- At least the guy made a stop like a bus driver should.
If you were to steal a vehicle, what would be the first thing you’d do afterward? Probably try and get as far away as possible with your pilfered car, right?
Not so with this guy. A Georgia man recently went on a bizarre joyride in a stolen bus, during which he seemed to fully embrace his new role as a wannabe bus driver.
He dropped off a passenger at a Waffle House before heading over to a local park famous for its Christmas lights display. There, however, his journey ended since he didn’t know how to properly maneuver the huge vehicle.
The 28-year-old Stone Mountain resident is now facing a slew of charges, including making a terroristic threat. There could be more in the pipeline — if the cops can find the mystery person who got off at the Waffle House.
All things considered, the strange episode ended fairly well. Sure, the man committed a crime, but it’s not like anyone got hurt and one person even got to their supposed destination.
Did I Leave My Keys In?
The unusual bus jacking took place on the afternoon of December 3. Around 5 p.m., a bus operated by Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) pulled up to a bus stop in Tucker, a city on the outskirts of the Atlanta area.
At the stop, our questionable hero boarded the bus. Sadly, he didn’t have enough money for the fare, so he was asked to get out of the vehicle.
He didn’t take that all too well. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he began making unspecified threats toward the driver.
The driver, following what we assume is the usual protocol, got out of the bus to report the man’s threatening behavior. However, he must have forgotten his keys in the bus’ ignition.
We assume that because when the driver turned around, his vehicle was no longer there. The man from the bus stop had gotten into the driver’s seat and driven off.
An Eight-Mile Joyride
What followed was an eight-mile journey as the busjacker drove the vehicle toward his hometown of Stone Mountain. Perhaps surprisingly, he didn’t cause any incidents on the way, weaving through the roads and traffic without hitting anything.
He did make one stop along the way, though. As it turns out, there was at least one passenger on the bus.
We can’t know what kind of an exchange actually took place on board the vehicle. But we want to believe the passenger told their new driver something along the lines of: “Since you’re driving the bus anyway, mind dropping me off at my stop?”
Let no one say the man didn’t take his temporary bus-driving job seriously because that’s just what he did. He pulled over at a local Waffle House and let the passenger get out.
He then proceeded to Stone Mountain Park, which apparently has three Waffle House locations nearby. The man got to the park’s entrance, but that’s where his drive came to an end.
“He drove up and couldn’t make a U-turn because, I guess he didn’t know how to put it in reverse,” said Stone Mountain Park Police spokesperson John Bankhead.
Seeing the struggling bus, a park officer suspected foul play was afoot. He approached the stuck vehicle and asked the man if he was bus’ authorized driver.
The man owned up to his deeds and said, “No.” Long story short, he was arrested immediately.
He’s now facing charges of second-degree hijacking of a motor vehicle, making terroristic threats, and theft. The police are also looking for the unknown Waffle House passenger to see if they can press further charges.
That said, we kind of doubt the person has anything to complain about.
How About an Ambulance Instead?
Bizarrely enough, this episode isn’t the only Waffle House-related vehicle hijacking Georgia has seen lately. Another such case happened a bit earlier in the year on September 19.
Around 1 a.m. on the day, an ambulance arrived at Waffle House in McDonough due to an emergency call. The ambulance crew promptly hopped out of the vehicle and headed to the restaurant.
Before they got in, though, a woman approached them. Later identified as 58-year-old Andrea Bryant, she told the paramedics that she needed their ambulance.
They told the woman that a patient was waiting for them in the restaurant and that she should call another ambulance. The paramedics then proceeded to go into the Waffle House — while Bryant got in the ambulance behind the wheel and took off.
She led officers from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on a 40-mile chase along the nearby interstates, at times driving as fast as 88 miles per hour. The cops eventually used a spike mat to blow up two of the ambulance’s tires, but Bryant still drove on for another mile before stopping and running away.
She didn’t get far, though. Bryant was promptly arrested and charged with motor vehicle theft, obstruction of an emergency medical technician, and a bunch of other crimes.