Police: Bus driver’s ‘Taliban’
comment was made in jest
MARLBORO — Authorities have determined that a Greyhound bus driver, frustrated by holiday traffic, was joking when he made a remark about taking his passengers "to the Taliban."
Nevertheless, the driver was charged with being a disorderly person.
According to Marlboro police, passengers were on a bus en route from Philadelphia to New York City on Saturday when the comment was made, prompting several passengers to use their cell phones to call police.
At 5:01 p.m. Saturday, the Marlboro police received several 911 calls reporting that the Greyhound bus had been taken hostage by the bus driver, according to police.
Several passengers had contacted both Greyhound and 911 after the bus driver, Robert Mickens of Brooklyn N.Y., announced over the bus public address system that he was taking them to the Taliban in New York City, police said.
The calls prompted a massive response from the Marlboro, Manalapan and Old Bridge police departments. The bus was pulled over at Route 9 north and Route 520, according to police.
The stop was handled as a felony stop, and Mickens was taken off the bus at gunpoint. The passengers followed and a bomb-sniffing dog searched the bus. The driver was taken into custody and transported to Marlboro police headquarters for questioning. The passengers were loaded back on the bus and also taken to police headquarters to be interviewed, police said.
After interviews with Mickens as well as all of the passengers, it was determined that Mickens’ statement had been made in a joking manner. Police said most of the passengers became upset at the statement and feared for their safety.
Mickens was charged with disorderly conduct and released on a summons. According to police, all of the bus passengers were reboarded and continued on to New York City with a different driver.