From [HERE] Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued an apology Thursday to an 82-year old Black woman who was pulled from a Metrorail train in Miami last month. The incident happened on Feb. 20, when Emma Anderson was asked by a security guard to stop singing while on the train, according to her son Donald Anderson.
When she refused to stop, the guard started asking her to leave, but she refused. Video of the incident showed that the guard then grabbed her belongings, he and Anderson started struggling, and he pulled her so hard out of the train that she fell.
“We are sorry that this incident occurred and apologize to Mrs. Anderson. The situation should have been handled with more care and common sense,” Gimenez said in a statement. “We have made it clear to all County employees and contractors that our patrons must be treated with dignity and respect. We are in the process of reviewing our policies and procedures to ensure special consideration is taken when dealing with the elderly and people with special needs.” What would happen if a Black cop threw a white woman off a train? -BW
Last week Miami-Dade Transit spokesperson Karla Damian released the following statement:
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. [MORE]