RTA Uppercut: How Common Are Driver Assaults?

The viral video depicting an argument between a Cleveland RTA driver and a passenger that culminated in the driver punching the passenger has people everywhere talking about the transit company.

Tweets about the incident include people swearing they'll never ride the bus and many more people swearing that they'll never cross an RTA driver.

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So how often do instances like this happen?

The Cleveland RTA released some stats Tuesday to shed light on the issue.

200,000 people ride the bus every weekday.

There were 71 reported assaults on drivers on RTA buses in the past five years. "While one is too many, that's one in every 80,000 rides," an RTA spokesperson wrote in a statement. 

Drivers can pull over and call police if they feel that they are in danger, and if riders feel that their safety is at risk, they can call Transit Police at (216) 566 -5163 or 9-1-1 for life-threatening emergencies.

The RTA adds that ridership is up over the past 17 months, with the highest increase being on the Red Line Rapid.