Brisbane City's Captain Sandy Stewart was a well known City Council Bus Driver for many years and became well known for a number of different reasons. A seasoned union rep and general trouble maker but one with a wicked sense of humour, he eventually made it into the local news because of his popularity with locals and overseas tourists, as a 'City Lights Tour' driver.
Having already provided Magic City Morning Star News readers with some photographic articles of his travels, today he offers us an insight into his life as a Bus Driver.
I hope you enjoy the story which was originally published in 2010 and is now reprinted in 2011!
- R.P. BenDedek rpbendedek@hotmail.com
My Most Horrifying Ride
By Captain Sandy
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| Alexander Vernon Stewart |
As it is now 2010, I am now allowed to relay to you the story of my most horrifying ride in my 40 years as a Brisbane City Council bus operator and tour driver.
One day I was driving on the 'City Circle Line Route 23'. I had completed three round trips and was on my 4th from Gregory Terrace down Edward Street (a one way street) and was at the corner of Edward and Elizabeth Streets when all hell broke loose.
A (detective) D-man's car came screaming past me on my left side, lights flashing, sirens blaring, and he turned straight in front of me blocking my passage. He jumped out of the police car and aimed a 375 magnum across the bonnet of the car right at my head.
I rammed on my hand brake and yelled to my passengers to get down on the floor as there was going to be shooting. I dove from my seat to the cover provided by the bus stairwell. I had about 20 passengers on my bus at the time. It took me a few minutes to 'suss out the situation'.
I sneaked a peak over the dashboard of the bus and again found myself staring down the barrel of that copper's gun; which in my adrenalin boosted state, looked like a bloody big cannon.
I looked to the right side side of my bus between the gutter and the side of the bus and realised that the coppers (police) had cornered a car with two crims in it. Then I saw a young copper running along Elizabeth St. brandishing a 38 Smith and Wesson.
He was pointing it at a suspect's head but he seemed so nervous, that I thought he was going to shoot the crim on the spot. That's when I noticed the uzzi and the sub machine gun on the front floor of the suspect's car!
'These blokes are fair dinkum' I thought to myself; 'I think it is time for me to hi-tail it down the back of the bus with all the passengers'.
As I moved to the rear of the bus, I saw another detective's car come in to the right hand side of my bus, close to the back door. They had the crooks trapped!
The two D-MAN jumped out of their car and dragged the suspects out of the car. They dragged them up to the pub wall (public bar) and kitted the crap out of them, then arrested them. Thank God it was over!
I will never forget staring down the barrel of that 375 magnum! It was one of the most terrifying days of my life.
Later I found out that these guys had just murdered a person at a pub in the Valley in Brisbane.
"And you thought a bus driver's job was boring!"
Captain Sandy Stewart.
