Bus Drivers in Washington Refuse to Drive Hundreds From Detroit From Airport to Rally

By Hamodia Staff

Several hundred Jews from Detroit who flew into Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., to attend the ‘Stand with Israel” rally on the National Mall were left stranded at the airport when numerous bus drivers called in sick when they discovered the destination of the travelers.

A group of some 900 people from Detroit had made arrangements with a bus company to transport them from the airport to the rally, but upon arrival they were told by the bus company that numerous driver seemed to be refusing to transport them when they were told that the destination was the rally of Israel.

David Kurzmann, Senior Consultant of Community Affairs for the Jewish Federation of Detroit, said that the crew on the plane and on the ground were incredibly supportive, and the bus company also tried their best to arrange for alternate ways to get the people to the rally.

“Although hundreds of people from Detroit successfully made their way there, many others encountered adversity when they disembarked onto the tarmac and were subsequently told by the bus company that a significant number of drivers suddenly called in sick and the company could not fulfill its contractual obligation,” Kurzmann told reporters. “From the information we received, it seems the drivers were maliciously targeting the Jewish community.

“We stood arm in arm during the program to show our solidarity with Israel, and the travelers returned home with a feeling that they fulfilled their mission.”

Kurzmann told reporters that he did not have the name of the bus company, and he indicated that it would not be forthcoming.

A similar incident happened in Fairfield, Connecticut when the buses that were supposed to take a group to Washington backed out of their obligation. The people piled into private cars and drove to the rally.

One reporter wondered what the reaction would be if a similar story would happen to another minority group who were refused service based on the destination.

The group returned to Detroit in the evening and did not experience any other trouble upon their arrival in Detroit.