Battle On The Light Rail: The (Not Really) Shocking Video
With it just being Memorial Day Weekend and all, perhaps it's not the best timing for this post, but what the hell.
On May 2, Rice employee and local historian Lauren Meyers was riding the MetroRail up to the Fleetwood Mac concert at Toyota Center. At some point, she violated one of Metro's ticky-tack rules by taking a sip of bottled water. It's a rare train ride that you don't see someone do that; hell we've been known to even drink coffee on the train, and we once saw a clever guy put a Colt 45 tall boy inside a to-go cup and then punch a straw through the lid and into the can.
So yeah, it's usually live and let live on there. Even the drivers seem to ignore all but blatant boozing.
But not the curmudgeonly vet in the clip below. Evidently, he didn't slog through the frozen mud of the Battle of the Bulge so people like Meyers could wantonly swill Ozarka on light-rail trains. As Meyers put it on her blog, he fought so that people like her would obey the rules.
18 comment(s) / Post a Comment
The most surprising thing about the vid is that the train's passengers respond and diffuse the argument. That's Texas for ya.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 26 2009 @ 11:00AMThat vet needs to save his umbrage for people who pee on the seats, and for which by the way, metro seems to do no sanitization.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 26 2009 @ 11:33AMAh, the amazing power of the f-bomb. Just leave it out, people.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 26 2009 @ 11:49AMUsing the f-word and shaking your finger at a riled up old guy. Yeah, that's going to calm things down.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 26 2009 @ 1:53PMI'd hope a historian could read and follow directions.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 26 2009 @ 9:29PMI'm with you Tangyjoe.
STOP THREATENING ME! YOU'RE THREATENING ME! LOL
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 26 2009 @ 9:42PMWhat's wrong with saying "Sorry, sir" and putting the water in her purse? She was in the wrong anyway.
I make it a policy not to mess with old people or vets. They've all seen and done way more than me.
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 27 2009 @ 1:02AMAs a Cold War submarine vet with a well-developed bullshit detector (I've met dozens of Air Farce vets who were snipers with a Top Secret USAF unit, and only one guy who admits he spent his whole tour unloading C-130s without going outside the Da Nang airbase fence) I would want to see this bozo's DD214 before I called him a vet. Looks more like a very bitter 4-F or at most a REMF quartermaster-corps skivvey-shorts counter who was in the rear with all the gear.
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 27 2009 @ 9:27AMWhy would Lauren Meyers post this video? It makes her appear to be rude, vulgar, vindictive, trashy, and self-absorbed. I'm not at all defending the elderly man's actions, but we also don't know what went on before the video began.
This world would be a better place if transit police were armed with Lifeboy soap.
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 27 2009 @ 4:01PMWHOAH folks!
I was taking the video, not drinking the water!
Posted On: Friday, May. 29 2009 @ 11:49AMFor everyone's information - I'm the one who was drinking the bottled water, not Lauren.
and RE:
"Why would Lauren Meyers post this video? It makes her appear to be rude, vulgar, vindictive, trashy, and self-absorbed. I'm not at all defending the elderly man's actions, but we also don't know what went on before the video began.
This world would be a better place if transit police were armed with Lifeboy soap."
I'm the "Rude, vulgar, vindictave, trashy, self-absorbed" person.
But I didn't provoke the old man. He started shit with me. So yeah, I'm going to defend myself if some old fart is out of place while I'm minding my own business.
If people have a problem with drinking from a bottle of water on a freaking public transportation, then get rid of all your damn groceries you people transport back and forth, hypocrite!
I don't support the military at all whatsoever and generally i don't care what he did or did not for "my country." All I know is that millions are without healthcare, people are "patriotic" without understanding why, and young people like myself are verbally assaulted by old codgers when we weren't even born yet.
And his people, aka the military/government can stick it where the sun doesn't shine. I AM part Choctaw Indian, and I resent the fact that people like to ignore the fact that the US was founded on stealing land from other peoples, then he wants to turn around and say he fought to protect "my" country.
Screw that. Get a history lesson, bud!
And for the record - educated people can swear too. That's what happens when you're minding your own business and rudely provoked for drinking water. So rest assured before anyone ever approachs me again on the train when I'm breaking the rules and drinking my Ozarka, I will go off on your ass too :)
Posted On: Friday, May. 29 2009 @ 11:59AMJohn,
Did you get your education at University of Online?
Check your facts before writing a story/blog. Even my 4th grade education can attest to fundamental journalism protocol.
You've now given Ms. Meyers as well as her place of work some bad PR for no reason.
I guess that's why this is in the Press and not the Chronicle.
Sincerely,
Amanda Bruce
Posted On: Friday, May. 29 2009 @ 12:14PMAmanda Bruce says:
You've now given Ms. Meyers as well as her place of work some bad PR for no reason.
Ms. Meyers made the mistake by letting the video out of her hands.
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 3:01PMYep, my bad! Or was it the fact that the information about the video was wrong? Alas.
Posted On: Thursday, Jun. 4 2009 @ 2:18PMnony says:
Ms. Meyers made the mistake by letting the video out of her hands.
Amanda says:
Go F yourself Nony! How's that for vulgar? Who knew so many Houston Press readers were a bunch of self-righteous, presumptuous fucks? I hope I don't run into any of you people at one of your douche bag bars in midtown. I might finish what I started with that Vet on your FACE! lol
Posted On: Monday, Jun. 8 2009 @ 10:47AMAmanda says:
Go F yourself Nony! How's that for vulgar? Who knew so many Houston Press readers were a bunch of self-righteous, presumptuous fucks? I hope I don't run into any of you people at one of your douche bag bars in midtown. I might finish what I started with that Vet on your FACE! lol
Letting the video out period was a bad idea and really says quite a bit about the person who took it and thought it was newsworthy. I know I'd question the maturity level of the photographer and esp her friend who is only digging a larger hole for her friend Lauren Meyers.
Posted On: Friday, Jun. 12 2009 @ 8:15AMAre you guys kidding me? I agree that the vet should have not made such a big deal out of the water, but to go off on him like that? Extremly ridiculous. If you carried a camera around Houston with you every day, you could find a person going off like that a million times in a day. I passed a homeless man the other day who had some rude things to say, but I just kept on walking. I am sure if I had something to say back it would have been another scene like the video!
As far not caring about the military....it is easy to do so when you will be protected regardless. Indians who hold onto the fact that we stole their land..yes...WE...are just like black people who hold onto slavery! Get over it! You like to ignore the fact that if it weren't for the military, you would be speaking German right now!
Are you kidding me? If I replied to every crazy loon who said something to me in Houston, I would have a movie by now. Sinking to their level makes things worse.
As far as not caring about the military and being half-Indian, typical response!
What most people don't realize is that if it weren't for the military, we would be speaking German right now or who knows what else! We have all been abused by the system in some way, get over it! Americans continue to be the most self absorbed people in the world!
