General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Author faces backlash for reporting black Metro employee for eating on train; book deal halted [View all]RVN VET71
(2,689 posts)She worked for Ollie North in the Reagan White House. She was arrested by a Metro police officer for the crime of eating a banana on the Metro platform.
The culture of Metro has always assumed that everyone knows and understands the prohibition against eating in the station, on a train, on the platform. Is it honored 100%? Of course not. And incidents like what happened to Fawn Hall have not surfaced in decades. But the fact remains, everyone who uses the Metro system knows of the prohibition. They know, certainly, that if they are eating, they are in technical violation.
Don't rush to assume this was a racist action. Yes, it was misdirected -- and holding someone, a stranger, anyone, up to public contumely on the internet (saving political and other public figures, I suppose) is wrong on so many levels. If the situation was that troubling to her, she might have taken the matter up with Metro officials.
But racist? I doubt it.