Ruby Sinreich's blog

Some folks who enjoy the public announcements of U bus driver Robert Moore were very unhappy to see him silenced after a recent complaint. So much so that they started a petition:

Dear Mayor Kevin Foy

For the duration of his ten years of employment with Chapel Hill Transit System, bus driver Robert Moore has consistently used the vehicle's intercom system to speak to the passengers on his various routes. These verbal exchanges involve Mr. Moore wishing riders well as they board the bus, exit the bus, and inspiring them with positive, self-affirming encouragement during the actual commute. Some of the addresses take on a call and response format between Mr. Moore and the passengers, for those who wish to participate. There is no coercion used on passengers who do not wish to speak, nor are there consequences of any kind for those who choose not to participate.

I've heard some folks call them the David Price Six, which has a nice ring to it. But it's also notable that Representative Price has requested to drop the charges against the six protesters who occupied his office in an effort to get him to more vigorously oppose the war.

Six local protesters go on trial this afternoon on trespassing charges in connection with an anti-war demonstration in U.S. Rep. David Price's office in February.

On March 26, the six -- Laura Bickford, Ben Carroll, Alisan Fathalizadeh, Sara Joseph, Dante Strobino, Tamara Tal -- pleaded not guilty to the charges. They had called on Price to oppose all further funding for the war and to seek an immediate withdrawal of American soldiers from Iraq.

Since then, Price has written a letter to District Attorney Jim Woodall asking him to drop the charges against the six, protester Carroll said in a release.