Matt Eviscerates SEPTA Management + Discusses Bernard Gribbin Tragedy [Patreon Exclusive]

·41 min·4 clips

A former SEPTA driver reveals why he predicted a bus operator would be killed years before Bernard Gribbin's shooting.

Matt opens by addressing the shooting death of SEPTA driver Bernard Gribbin, noting he predicted such an event years prior. He explains his 13-year experience as a driver, emphasizing the job's unique dangers because operators have no weapons, backup, or protective gear. Matt recounts a personal incident where a passenger pulled a gun on him over a minor dispute, leading him to always carry a firearm. He discusses the mental toll and systemic issues, criticizing assumptions about the shooting. Matt highlights the failure of multiple systems, including mental health support for the shooter. He contrasts SEPTA's union response with police unions, noting the tentative contract agreement reached after the murder included only modest raises. Matt shares his decision to leave SEPTA for mental well-being, despite the financial hit. He describes observing drivers' attitudes and the false belief that no better jobs exist. Matt exposes performative safety measures, like transit checks at empty terminals. He reflects on senior drivers like Mr. Cannon, who worked 53 years, but notes fewer now reach full retirement. Matt advises drivers to leverage their CDLs for other opportunities. He concludes by criticizing SEPTA's priorities, mentioning an executive bonus and a tone-deaf Halloween post after the murder.

As heard by us

A former SEPTA worker weighs a Route 23 tragedy against the health strain, danger, and tradeoffs he remembers from the job.

The episode frames a Route 23 SEPTA bus shooting involving Bernard as more than a single violent incident. It becomes a reckoning with the stress, exposure, and bodily cost the host associates with transit work.

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Why you'd press play

You hear a former SEPTA worker process the Route 23 shooting through the cost of staying in a job after your body and mind are done with it.

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