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Eleven Black Women Were Kicked Off a Train for Laughing Too Loud
Vice ^ | 8-25-2015 | Scott Pierce

Posted on 08/25/2015 7:35:06 AM PDT by Citizen Zed

Getting wine-drunk on a train in Napa Valley sounds pretty good if you're the guys from Sideways or the parents in Bob's Burgers, but it's apparently a lot less fun if you're a black woman with a loud laugh.

A group of 11 women, members of the Sistahs on the Edge book club, were kicked off the Napa Valley Wine Train last Saturday for allegedly being too loud and disturbing other passengers—but the women say it was because of their race.

One of the book club's members, Lisa Johnson, chronicled the event on Facebook, igniting an outcry across social media and inspiring the hashtag #LaughingWhileBlack.

"I felt like it was a racist attack on us," Johnson later told the San Francisco Chronicle. "We were being singled out."

According to Johnson, the train's manager approached the group—which included an 83-year-old grandmother—and said that the ladies would have to leave if they "didn't tone it down."

"The train is set up to be with your friends, to drink wine, and to have a good time ... We were thinking, 'Who are we offending?'"

The real humiliation, said Johnson, came from being escorted on a "walk of shame" through the rest of the train cars before the women were asked to leave at the next train station stop.

The Napa Valley Wine Train gave each of the women a full refund after the fact, but Johnson is holding out for "a public apology for the humiliations they caused to us as professional women." They are considering taking legal action.

According to the Chronicle, Sam Singer—a spokesperson for the company—maintains that the incident "wasn't an issue of bias. It was an issue of noise."

The Napa Valley Wine Train did not immediately return VICE's request for comment.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: alcohol; drunks; highspeedrail; highspeedtrains; racecard; train; trains; whine; wine
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To: TexasFreeper2009

The multiple warning did nothing more than change the tone from happy times to “we’ll show you, MoFo”.


81 posted on 08/25/2015 9:48:59 AM PDT by X-spurt (CRUZ missile - armed and ready.)
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To: Citizen Zed

Why isn’t there a cell phone video of this? There probably is, but it doesn’t support the claims of racism is my guess


82 posted on 08/25/2015 10:10:18 AM PDT by Figment
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To: Drew68
I mean, isn't this type of event supposed to be fun?

Yes, right up until you become annoying to others. Your noisiness isn't fun for everyone who has to listen to you. Laughing is one thing - obnoxiousness is another. They were asked multiple times to tone it down and they didn't.

83 posted on 08/25/2015 10:10:28 AM PDT by Lizavetta
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To: dfwgator

Watch the black restaraunt staff run when a group of black women sit at a table. They know what’s about to ruin their shift, choke the kitchen, piss off the bartenders, and cause half the tables around them to request to be moved.

They also know they won’t get a tip.
*****************************************************************************************************
Unfortunately this is true enough for many black customers. This kind of ruins it for the many blacks who don’t engage in such behavior or small (or no) tipping.


84 posted on 08/25/2015 10:18:08 AM PDT by House Atreides (CRUZ or lose!)
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To: Citizen Zed

I’ve often wondered if Black people have less hearing than the other races. They seem so unnecessarly loud.


85 posted on 08/25/2015 11:05:27 AM PDT by blam (Jeff Sessions For President)
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To: Drew68
snooty white liberals on a wine tasting train

And you know all others on that train were a) snooty, b) white, and c) liberals, how, exactly?

86 posted on 08/25/2015 11:06:48 AM PDT by Moltke
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To: Josa

You must respect their rudeness, coarseness, hostility, and lack of respect for others.

It’s cultural, and we must respect all that, even when it is an affront to decency and civilization.


87 posted on 08/25/2015 11:20:38 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (The economic collapse is imminent. Buy staple food and OTC meds now, before prices skyrocket.)
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To: Citizen Zed
"Sell me your children, the little girl, I wish to buy them!"


88 posted on 08/25/2015 11:26:44 AM PDT by Mat_Helm
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To: Dilbert San Diego

One of Derbyshire’s rules for white people is avoid areas where groups of black people are known to congregate.

Liquor stores, for instance.

A sub-rule of the above rule is that if you notice blacks beginning to congregate in a certain area, leave immediately.

The lobby of a movie theater, for instance.

None of the above is motivated by hatred or ignorance, only self preservation.


89 posted on 08/25/2015 11:27:37 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (The economic collapse is imminent. Buy staple food and OTC meds now, before prices skyrocket.)
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To: Rodamala

Emperor of the North: A fun, feel good movie, with hobos and murder on the rails!


90 posted on 08/25/2015 11:31:52 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (The economic collapse is imminent. Buy staple food and OTC meds now, before prices skyrocket.)
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To: Citizen Zed

It was obviously racist to ask them to pipe down three times, and even more racist to expect them to comply.


91 posted on 08/25/2015 11:51:59 AM PDT by Right2BareArms
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To: Artcore

The Company already apologized. Read the article at the source.


92 posted on 08/25/2015 11:52:38 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Working on a new Tagline, I'll get back to you.)
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To: uncitizen
Not sure these women will get much support for their cause... This is so obviously another bogus RACISM! charge.

Just heard on the "news" this afternoon that the company has back pedaled, apologized, will institute "training" for its employees and the loudmouths will get free passes.

93 posted on 08/25/2015 4:43:12 PM PDT by Lizavetta
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To: Lizavetta; MinuteGal

BLACK WHINES MATTER.


94 posted on 08/26/2015 5:57:42 AM PDT by flaglady47 (TRUMP ROCKS!)
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