HSR preps drivers for possible anti-mask protests on Hamilton buses
The HSR is preparing its drivers to deal with possible protests after an anti-vaxxer took to social media to encourage people to defy mask mandates on buses across the country Saturday.
The city's transit department sent out a memo this week warning of an online challenge" slated for Oct. 30 that urges people to board buses and other public transit vehicles unmasked and refuse to comply with public health COVID requirements."
If it happens in Hamilton - and become a safety issue - drivers are allowed to bypass stops or pull buses out of service.
HSR head Maureen Cosyn Heath stressed the city has no evidence to suggest anti-vaccine protesters are targeting Hamilton over any other city. Out of an abundance of caution ... We felt it was appropriate to ensure our on-road personnel had some guidance on how to handle it in the event anything takes place."
Metrolinx has also alerted its staff to the potential protests, said spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins. We've asked them to be vigilant, report any conflicts to transit safety but to do their best, as they always do, to avoid conflicts and de-escalate situations as much as possible."
Hamilton has eased some COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on transit, but still requires passengers who don't have a health or human rights exemption to wear a mask on the bus. Simply getting on a HSR bus unmasked won't raise an alarm, though, because riders are not required to show proof of an exemption.
If unmasked riders do make trouble on a city bus, the HSR says operators can pull over, put the bus out of service" and call for help from a supervisor or, if necessary, police.
Drivers can also skip a bus stop for safety reasons if a crowd of apparent protesters are waiting to board. If that happens, the memo instructs drivers to contact a dispatcher and the HSR will send a supervisor to help any regular or vulnerable customers" at the bypassed stop.
Would-be riders passed by at a stop can also call the HSR customer service line at 905-527-4441.
HSR union head Eric Tuck said a small percentage of Hamilton transit riders still go maskless on HSR buses every day, with most citing an exemption. So far, he said, drivers have not reported any altercations" with belligerent anti-maskers or any organized protests on buses.
Such protests have periodically occurred in other cities during the pandemic, however, including one on Toronto subways in July 2020.
The new so-called challenge is linked to Chris Saccoccia, an anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist with a large online following who was charged earlier this year for allegedly uttering threats, according to court documents.
Saccoccia, who goes by Chris Sky, was also arrested in Hamilton for breaching court-ordered conditions last month following an anti-vaccine rally in Gore Park.
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com