Posted on 03/08/2013 11:28:15 AM PST by nickcarraway
Miami-Dade Transit says county rules prohibit anyone to do so without permit
An 82-year-old woman was forcibly removed from a Miami-Dade Metrorail train for singing during her ride.
Emma Anderson was sitting in a seat on the train and singing a spiritual hymn when a private security guard approached.
Quick Clicks Sun Life bill survives tough fight FOIA request filed about woman removed from Metrorail Cows found roaming golf course 3 Homestead officers to be fired Jungle Island does Harlem Shake The guard, hired by the transit system, first told the woman she was being disruptive.
"I was beating my little beads with the bottle and I was singing a song, and he came up to me and said, 'Ma'am, you're making too much noise,'" Anderson told Local 10's Terrell Forney.
A passenger recorded the exchange on his cell phone. On the video, you can see the security guard grab Anderson's bag. She clings tightly onto her bag and is ultimately pulled from her seat.
"He said, 'You gotta get off this train,'" said Anderson.
The confrontation turned dramatic as the security guard is heard telling Anderson to leave.
"He snatched so hard until I fell. I fell backwards," said Anderson.
Several witnesses said they were shocked by what they saw: an elderly woman knocked to the ground. One of the witnesses demanded the name of the security guard.
"When I look at them snatching my 82-year-old mother up off that Metrorail, it's disgusting to me", said Donald Anderson, Emma's son.
Karla Damian, a spokesperson for Miami-Dade Transit released a statement about the Feb. 20 incident.
"Miami-Dade Transit has a responsibility to all its passengers to provide a safe and comfortable travel experience. The elderly passenger, Ms. Anderson, who was escorted from a Metrorail train, was initially asked by a security guard to refrain from singing loudly and playing an instrument while on the train.
She refused to comply. County rules associated with transit use prohibit anyone from singing, dancing or playing a musical instrument unless a commercial permit is issued by MDT. Further, Ms. Anderson’s singing was causing a disturbance to other passengers and impeding important train announcements from being heard.
We regret that Ms. Anderson had to eventually be escorted out, but regardless of age, all passengers need to abide by the rules associated with using transit."
View: Metrorail Passenger Rules
The Anderson family took Emma to a doctor to be checked out and came home with X-rays, in which they believe prove the incident left the grandmother with possible shoulder and hip fractures.
"They should've had another way of removing her out instead of dragging her off," said Donald Anderson.
The Andersons have filed a police report over the matter and have since hired an attorney.
Thank the hippies for this one, they likely had to implement the policy to keep the freak show under control, and this grandma was the unintended consequenc.
Naa, I don’t think so, bet if some hip hop junkie was singing about stealing cars and killing cops, they would have no problems
What I saw on the video was an eccentric little old lady singing her song and shaking her “pills.” I’ve experienced a lot worse on mass transit and airplanes. No need to drag her off the train and pull her to the ground.
Did anyone read any of the comments at this site? Miami appears to be too far gone for much if any redemption. There are actually posters who thought that this was justified. For singing a hymn, a christian hymn??? What is wrong with people? No respect for the elderly anymore.
Why is it illegal to sing a Christian hymn?
“Why is it illegal to sing a Christian hymn?”
It would appear that it is against the rules to sing on the train and the theme of the song is irrelevant.
She's lucky they didn't tie her to a stake and burn her for being a heretic and blasphemy against the Church of our lord and savior Barry Barrack Hussein Obama Soetoro.
“Miami-Dade Transit has a responsibility to all its passengers to provide a safe and comfortable travel experience.”
Oh?
Anyway riding the Metro Dade Transit system is never safe or comfortable!
As one who actually rides on public transportation, I’m all for zero tolerance on such singing and drum beating and boombox playing and...
By the same means they’d stop other excessive noise. The guard told his the cause of his complaint up front and it wasn’t religiously based.
“For singing a hymn, a christian hymn??? “
Slippery slope. For making noise. You’d be pissed if you missed your stop when you didn’t hear the announcement because half the train was singing “Amazing Grace” in your ear.
She should have sung this song, and they would never have bothered her:
Allah is great
I bear witness that there is no god except Allah
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
Make haste toward prayer
Make haste toward welfare
Allah is great
There is no god but Allah
Some old bat disturbing peace and that’s a Constitutional issue? Oh, OK!
We, the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution.
It’s a “Mad lib” world.
As I posted the State’s Constitution says “There shall be no law [...] penalizing the free exercise thereof” — this law does indeed penalize that exercise [as shown by its application in this instance] and therefore (this case, at least) should be found nullity — granted there could be a better way to phrase the constitutional language (as in NM’s Constitution) with “no law shall abridge [...]”.
Depends upon the meaning of exercise. I may exercise my religious beliefs as I see fit, but I am not entitled to tread on the rights of others when so doing. In this instance, respect of religious practice and belief requires the government to avoid compelling believers to violate their religious principles as they are doing now with Obamacare. But it does not require that government accomodate proselytizing on public property to the annoyance of other members of the public.
Depends upon the meaning of exercise. I may exercise my religious beliefs as I see fit, but I am not entitled to tread on the rights of others when so doing. In this instance, respect of religious practice and belief requires the government to avoid compelling believers to violate their religious principles as they are doing now with Obamacare. But it does not require that government accomodate proselytizing on public property to the annoyance of other members of the public.
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad lib world, after all.
;^)
I may be pissed but I’m not going to throw/man-handle an elderly lady off the train.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.