82-Year-Old Woman Dragged Off Metrorail for Singing Gospel

Just weeks after two Metrorial security guards were caught on video roughing up photography-rights activist Carlos Miller, another Metrorail security guard has been recorded yanking an elderly woman off the train for singing gospel music.

Emma Anderson, age 82, had broken into some impromptu gospel singing when a guard decided to remove her from the train at the Brownsville station. The guard grabbed the bag the woman was holding, and Anderson ended up falling onto the platform.

Video of the incident can been seen in this WSVN report:



In the video, the guard enters the train and tells Anderson: "You're getting off here. Let's go." He then grabs her bag, but Anderson doesn't let go. She falls and, according to WSVN, ends up bruising her shoulder. Other passengers can be heard yelling, "Oh, hell no."  

The incident happened February 20.

It's not the first time 50 State Security, the firm contracted by the county to provide security on the Metrorail, has found itself in controversy this year. In January, guards seriously roughed up Carlos Miller after he refused to stop taking pictures from a Metrorail platform. According to the Huffington Post, Miami-Dade Transit released the following statement:

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.