Elderly Woman Forcefully Removed From Train for Singing

An 82-year old devoutly religious woman was removed from the Metrorail in Miami last month. She was singing. Apparently, singing is against the rules on the Metrorail and when Emma Anderson refused to stop, the guard saw no other alternative.

According to WSVN.com, Anderson is a religious woman and she was singing hymns while tapping her leg to the beat. The Metrorail guard asked her several times to stop singing. She wouldn’t. Rather than just tolerating her song until her stop, the guard decided he needed to kick her off the train.

Video from the event was captured on someone’s cell phone and you can see it here.
WSVN-TV –

The guard grabbed Anderson’s cart and bag. She tugged back. He drug her towards the exit. As she moved from the train to the platform she fell down.

When asked about the event, Miami-Dade Transit spokesperson Karla Damian said Ms. Anderson broke the rules.

“We regret that Ms. Anderson had to eventually be escorted out, but regardless of age, all passengers need to abide by rules associated with using transit,” Damian said in a written statement.

Singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments is against the rules, according to Damian. While not everyone shares Ms. Anderson’s taste in music, no doubt, it’s not likely any harm would have come from allowing her to continue on to her stop.

Ms. Anderson wasn’t arrested. The guard on the train wouldn’t have that authority (though he could detain someone while waiting for the police). But this story is a testament to the growing state of affairs in this country, where even the most minor things can be called a violation of the rules or even of the law.

What you might have considered being disagreeable, a police officer could see as disorderly conduct. What you might see as defending yourself, an officer could see as assault. The choice to arrest you (or kick you off the train as in the case of Ms. Anderson), is largely based on an officer’s perception and their discretion. More and more, however, officers err on the side of arrest now and ask questions later.

If you’ve been arrested and charged with a crime and you believe the charges are nonsense, we may be able to help. Whether it’s for arguing with an officer or having too much to drink and driving, contact our offices today for a consultation.