Woman Feels ‘Disrespected’ After Being Kicked Off Train
Emily Sinovic, KATU News (Portland), May 16, 2011
A woman who got pulled of an Amtrak train by police after passengers complained she was speaking too loudly on a cell phone said she felt “disrespected” by the entire incident.
Lakeysha Beard of Tigard was charged with disorderly conduct after police said she got into a “verbal altercation” with train passengers on Sunday. Passengers complained she refused to put down her cell phone and conductors had to stop the train in Salem, where police got involved.
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An Amtrak official said a number of passengers complained Beard was being disrespectful during her prolonged phone conversations on the train. Salem police reported she had been on the phone non-stop since the train pulled out of Oakland, Calif. 16 hours earlier.
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Amtrak does have a policy that riders can’t use cell phones in designated “quiet cars,” like the one in which Beard was riding.