Napa valley wine train ejects black women for being 'too loud'

[Vash01]

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...ns-LaughingWhileBlack-Backlash-322699711.html

I think this is going to create a lot of protests because there is a lot of focus on racism right now. A group of 12 African American Women who were a part of a book club were on the train, having a good time sipping wine, eating cheese. Some passengers (three, from this article) complained that they were laughing too loud. The group was asked to disembark at the next station, where they were met by the police. I can't imagine how humiliated they must have felt.

Would the passengers have complained had this group been white (male or female)? What if this was a group of white teenagers? Would they have received a similar treatment?

I too feel irritated if a group is making a lot of noise, but to kick them off the train? What happened to a little tolerance?

The Napa valley train put out a statement (on facebook, it seems) that this group was physically and verbally abusing other passengers. I find that very hard to believe. They were together, having a party. Why would they abuse other passengers, particularly Physically?

It will be interesting to see how this story develops.

 

[Buzz]

I hope they sue for millions.

 

[BigB08822]

I find it easier to believe they were being physically or verbally abusive and therefore asked off the train than they were asked off the train just for laughing too loud. That seems ridiculous. Maybe they had too much and one or more of them were getting physical and threatening? Perhaps someone asked them to be quiet and they responded with words and threats? I just don't see them kicking them off with no warning at the next stop. There has to be more to the story than that. If there isn't then the train company has a lot of problems ahead.

 

[ballettmaus]

What happened to a little tolerance?

What happened to a little consideration for the other passengers? They were not alone on that train and one of the first things I was taught as a child was to always be considerate of others when in public.

That said, I agree with BigB08822. It sounds like there's more to the story and if not, then inconsideration is no reason to boot them off the train just like that.

 

[Spun Silver]

I wonder if the same thing wouldn't have happened with any party of 12. That is a big group of friends and of course in a tight space like a train compartment they are going to be annoying other people if they're talking at all. When I travel by train usually dead silence reigns, the lights go out, and I along with everyone else try to catch a rest. Maybe a wine train is altogether different, but still, 12 is a big group on a train. I am sorry however that they got booted. It's a little hard to believe that book club ladies, including a sweet-faced little grandma, would be cussing anyone out and I doubt they were ill-intentioned, more like just having some high spirited fun over a really good book.

Why didn't I think of partying over a good book? I read them all the time!

 

[Deleted member 40371]

I find it easier to believe they were being physically or verbally abusive and therefore asked off the train than they were asked off the train just for laughing too loud. That seems ridiculous. Maybe they had too much and one or more of them were getting physical and threatening? Perhaps someone asked them to be quiet and they responded with words and threats? I just don't see them kicking them off with no warning at the next stop. There has to be more to the story than that. If there isn't then the train company has a lot of problems ahead.

No, the train company has already said the earlier statement about them being verbally and physical abusive were false and the staffer who posted the statement is no longer in service. The train company has pulled down its earlier statement which it posted on the Facebook.

What happened to a little consideration for the other passengers? They were not alone on that train and one of the first things I was taught as a child was to always be considerate of others when in public.

That said, I agree with BigB08822. It sounds like there's more to the story and if not, then inconsideration is no reason to boot them off the train just like that.

Well, apparently what others are posting, it's seems many other groups were loud as well.

 

[FunnyBut]

I think we need more information. I think of Napa Valley and Northern California in general as especially up-to-date on social diversity, and I would think the wine train routinelly serves a diverse clientele. That said these women seemed quite sober and reasonable as they were led off the train.

 

[BigB08822]

Well if the staffer has been reprimanded (and fired) and the train company has changed their original statement then it sounds like this company had one bad staff member and hopefully issue resolved. Doesn't make it fair to those ladies but I don't think this reflects on the company as a whole.

 

[my little pony]

if only there had been a person with a smart phone on board

 

[PeterG]

Maybe these ladies were SO loud that the volume made that smart phone explode.

 

[Vagabond]

Would the passengers have complained had this group been white (male or female)?

A good question, though if you follow your own link, you will see that there was a white woman in the group.

One might also ask: would this even have been reported if this group had been white.

If you imagine that this is the only time that loud, inebriated people have been asked to leave the premises somewhere in Napa Valley, you are sorely mistaken. Which is not to say that there wasn't a racist element in how this was handled, only that you are leaping to a big conclusion without knowing anything other than that most of the women involved were black.

the staffer who posted the statement is no longer in service.

Source? I didn't see or hear anything in Vash's link to support that assertion.

 

[Vash01]

Well if the staffer has been reprimanded (and fired) and the train company has changed their original statement then it sounds like this company had one bad staff member and hopefully issue resolved. Doesn't make it fair to those ladies but I don't think this reflects on the company as a whole.

Even if it's one bad employee, it can be the responsibility of the company if there is a law suit.

Spun silver, I have never been on the wine train, but my thinking is that it has to be different from the regular trains people on the east coast ride to work. Going to Napa valley, riding the wine train is something special, for fun. I am not saying one should not be considerate of others but I have seen rowdy behavior at other places too. It's annoying but one wouldn't file a complaint for it. People are already drinking, and they are there for fun. Although my own idea of fun is very different, I don't think these ladies could have been so bad they had to be kicked off the train. I hope they sue.

 

[Vash01]

A good question, though if you follow your own link, you will see that there was a white woman in the group.

One might also ask: would this even have been reported if this group had been white.

If you imagine that this is the only time that loud, inebriated people have been asked to leave the premises somewhere in Napa Valley, you are sorely mistaken. Which is not to say that there wasn't a racist element in how this was handled, only that you are leaping to a big conclusion without knowing anything other than that most of the women involved were black.



