The man classified by our readers as “the human outrage machine,” Jeremiah Payne returned to YouTube for a second straight weekend in a row on Sunday with a livestream of his family being “kicked off” of public transportation.
The incident happened on Sunday, apparently on a bus belonging to Nashville’s WeGo Public Transit. According to Jeremiah Payne, he and his family got on the bus when the problems began.
He wrote in the description of the video, “It’s pretty much like this. We have rolled the bus for years and never had an issue and all the bus drivers. Matthew stanza instead of setting it down on them. Hard plastic seats. This woman was just straight out a freaking racist.
Did not like us from the moment. We walked onto the bus as soon as we paid. Got back here and got seated or standing. She parked the bus and says she wasn’t moving until Samantha sat down and got off her f****** bus.It’s not her f****** bus.The tax dollars pay for it.’s the cities , which is therefore the peoples”
The livestream started with the bus already parked and Jeremiah Payne arguing with a bus driver. He informed the bus driver that other drivers allowed his wife Samantha to stand up while riding the bus due to problems with her back.
As the driver and Payne’s wife Samantha interacted, Payne began to swear at the driver who chastised Payne for swearing on the bus and threatened to call the police. This is where Payne’s story picks up again.
He wrote, “She kicked us off the bus and was calling metro police. Because my wife has to stand up. She cannot sit down on an hard plastic seats. And this is the only bus driver to ever say anything. Every bus we ride she stands up. She was just a racist piece of s*** I won’t everyone to call transit and complain about her?”
Later, posting a reply to a forum post where he claimed, “well there is no rule that says you can’t stand up. many people was standing behind us. this woman was just being a racist
a e was the only white people.on the bus. and she kicked us off and she made us pay 12 dollars then kicked us off.”
Eventually, Payne began to direct profanity at the driver and the driver apparently called the police. Samantha Payne interjected and said she was getting off the bus. Jeremiah demanded transfer tickets or a refund, both of which were denied by the driver. Then Jeremiah meekly exited the bus with his wife and daughter.
Jeremiah promised that the driver would “go viral” and “lose her job” based on the interaction. Then he directed all of his followers to call and complain about the driver.
The video has been viewed 179 times since he posted it, with about five of those due to our own refreshing of his comments area.
When asked why he wouldn’t follow the rules by a commenter on his YouTube page, Jeremiah replied, “well there is no rule that says you can’t stand up. many people was standing behind us. this woman was just being a racist a e was the only white people.on the bus. and she kicked us off and she made us pay 12 dollars then kicked us off.”
Jeremiah is partially correct as the nine points in the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee code of conduct does not address the standing issue. However, the “passenger general responsibilities” section reads, “Upon boarding an RTA vehicle, please be seated as soon as possible, and always use hand rails when walking to and from your seat.”
Rule six makes it clear that the driver is in charge of the vehicle, “Individuals shall not interfere in any way with the RTA train or bus operations. Individuals must cooperate with any RTA official or security officer.”
Rule eight then addresses Jeremiah’s use of profanity, “Disorderly conduct will not be tolerated; this may include but is not limited to the following: using profane or offensive language, loud music, chanting or singing, racial slurs or displaying racist or gang-related behaviors, pushing others or “breaking the line” to gain access to any RTA vehicle or treating passengers or the vehicle operator without courtesy.”
The driver operated within the guidelines in refusing to offer transfers or refunds to the Paynes as official policy says that a rider forfeits their fare if they’re removed from the vehicle for a policy violation.
As the Paynes no longer have a means of personal transportation, a possible ban by the RTA may leave them stranded in Nashville for the foreseeable future.
This is an on-going news story.
