Charlestown bus driver recounts being punched on duty and urges bystanders to report assaults

Abdenour El Mahil, a bus driver at Charlestown Garage, said in a recorded statement that a passenger punched him in the face during what he described as the only assault he has experienced in his 10 years with the T.

"It's happened only one time during my 10 career years at the T," El Mahil said, identifying himself at the start of his remarks and noting his anniversary is Nov. 4. He described trying to reach out for help when a passenger "started jumping about the door" and then struck him. "So he just punched me in the face so uh It's very tough to deal with the public," he said.

El Mahil said the best part of the job is "helping people" and described being a driver as being "part of their journey." He framed the assault as an isolated incident in a long career but said it illustrated the personal risk transit workers face on the job.

He urged passengers and bystanders to report dangerous behavior: "If you see something, say something," he said, adding that drivers rely on the public for support just as passengers rely on drivers for transport.

The transcript does not record any response from transit management or law enforcement, nor does it include any formal follow-up actions or a referenced complaint filing. The remarks appear as a personal account of a workplace assault and a public appeal for vigilance.