Amtrak Employee Suspended for Anti-Kerry Quip

KMOX.com ^ | August 10, 2004 | AP

[HitmanLV]

It's just a joke...

[Redbob]

What he did was at the least ill-advised.
And probably against company regulations.

I know we all would be having a fit if the shoe was on the other foot.

[1Old Pro]

Another reason to defund AMTRAK and let the private sector take over.

[ClintonBeGone]

Sounds like good hearted humor to me.

[DownInFlames]

Since AMTRACK is heavily subsidized by the feds et all, isn't against the 1st amendment to restrict free speech?

[Blood of Tyrants]

In our adult Sunday school class, the remark was made about how many will refuse to believe no matter what amount of evidence is shown them. I quipped up with, "Just like Kerry voters!" and got quite a few laughs. But there were a few in the class who looked as if someone had just hooked lead weights to the corners of their mouths.

[End Times Sentinel]

I’m not going to say if that’s right or wrong, but I know I, as a customer, would be annoyed if he’d made a comment like that about G Dub.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[Ruth A.]

A formal investigation letter by Amtrak alleges Farr violated company rules by being disrespectful to passengers, and behaving in such a way as to prompt criticism of Amtrak.

Disrespectful to passengers? Give me a break. Behaving in a way to prompt criticism of Amtrack--now they have him there. This conductor didn't use the best jugdment while on the job.

[Zeppelin]

it would be alright if he was a celebrity, and on the other side of the fence.

[downtoliberalism]

I’m not going to say if that’s right or wrong, but I know I, as a customer, would be annoyed if he’d made a comment like that about G Dub.

---
I agree with you. The thing that continues to pi## me off is that the only time that action is ever taken, is against a conservative view point.

[Alberta's Child]

. . . behaving in such a way as to prompt criticism of Amtrak.

That's a pretty odd reason to suspend an employee, when you consider that Amtrak's standard approach to doing business does far more to prompt criticism of Amtrak than any employee's actions ever could.

[I still care]

My litmus test, whenever I hear of some new kerfuffle, is to reverse the parties and people mentally and honestly ask myself how I would feel. There have been times I have realized my bias, but usually it doesn't change a thing for me.

This one, would irritate me a touch, but it's no biggie. I certainly wouldn't insist one of the "little people" be suspended over it. I guess a working man only gets respect from the liberal elite if he knows his place.

[Murtyo]

Not an exact parallel but - I was in Frankfurt getting of a flight from Chicago and one of the Flight Attendants had on her luggage a button that said something to the effect of "be patriotic - vote Bush out". She was going thru immigration and dressed in her American Airlines uniform. I thought it was very unclassy, for a number of reasons - including that she was overseas!! I doubt anything happened to her!!

[MEGoody]

Oh, big deal. I flew Continental to Cleveland the day Bush was flying in. My flight had to be diverted to Detroit for security reasons. Someone made a similar comment about who to vote for, and I'm not aware of anyone freaking out about it. We all knew it was a joke.

I guess lefties are so busy looking for reasons to be offended, they don't have time to have a sense of humor.

[MEGoody]

"I know we all would be having a fit if the shoe was on the other foot."

Speak for yourself. It was a joke.

[PA Engineer]

I was thinking the same. Are there grounds for a civil rights lawsuit here?

[longtermmemmory]

Seems like a strong freedom of speech case.

Interesting how the media is reporting a story which has a negative consequence for supporting Bush.


IOW yoooou villll zaport Kehhhreeee orrr ve vill make you paaaaayeeee!

Democrats = National Socialist Party.

[L.N. Smithee]

A formal investigation letter by Amtrak alleges Farr violated company rules by ... behaving in such a way as to prompt criticism of Amtrak.

There has been talk of dumping Amtrak altogether from the Federal budget. Maybe this is the loophole -- suspend all Amtrak employees for "behaving in a way to prompt criticism of Amtrak."

[show me state]

Found this in a Google Cache dated 02/23/2004:

The GOP is holding a Republican Minority Outreach Session at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Missouri at St. Louis.

Among those slated to speak is Republican Leslie Farr, an African-American and railroad conductor who's planning to challenge Clay in the 1st Congressional District. Farr calls for lower taxes, and he is critical of Clay's performance.