Video Shows Heated Argument Between FrontRunner Operator, Group of Women

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Transit Authority is investigating after a FrontRunner operator got into a heated argument with several passengers Tuesday evening.

A group of young women said they were on the train and needed to go to the restroom, so a few of them went in together.

“Being in the bathroom, especially on a train, is a very vulnerable place for us, so we group up and there’s nothing wrong with that,” said Alyssa Childs.

“While we were in there, somebody started shaking on the door pretty violently and was just ‘One at a time!’ We didn’t know it was a worker. It could have been anybody,” said Camille Hoerner.

They said two groups went in and out, and after the second group came out, an operator confronted them.

“This man walks up and he says, ‘If I see one more of your group going into the bathroom at the same time, then you’re all getting off at the next stop. This ain’t porn hub. This is the public transit!’” Childs said.

Video shot by another passenger shows the unidentified train operator arguing with the women. Besides the pornographic reference, the women said he made another inappropriate comment to them during the argument.

“I want to feel safe when I’m riding the train. I want to feel safe in that environment, therefore, there should not be a man like that saying things like that to 20, 21-year-old women,” Childs said.

UTA spokesperson Carl Arky said they found out about the incident when they saw the video on social media. Arky said the employee in question has been put on administrative leave while they investigate the incident.

Related: Frontrunner Employee On Leave After Calling Girls ‘Porn Stars’

“We apologize to the four young ladies. We’re sorry that they had that type of an encounter. We regret that and we’re working to make sure that those things don’t happen in the future,” Arky said.

Arky said only one person is allowed in the train restrooms at a time, but they enforce that rule judiciously.