Priority to safety: New York couple handcuffed for refusing to wear masks

The spouses, handcuffed, were taken from the ferry by the police. Other passengers, whose journey was interrupted for almost an hour, greeted the cops with applause. The couple plans to file a lawsuit against the ferry company, accusing its employees of discrimination. The details of the incident are shared by the publication New York Post.

On Saturday evening, September 5, the NYC Ferry docked in Brooklyn Bridge Park after a middle-aged couple refused to wear masks as requested by the ship's captain due to the pandemic. The video of the incident was published by one of the eyewitnesses on his Twitter page.

Ferry riders are turning on the maskless couple. The two cops seem to be split on what to do pic.twitter.com/z0BgYdUYpu

- Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) September 6, 2020

The perpetrators turned out to be a Bay Ridge couple returning home from an evening walk in Manhattan. The angry couple claimed they were being discriminated against because they were white.

Due to their refusal to wear a mask, all other passengers - about 90 people - were forced to interrupt their journey for at least 45 minutes while the police deal with the perpetrators. Outraged passengers yelled for the couple to collect their luggage so that the ferry could continue its journey.

Here is how the violators themselves commented on this incident. “I'm just fed up,” the woman said. “This has been happening since March, and my husband is damn angry. Every time I have to go to Manhattan, I have to go through it. " She added, "If we were black, I can guarantee that this guy would never come out and tell us to put on a mask."

Her husband, who introduced himself as David, supported her husband: "Exactly, because black lives matter."

The couple told the police that both of them were exempt from wearing masks for medical reasons. David added that the captain put them to shame and noted: "We are discriminated against because we cannot wear masks."

The officers asked for evidence that the couple had health problems that prevent them from wearing masks, but the couple refused to do so.

On the subject: 'It was inhuman': a mother of six children from New York was taken off the flight because of a mask

“Get them off the ship! It is time!" - Shouted one of the passengers during the proceedings.

The couple was eventually handcuffed and escorted from the ship. Other passengers cheered the police with applause. Thank you NYPD! - several people shouted. This moment was also filmed.

A police spokesman said the man and woman received subpoenas for disturbing public order. “Basically everyone follows the rules and wears masks. But sometimes there are eccentrics who do not comply, ”said a police officer at the scene.

The couple have already filed a lawsuit against the MTA for being forced to wear masks on buses and are also considering filing a lawsuit against the ferry company.

A New York ferry spokesperson told The Post via email that the company is "continuing to investigate the incident in question." “The safety of our passengers and crew is our priority. We sincerely thank the NYPD for their prompt response to yesterday's incident, and appreciate the professionalism of our crew, as well as the patience of our passengers, ”he said.