Bus driver says passenger passed by ‘because you are black’

EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts bus driver has been fired for telling a would-be passenger that he wasn’t picked up because he’s black.

The Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority says the exchange was caught on video Wednesday afternoon.

Transit officials say the bus was traveling from Edgartown to Oak Bluffs when the driver passed the person. The bus was at capacity, but officials say the driver had failed to switch the marquee indicating it was full.

The man took an Uber to Oak Bluffs where he caught up with the bus and questioned the driver about why he was passed by.

At first, the driver said the bus was full. But when pressed, the driver said, “it’s because you are black.”

The transit authority says it has “zero-tolerance” for that type of behavior.