CIE bus driver 
accused of racist behaviour 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Judith Crosbie 
A CIÉ bus driver told a black man getting on his bus that he shouldn't be in
this State and should go back to his own country, Dublin District Court has
been told. Mr Gerry O'Grady, the bus driver, also told two witnesses that
the incident on his number 66 bus was caused by "nig-nogs", the court was
told. 

Mr O'Grady is charged under the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act
(1989).

Mr Mathew John, a sales representative who has lived in the Republic for
eight years and is from The Gambia, said he attempted to board the bus in
Maynooth on May 21st last year. He was told by Mr O'Grady that he could not
get on the bus with food. Mr John said he had a can of coke and a bap of
plain bread. He told Mr O'Grady there was no sign saying food was prohibited
on the bus. According to Mr John, Mr O'Grady then said: "You can't get on
the bus with food. In this country, we don't eat on the buses . . . What are
you doing in this country? You should go back to where you came from, you
don't belong here. All you people are just taking money from the
Government."

"I couldn't understand why he was like this. He was very angry," Mr John
said. "I have travelled on the bus for eight years. People drink on the bus,
do all sorts of crazy things. This was just a can of coke."

Garda David Byrne said Mr O'Grady later came into the Garda station at Lucan
and said there was trouble on his bus.

Garda Byrne followed Mr O'Grady to the bus and went upstairs to two black
men, one of them Mr John, at the back. When Mr O'Grady told Garda Byrne they
had been abusive, a passenger told the garda that was not the case. Garda
Byrne said Mr O'Grady then started shouting.

"He said they should go back to where they came from. I personally took this
to be a racial comment . . . He was so aggressive, he was unbelievable,"
Garda Byrne said. She had told him she would go the garda station as they
had not come yet.

Ms Anna Wrynn, who was behind Mr John in the queue, said that when she
remonstrated with Mr O'Grady, he got the money dispenser from the bus and
threatened her with it. "He put it up to my face and said: `Do you want me
to hit you?'," she said.

According to Ms Wrynn, Mr O'Grady then said: "It's those nig-nogs always
causing trouble."

The case was adjourned until next Tuesday. 



"Can't We All Get Along" Rodney King





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