City College Professor Enrique Davalos said he was forcibly removed from an Metropolitan Transit System trolley April 7 for reportedly not paying his fare, prompting him to file a formal complaint.

This is latest in what has become a string of complaints relating to the conduct of MTS security, including an incident involving a City student who complained officially that he was injured by MTS officers, as reported by City Times.

Davalos arrived at the trolley station early one morning to find the ticket machines were out of order. With no other means to acquire a ticket, he boarded the train.

Davalos, department chair of Chicana and Chicano Studies at City, intended on paying the fare when he arrived at the City College station, and went to explain his situation to the two security agents on board the trolley.

“They were already giving a ticket to somebody else, and apparently they had had some kind of conflict so they were stressed, and they didn’t listen to me. The only thing they said was ‘No ticket, get out of here’.”

Davalos explained his intentions to pay, but again was refused. This continued for several minutes before the situation escalated.

“They started screaming. I honestly also started screaming because I wanted them to hear me, and eventually one of the two officers told me, ‘There is a rule that if the machines don’t work, you must go to the next station, out of the trolley, and pay at the next station and take the following train.’”

According to Davalos, the incident came to an abrupt end after the dispute became physical.

“One of the two officers just lost his patience, and just pushed me,” as he ordered, “Get out of the trolley!,” explained Davalos while making a pushing motion with his hands and raising his voice to emulate the officer.

“I was really shocked at the way that they treated me, as if I was a delinquent,” said Davalos.

The MTS’s response, according to Davalos’ complaint, was a short email thanking him for his comments, and assuring him the appropriate action would be taken.

Discussions of a settlement in the Wimer case are being conducted as of April 16 but no official decision has been reached.