Source? I didn't see or hear anything in Vash's link to support that assertion.

I am not the source of ALL the news. Don't you think there must be more material on the internet about this event?

 

[Deleted member 40371]

Source? I didn't see or hear anything in Vash's link to support that assertion.

Sam Singer, the spokesperson says that the post was made by a junior staff who was immediately removed, I guess it is him saying from the post for the time being, that person may well be working. I guess s/he is still in service. The fact that the company was willing to make accusations that these women were physically abusive has made the train company's case very weak. Anyway, the company is really feeling the heat, which is a good thing.

 

[Vagabond]

Sam Singer, the spokesperson says that the post was made by a junior staff who was immediately removed, I guess it is him saying from the post for the time being, that person may well be working. I guess s/he is still in service.

He said the Facebook post was removed, not that the employee was fired.

This is how rumors start. And by that I mean both your misinterpretation of what was in the audio and the employee's incorrect Facebook posting.

 

[pingu]

Wow. So you can call the police because people are talking too loud on a train?

 

[allezfred]

Wow. So you can call the police because people are talking too loud on a train?

I could get lots of Italian, Spanish and French teenagers in Dublin arrested if that's the case.

 

[pingu]

I could get lots of Italian, Spanish and French teenagers in Dublin arrested if that's the case.

Lol i still remember a train trip to Venice, half of the travelling time was spent with loud teenagers going to an amusement park. The entire wagon sighed in relief once they got off the train.

 

[MacMadame]

What happened to a little consideration for the other passengers? They were not alone on that train and one of the first things I was taught as a child was to always be considerate of others when in public.

I'm going to take a guess that you haven't been on the Napa Wine train. Or possibly any Napa winery tour or event. Because there is always at least one loud group, usually a middle-aged caucasian couple. And any time I've had to put up with that, no one throws them out. Let alone calls the police.

Wow. So you can call the police because people are talking too loud on a train?

It seems like a complete over-reaction to me.

 

[PRlady]

Everything is contextual. I think the noise levels on the NY and Philly subways are higher than on the DC Metro and Boston T (we repressed bureaucrats and New Englanders keep it down.) I took a train in Israel once on Saturday night, the first cross-country train after the Sabbath ended, and it was a circus: people selling things to other people, sharing snacks with strangers, complaining loudly of the lack of seats. I was just cowering in my corner like the repressed American I am thinking woah, these people don't have a lot of behavior screens in public do they?

I live in a diverse neighborhood one block from a strip with a lot of restaurants and clubs. Sitting on my balcony on Saturday nights, I've noticed that black people talk louder than white people, young people talk louder than old people, drunk people talk very loud, and nobody is as loud as a bunch of Israelis.

 

[Jimena]

I'll take your Israelis and raise you a group of Puerto Ricans! I studied abroad in England and I remember coming back home to PR and being bothered by people talking normally. I even told my family: must you be so loud?

Needless to say, I got over it.

 

[PRlady]

everybody of a certain age remembers the scene in Annie Hall where Woody Allen compares his loud, kvetchy, argumentative Jewish family to the decorous well-behaved WASPs of Diane Keaton's family.

Every family Seder I think of that film and say, yep, Woody, you got that right.

 

[Vash01]

From an article in LATimes (I am paraphrasing):

The chief of the Napa Valley wine train has issued an apology. He said that the company was 100% wrong in booting these ladies off the train. He promised to give more diversity training and sensitivity training to the employees.

I can't access the link from work, and from my I-pad, but I read the article and this is the gist of it.

 

[attyfan]

I think this is the article:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-wine-train-apology-20150825-story.html

 

[genevieve]

I find it easier to believe they were being physically or verbally abusive and therefore asked off the train than they were asked off the train just for laughing too loud.

I could have bought the "verbally abusive" part, maaaaaayybe. As in, maybe the women got salty after being told to keep it down for simply laughing & chatting and others took that to be menacing because: scary!!! [/sarcasm]

But physically abusive? And not actually arrested on the spot? No way.

Napa Valley Wine Train is going to do a better job of cleaning up after this mess.

 

[agalisgv]

One might also ask: would this even have been reported if this group had been white.

I was in a meeting last night where this incident came up casually. Several people were recalling folks we know with loud laughs, and the many establishments they were asked to leave because of it. Guess it's not all that uncommon.

 

[AxelAnnie]

I think we need more information. I think of Napa Valley and Northern California in general as especially up-to-date on social

 

[Cachoo]

I had not really given this issue any thought but at another site mostly guys were discussing seeing "Straight Outta Compton" last week and one guy said he didn't want to sit in the theater with a lot of black people because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hear the movie. I was floored and he said he was embarrassed to admit this but he wanted to be honest. And now this news: I had no idea this was even a "thing."

 

[AxelAnnie]

I was in a meeting last night where this incident came up casually. Several people were recalling folks we know with loud laughs, and the many establishments they were asked to leave because of it. Guess it's not all that uncommon.

Oh from your mouth..............there is a woman in a totally different office and company, who has a cackle that can be heard through our entire suite. If I could only get her out!! She would not last on the train

 

[agalisgv]

I had not really given this issue any thought but at another site mostly guys were discussing seeing "Straight Outta Compton" last week and one guy said he didn't want to sit in the theater with a lot of black people because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hear the movie. I was floored and he said he was embarrassed to admit this but he wanted to be honest. And now this news: I had no idea this was even a "thing."

If you are a Non-Black Person and you are planning to see a film at a movie theater near an “urban” part of town, you should find an open flame and toss your movie tickets into it, because you are not paying to watch a movie, you are paying to listen to Black People provide their own personal audio commentary throughout the entire movie.

https://stuffblackpeopledig.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/18-talking-during-the-movie/