'Faster' 52 bus halted by irate SEPTA riders

Philadelphia Daily News, February, 2006 by DAN GERINGER

Pamela Williams swerved her Chevy Lumina across the front of an idling southbound SEPTA bus on 52nd Street near Market, slammed it into park, grabbed the keys, jumped out and said, "Wow! God must have really overtook me today!"

That was the prearranged signal for 20 fellow-riders to join her in blocking northbound and southbound Route 52 buses, bringing one of the city's busiest lines to a grinding halt for two hours during the heart of a recent morning rush hour.

Using her portable public-address system, Williams announced that she and her neighbors were protesting SEPTA's "disrespecting" the West Philadelphia riding public by closing four Route 52 bus stops and moving 27 others without consulting the community.

The root of the ruckus is the federally...