted at this abuse of authority. They could have spent 2 minutes simply explaining that in the future, she needs to pay, instead of traumatizing both her and her sister. Honestly, I see this as reverse racism and antisemitism. They did not pick on anyone else on the bus.”
Following the incident, Levy filed a complaint online with the MTA.
Trashy people . Where are they in Utica and east New York when every one gets to ride for free ?
If I got a dollar for every free rider. They just come in the back doors and haven’t stopped since covid (then it was officially free), not just for those who they didn’t want to challenge due to racism.
At my train station I saw people jump the turnstile. I asked at the booth if I can do the same. She said no. I asked why not. Her response. U know better. All these thugs dont pay. They’d never be confronted.
But how else (other than paying) were they supposed to get on the bus? I think paying is common sense… unless I’m missing something?
I’m so sorry for your kids’ experience!
You can enter in the middle of the bus and unless you know where to look it is hard to find the payment machine. So many people get on without paying that it honestly seems free to someone who doesn’t know better.
Actually someone thought they were smart and decided to turn off the payment machines in the middle of the bus so everyone will need to go to the front and then they’ll have to pay because the driver is watching. It was probably the same people that are still social distancing/mask wearing because the sign said so and think the “gun free zones” signs make us safer.
You can’t turn off one in the middle and leave the others lmaoooo learn your facts. THOSE GIRLS SHOULDVE PAID! Period! Nothing will come from this
Most people don’t pay, and many times they don’t allow you on the bus from the front just the middle so many times you can’t pay. If you think they should’ve paid then hold that same energy for every other person on that bus. I have experienced racism on the busses when I was a young girl for being the only white one something I never experienced on the subway.
“Do your Research” this is a community website and if you’re not part of this community then get off! No one pays!! If they want to inforce paying on the bus then go ahead! But when you pick one Jewish girl for it then that’s called discrimination! I’m not nessisarly so pro this whole discrimination rights thing but I can tell you this that if you make a law you should be able to keep it yourself! Ok? So this is actually a new York city bus which means they can NOT demand payment from ANYONE unless they demand payment… Read more »
There’s no excuse for adults harassing youngsters, but why were they on the bus unaccompanied, and why did they think they could go on it without pay?
Lots of 15 year olds ride by themselves
Many kids from the age of 12 actually ride the busses to and from school, which is why they get a student tickets.
Whose side are you on? Did you ever make a mistake? Why does it matter if they didn’t know better? They are kids!!! The MTA has no legal right to detain and harass children.
totally unacceptable and inappropriate harrasment. i seen this type of harassment happen in Israel multiple times but with arab inspectors doing the tormenting which is distgusting! With respect, and not to chas vshalom diminish the abuse that happened to your girls. I did always wonder in general since a few years ago before antisemitism was rising openly, how a chasidishe frum person who knows you have to pay, visit Israel and not pay for trams or bus. Like I wouldn’t walk into a store and take something an neither would they. Ive seen it with a few ppl I know… Read more »
When I was a kid I knew better
Harass no
Detain absolutely yes
What the…..? Since when does the new York city bus driver have rights to detain children for not paying for the bus??? Never before heard of the MTA being able to detain someone for such a thing! They should all lose there jobs asap!! If they don’t then there’s a problem!! Report them.
Are you nuts??!!
It seems you’re unaware that they don’t make people anymore ,most don’t pay and ride for free.
No one in crown heights pays for the bus! It’s a very normal thing that at this point some people (like 15 year olds) see a city bus and by no surprise they think if it belongs to the city it’s free… And it also when you realize that she didn’t bring her ID with her it shows that she’s not so professional at this stuff! If you know what I mean..
And imagine they were all white mta ppl and the girls were black…
Since it’s on video, and pictures (on COL) as a proof, you can report them, too MTA, and demand they should lose their jobs. or else……..
It’s harassment,
And harassment is not tolerated.
Make a complaint to the human rights commission
The select busses you need to get a ticket before getting on the bus. When you get on you don’t need to show anything . Seems like people aren’t paying. Only if the officers come checking do you need to show the ticket. Seems that recently they are getting more on top of it. I was on a bus recently where police got on and started yelling cos some got on from the back door without paying ( regular city bus). One boy claimed he was under 17 so they left him alone. If your daughter is 15 she should… Read more »
Sounds like they need a better system.
They look in really good shape.
