On March 20, the Coconut Creek Police Department responded to the scene of an incident involving a bus driver and a passenger, later identified as Terri Eddins, 38, of Fort Lauderdale.
According to the report, the incident began when the bus driver kindly allowed Eddins to ride the bus without paying the fare after pleading she had no money.
Eddins boarded the bus without payment at the Main Terminal in Fort Lauderdale. Approximately 10-15 minutes into the journey, and became noticeably agitated, yelling and cursing, unsettling fellow passengers and the driver.
Despite the chaos, the driver proceeded with her route until the bus reached its final stop in the 4700 block of SR 810 in Coconut Creek around 9:00 a.m.
As the driver announced the end of the line and the need for all passengers to disembark due to the bus being taken out of service, Eddins resisted leaving and argued with the driver.
Following the driver’s exit, Eddins eventually left the bus and spat directly in the driver’s face.
The bus driver quickly called the police, who located and detained Eddins near the corner of SR 810 and Lyons Road.
Upon interview, Eddins told officers she spit in the bus driver’s face out of self-defense, making unfounded claims that she fell asleep during the ride and “woke up to the driver touching my coochie,” slang for claiming the driver had touched her vagina.
Despite her self-defense claims, no evidence or witness corroborations supported her account. An unnamed male passenger contradicted Eddins’s allegations and told officers her erratic behavior was the only crime committed.
Eddins was held on a $2,500 bond.
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