A disabled boy was kicked off a bus after the driver said he had enough of his outbursts. Vikki Vargas reports for the NBC4 News at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014.
From the moment he boards the bus, it is obvious Andre isn't like most 11-year-old boys.
His mother says the banging and screaming are impulses he can't control because he is autistic.
But she also believes he has a right to ride the bus like anyone else.
On-board video from the bus shows what happened during a 30-minute ride he took with his grandfather from Laguna Hills to Mission Viejo, a ride his mother said usually calms him down.
But after 20 minutes the Orange County Transit Authority driver can be seen warning Andre and his grandfather to be quiet.
Later the driver calls dispatch to ask how he should handle this passenger. Andre can be seen struggling with his grandfather.
When the bus stopped at Saddleback College, the driver told the pair to get off. It was evident Andre did not want to go.
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It is an unfortunate situation, said Joel Zlotnik, an OCTA spokesman, but the driver has to think about the safety of operating the bus and he felt distracted.
The boy's mother filed a complaint and got a letter from the transit authority which says coach operators are trained to handle people with disabilites.
His parents say Andre has been riding buses since he was 4, something they hope he can do again.
Reached by phone, Andre's mother said she has hired an attorney and has not seen the video. But she said her gaol is to have an impact, to teach others about autism.
