🚨 A Red Line in Madison: The Assault on Brian Gartley Is a Warning We Can’t Ignore

Something happened this week in Madison that should make every decent person stop what they’re doing and take a long, serious look at where we’re headed as a society.

My friend Brian Gartley, a Madison Metro bus driver—someone who serves this community every day with pride and professionalism—was violently attacked on the job. He was sucker-punched in the back of the head so hard it caused a concussion. Why? Because he dared to ask a rider to pay their fare and keep the peace on his bus.

And yet, the attacker is still riding the bus. Free. Unbothered. Undefeated.

Metro gave Brian three days off and a worker’s comp packet. That’s it. No check-in. No security assurances. No plan. Just a “good luck out there.”

That’s not just failure. That’s betrayal.

The Red Line

There’s a concept in public safety called the broken windows theory. It says that if you let small signs of disorder—graffiti, vandalism, loitering—go unchecked, it signals to everyone that law and order don’t matter here. That nobody’s watching. And that’s when things get worse.

Well, this is Madison’s broken window moment. But it’s bigger than a busted pane—it’s a red line. And crossing it should not just set off alarms. It should set off consequences.

Because what happened to Brian wasn’t some random outburst. It’s a test.

It’s a test of whether we value safety or we let chaos take a seat next to us on the bus.

It’s a test of whether we still have the backbone to stand up and say:

“No. You don’t get to assault public servants and ride off into the sunset.”

This Town Is Still Worth Protecting

Madison is a beautiful, hippie-hearted, folksy Midwest town. That’s what makes this so disturbing. We’ve built a city based on kindness, community, and shared respect. But all of that can vanish in a second when we tell the world that violence is negotiable and rules are optional.

If we allow this, what are we telling every other driver, teacher, nurse, or city worker out there?

We’re telling them: You’re on your own.

That can’t happen. Not here. Not now.

What Needs to Happen

This man should have been arrested that night. He should have been charged without needing Brian to prove his injury. And once charged, he should have been immediately banned from Metro property, with zero loopholes.

Hell, he should have been perp-walked out of the hospital in cuffs to make it clear: This is not how we treat each other in Madison.

And if our city leaders need a little reminder of that? Then Monday morning, they’re going to get one. Loud and clear.

Because this isn’t just about Brian anymore. It’s about every single one of us who walks out the door to work, trusting that the city has our back. If we let this go—if we shrug and move on—we’re opening the door to something far uglier than one violent man.