HOUSTON – It began when an irate passenger began yelling at someone on his cellphone. The conversation rapidly escalated from argument to threats.
"I don't know what his problem was, but he was making accusations about going to beat up some woman. And then he turns around, he starts saying something about he was going to blow something up," passenger Admiral Lemon said.
The driver pulled over near Airline Drive and E. Burress Street and left the bus to call for help.
Just after she got off, the man jumped in her seat.
"I actually heard when he started threatening this lady on the phone. And I heard him say, 'I'll blow this you know what.' He actually got in the driver's seat twice and we didn't know if he was going to take off on the bus or what with all of us in there," passenger Dorese Simmons said.
But the bus didn't move. It had been disabled by METRO. Within a few minutes, METRO police swarmed it, and grabbed the unruly passenger and arrested him.
Then they blocked off the street until bomb squad officers arrived to check out the man's backpack, which was left lying behind the bus.
They made a quick inspection and then carried it away.
It was over in about an hour.
The passengers, unharmed, loaded onto another bus to continue their commute. But some remained anxious. Maybe a sign of the times.
"I know what just happened in Las Vegas and I don't want that to happen here with us. So yeah I was very scared," Simmons said.
METRO Police have not released the name of the passenger, but said they are preparing charges against him.
