New York City Mayor Eric Adams honored Marvin McLaurin, a Brooklyn bus operator, with a proclamation for extraordinary public service for helping to reunite a pair of lost children with their parents last year.
Mclaurin, an employee of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was driving his bus through East New York when two unaccompanied siblings — a six-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy — boarded his vehicle on Nov. 20, 2023, at around 5:15 a.m.
Seeing that they were cold, McLaurin offered the lost children a sweater and jacket to warm them up, as well as his phone to keep them calm amidst the distressing situation.
After encouraging the kids to stay near the front of the bus with him, McLaurin informed his supervisors of the situation.
Following the call, police officers arrived to escort the children to a nearby hospital, where they were later reunited with their parents.
“Bus customers tell us time and again in surveys that our operators are beloved for the work they do moving New Yorkers and being part of the fabric of their communities, and this act of compassion demonstrates why,” said Richard Davey, president of New York City Transit. “The operator's attention to detail and quick action ensured those children were kept safe until EMS and police arrived. We honor and congratulate him on a job well done.”
McLaurin has served as a bus operator at the East New York Bus Depot since 2019, and has also worked for the MTA for the past seven years.
Having multiple kids himself, the Brooklyn bus driver said that he was motivated to ensure that the lost children were safe and returned to their home.
“As a father of four, my instincts kicked in when I noticed a little girl and boy alone on the bus in pajamas and wanted to make sure they were okay,” said McLaurin. “I thought about my own children and how I would want someone to help them. I’m thankful to have been behind the wheel of my bus at the right place and time.”
In addition to McLaurin, mayor Adams also recognized Jeff Pitts, an employee of the NYC Department of Sanitation, for his efforts in helping to return a missing 10-year-old boy back home.
