A 75-year-old New Westminster, B.C. woman, will get a “discussion and warning” from transit police after she was captured on video yelling racist comments at an elderly couple on the SkyTrain.
The incident happened on the Millenium Line on August 21 at about 2 p.m. between the Sperling/Burnaby Lake and Brentwood Town Centre stations, according to transit police.
The yellow emergency strip in the train was pressed, alerting a SkyTrain attendant at Brentwood Town Centre Station of a problem on the incoming train.
Two transit police officers boarded the train and were told a woman had been swearing at an elderly couple on the train.
The woman had gotten off at the Holdom Station, witnesses said.
The couple told officers they were fine and didn’t want any police involvement.
Videos of the incident, which show a woman yelling “Go back to the f—ing Philippines!” were posted on social media.
“I was born and raised right here,” the woman shouted on the video.
After reviewing the video, transit police determined the aggressor was a 75-year-old New Westminster woman, known to them for “anger related issues in the past.”
While transit police said nothing in their records indicates the woman presents a risk to public safety, they said they will be interviewing her and issuing a warning.
“We are committed to ensuring our passengers enjoy a safe and comfortable ride when on the transit system,” states a Transit Police press release. “There is no place for offensive language, of any kind, on our buses, trains, SeaBuses or in our stations.”
The woman who hurled racist abuse was confronted by other travellers who told her to get off at the next stop.
The clip, recorded by bystander Ashley Klassen, shows the white woman telling two people to “go back to the f****** Philippines”.
One of the victims, who was travelling on the SkyTrain in Canada, then said “no, don’t say that” as another bystander yelled at the woman to “get the f*** off the train”.
Others said “you’re a racist” and “people care that you are here so get off”.
The woman then turned round and started arguing with the bystander and tried to justify her racist abuse by saying the pair were “talking too loudly”.