1) I’ve seen “African Americans” take the bus thousands of times without paying, often entering via the central doors, (and jumping turnstiles at the train station as mentioned previously). 2) During, and for a while after Corona, busses were free. 3) 15 is underage. It’s plausible for a 15-yr-old to think that children travel for free. -There is, in fact, a height restriction: “Children under 5 ride free on the MTA, and children under 44 inches tall can also ride free on the subway and local, limited, and Select Bus Service buses when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.” P.S. The… Read more »
There are express busses where you need to pay at the machine at the bus stop before entering the bus. This is not known to many. On the bus itself, you cannot pay with a metrocard or quarters, only a tap credit card.
Lots of people get onto the bus daily without paying. It is seen by the mta personnel and ignored.
Cracking down on paying is a good idea for the city. Doing it in this manner, is just disgusting.
they don,t always jump the turnstyle.alot of times they ask somebody inside to open up the door for them.i was asked a few times to open up the door in the subway for the farebeater.i always refuse to open up the door.one time the farebeater asked me to open up the door for him.i refused to open up the door for the farebeater as usual somebody else opened up the door for the farebeater the farebeater started yelling at me for not opening up the door for him.i was scared to death.so now i wait for the train to come… Read more »
There is no such a thing as reverse racism. There is racism and racism and racism.
I use the subway and busses all the time
Do you know how many poeple don’t pay
I was once by utica and empire I asked someone how do I pay the select bus do you know what they said to me
Oh no one pays you just walk on I thought that was normal b/c everyone did not pay.
Are they suing the city and MTA agents for crimes such as harassment, false imprisonment, and child endangerment?
Are these employees being fired?
Excessive force against minors, including civil rights (4th amendment) violations, amongst various other claims that can be made by the minors’ guardians.
This is wrong on so many levels, and they should pursue legal recourse against the city entity.
Since it’s a torts claim against the MTA and city, they’d have to move to move fast given the timeframe to file such claims and lawsuit.
It’s Menachem Av. Ask a Rav.
The few times that I’ve ridden the bus, I’ve actually been confused by the current protocol. Aside from the subways, where so many people don’t go through the turnstiles, on the buses (at least in Manhattan) there is a system where you pay (or insert a card as a transfer) at a kiosk before you board the bus. You’re supposed to get a slip but I have never seen anyone check or collect them nor have I seen anyone actually collect one. This is especially true when everyone boards the bus from the rear door or the second half of… Read more »
You can use tap to pay with any modern smartphone or debit/credit card or an OMNY card or via quarters.
I used to take the bus to work in the mornings and once asked the driver innocently, “how do the people squishing onto the bus through the middle doors pay?” He replied “you would have to speak to the MTA about that.” They don’t even try to enforce payment in most cases. So to go and make 2 kids cry over this issue was absolutely an abuse of power- one they wouldn’t have ever considered doing to a black kid (nor should they). Terrible.
they are wrong….. but you are for shure wrong i was 3 years old when i knew … no money no bus… i remember walking with my mother 2 miles because we did not have money to pay for the bus…. it dosent matter what other peopel do when you go on a bus you have to pay and if you dont you have to be ready to face the heat you are a ganev and dont comlain if you got caught
They will soon be running for election like some others have
Not clear?
Why didn’t these kids pay as they are supposed to? A reason because “others on the bus didn’t pay either” will not fly in court.
However it is true that the MTA workers were not nice in just picking on the Jews (and not anyone else)
Payment for Buses is very confusing recently with select busing.
Its unfortunate your daughters were targeted for not paying and treated so harshly but to avoid this for anyone else. Parents need to teach their children how to utilize this select bus before they send them on one. Unfortunately we are a target and I would hate to see this happen again. I myself take the bus to work and there are times I have run out of money on my card so I end up walking but we all need to be mindful in this environment to make sure that you have the fare you need so you are… Read more »
This is horrific abuse of power !!!
These despicable lowlives must be reported and fired .
Very few people pay on that bus. This is just sickening and is obvious racism.
Just read an article how MTA looses 315 million and rising a year on peoples going on the bus without paying, wonder if anyone on the bus paid and they pick on two Jewish girls. They need to be punished.
They simply picked on who they thought was an easy target. They’re not confronting anyone not paying who might give them a real problem. Selective enforcement. Sorry the kids had to go through this. Also what 15 year old doesn’t know they have to pay for the bus?
MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TOOKTHE SUBWAY ON KINGSTON AVENUE WTH 6 YOUNG GIRLS. WHEN THEY CHANGED SUBWAYS THE BLACK ANTI SEMITIC LADY CLOSED THE DOORS BEFORE ALL THE GIRLS GOT ON THE TRAIN. I FILLED A COMPLAINT AND WAS VISITED BY AN MTA INSPECTOR. HE BEGGED ME NOT TO CONTINUE MY COMPLAINT BECAUSE THIS “CRUEL” LADY IS A MOTHER OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND SHE WILL LOOSE HER JOB. I INSISTED ON MEETING HER FACE TO FACE BUT HE DISCOURAGED ME. AT THE END MY JEWISH SOFT HEART GAVE IN AND I DROPPED THE CHARGES. JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW… Read more »
For the past few years,paying has become optional, most ride for free and don’t pay!
1. The more they raise the fare,
The WORSE the service gets!!!!!!!!
2. Going your way,
The WRONG way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For one it’s awful this happened to these girls. Unfortunately the fare checkers enforce on the special buses. I usually take the B44-SB and have yet to have a fare inspector come on board. The rare times i have taken the bus on Utica the inspectors are guaranteed to get on. It would be nice if the people are connected with the politicians work on getting our young people bus cards. The public school has student bus cards so why not our kids? In general if you want to have your kids take the bus or subway the OMNY cards… Read more »
Student bus cards are supposed to be for school hours. What Jewish schools should have are student id cards for every student.
The bus payying system needs to be modified.
Im so sorry this had to happen to your daughters. Sounds traumatizing and it’s good you reported them.
Why would it take 6 large MTA personnel to arrest 2 young girls?
Was stopping at walgreens to buy snacks (were they on a break?) their reward for the challenging experience of investigating (and harassing) 2 innocent children?!?
I started reading thru the comments. I’m so frustrated, I could scream! This is the same attitude that allowed pogroms against Yidden, Nazism, the problems with Arabs in Israel, and antisemitism throughout the ages! Why are we ok with our own being mistreated? The fact that they didn’t know they had to pay is IRRELEVANT!!! The point is: They are CHILDREN. They should not be treated this way. The MTA agents should have simply told them that in the future they need to pay. How are you completely dismissing the open abuse of power and obvious racial discrimination against 2… Read more »
That is the reason I long ago stopped using the city bus in brooklyn/nyc and made the decision to walk, ride, and spend my time in a higher quality atmosphere. Many of them use their job as a weapon toward those they think are easy targets (ie not like them). I also saw, on several occasions, elderly Chasidim waiting at the bus stop and the regular bus, with passengers, going right past them, intentionally. But this is an old story and those who have lived here long enough are well acquainted with it. NYC is no friend of ours and… Read more »
For many years I used the Kingston subway every morning. You could not stand there 5 minutes without seeing at least 2 and often more people ‘not from our community’ jumping the turnstile and going through the gate behind a fare paying person and getting a free ride at our, the taxpayer’s, expense. I remember a story where an Israeli bachur here for the first time and not knowing the process, followed people ahead of him going through the gate, and they arrested him. It shows the level of the rot that seeped into our neighborhood when the demographic changed.
I was once in Manhatten with my son I was swiping my metro and there was 2 police officer there and poeple were jumping the turn style In frount of the officer I said to the police officer excuse me look at what they are doing that not right he said its fine . The police don’t care
THeY thOuGht tHe buss wAS frEe ,your telling me at 15 you didn’t know u had to pay for the buss, just say your kids where harassed after not paying for the buss….
Buying snacks? Hashem. They should be buying ozempic.
I ride the mta bus a d subway everyday , so many people especially young wise guys hope the turnstile on platform and just walk on the bus and don’t pay.
Young and elderly especially on the bus. In all the yrs I never once heard a driver say one word as they just pass by the metro card pay area.
These mta workers are clearly bullies
Don’t send your kid on the bus unless you teach them how to pay!!!!
I’m just flabbergasted at the commentators who completely ignore the fact that underage children were attacked, and focus solely on the fact that they didn’t know they had to pay. The very plausible reasons for this misunderstanding have been repeated above numerous times. And yet, all you have to say is “teach your kids to pay!” Only when Yidden learn to stand up for ourselves and each other, and focus on what is important, will there be hope in a world filled to the brim with hatred, racism, and antisemitism. As long as we are ok-ing abuse of other Jews,… Read more »
Ashamed to admit, i’v been ticketed and sent off public transportation for not having a paid the fair. It was uncomfortable, yet a quick 2 min intervention done professionally and respectfully. Not to mention, that I was over 18 at the time of any of any experience getting kicked off or ticketed. Yes I used public transportation plenty as kid and didn’t always pay the fair. Yet police know better than to bother kids. In fact many times as a minor without a fare, they gave me verbal permission and free passes to enter the subway. Whenever I was ticketed… Read more »