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.
‘freedom of speech’ now requires a permit
tough to call something a ‘right’ if you must get permission before exercising it
Did Jesus tell the early church to go into the world and make disciples? ~ If that `proselytizing` is prohibited, then is not the government prohibiting the exercise of the religion?
When Dear Leader gets all his high speed train lines installed across the land, we’ll all be REQUIRED to sing his praises in glorious anthems of his greatness.
No, certainly not. You may not force your particular brand of religion on me, in circumstances where I may not avoid your behavior. The Court has used this principle to ban prayer in schools, in assemblies, etc. I believe that they have gone too far in the case of an opening prayer in a time set aside for such ceremony, but we certainly have a right to proscribe public exhortations that are unsolicited and unwelcome.
Consider this: My wife and I attend the symphony, to hear a program of Vaughan Williams selections. In the middle of Variations on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, some wacko sitting in the Orchestra section arises and begins to recite the Koran. Am I compelled to listen, or should he be tossed out on his ear? Toss him out.
Time to replace the statue of Rosa Parks with this lady!;-)
Singing is proselytizing?
I remember when my daughter was about 3 and we were in a drug store and she started singing Jesus Loves Me kind of loud. I was telling her to be quiet and a lady came up to me and said “oh, don’t stop her - that is so sweet”. I guess those days are long gone. We’d both probably be arrested now.
“I may be pissed but I’m not going to throw/man-handle an elderly lady off the train.”
And your solution to the situation would have been?
Hopefully not, but if the owner of the drug store doesn’t want any singing, you and your daughter do not have a right to do it as a Constitutional Right.
BTW, many of these restrictions as they apply to public spaces came about during the boom box era and the cacophony of audio assaults that were sent our way. Religious music enjoys no special protection when these restrictions are put in place. On the other hand, you can not single out religious express but allow rap and country music.
Well, no one complained and the one lady actually liked it, so all was well. And I still hear cars blasting rap with profanity, etc. all the time. I guess I should just blast my Casting Crowns.
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