When a seat is vacant and another passenger needs a place to sit on a busy public transit vehicle, it is customary politeness to take your feet, bag, or coat off of it. One teen, however, chose to discover this the hard way. She was given a severe lesson by the LAPD, but since then, some have attacked the officer. Did he cross the line?
According to the LA Times, Bethany Nava was on the Metro Red Line train when a police officer asked her to get off because she had her feet on the seat, in violation of the passenger code of conduct. Someone started to record the conversation between Nava and the LAPD sergeant almost immediately. The officer can be heard telling the 18-year-old to get off the train and gesturing for her to stand up at the beginning of the video.
I told you what to do already, but you didn’t. You ignored my orders. The youngster apparently refused to take her feet off the seat so that other passengers, some of whom were older, could sit down, and the officer informed her, “You’re getting off the train. Sadly, the spoiled teenager ignored the officer’s requests once more. At that point, the situation changed.
Nava’s arm was taken by the Los Angeles policeman, who then started to remove the young woman from the train. She insisted, “Stop, let me go.” She retorted, “I paid to be on this train. She continued to struggle against the LAPD officer dragging her off the train by her arm, saying, “You’re yanking me off the train, I can’t retrieve my belongings.”
Nava was forced against the platform wall by the cop after being taken out of the city’s metro, according to the Daily Mail. She complained after calling the officer a “asshole,” saying, “This is not fair that you dragged me off the train because I had my foot there because I was comfortable like that.”
She started crying as people gathered around her. As Nava continued to resist, bystanders implored the officer not to do this while saying “it’s not a big problem,” forcing the officer to call for assistance. Someone said to the police, “Everything is on camera,” as Nava started to whimper. Another woman yelled to the officer, “Are you kidding me right now?”
Nava argued, “There is no law that says I cannot sit there because I paid to be in there,” but the officer quickly corrected her, saying, “It’s the laws of the train.” Not to add that it’s quite decent given how full the train was with people standing because there weren’t any open seats.
The previously-whimpering 18-year-old started cursing at the officer once again now that she had a crowd on her side. The other woman, later revealed to be Selina Lechuga, 22, jumps right in. You believe you can accomplish this? After urging others to obtain the officer’s badge number, Lechuga demanded.
The crowd persisted in jeering the officer. “Are you serious? Lechuga interrupted the women as they continued to quarrel with the officer on the platform, “You truly have nothing to do. Lechuga later played the race card, claiming that the officer had targeted Nava in order to fulfill his monthly arrest requirement and that she would not be leaving because she would “stand up for her people.”
Lechuga and Nava were eventually handcuffed after other officers came, who arrived while they were still cursing. This exhibits racism. We are what we are: people in 2018 want to just act as though they can do whatever they want.
Later, Nava’s mother stated to KTLA that her daughter just had her heel on the edge of her own seat when the high school senior was rushed to a hospital with a sprained wrist. Her daughter, however, refuted the claims in a different interview. Even so, she filed a lawsuit, and as a result of her claims, the LAPD was looking into the use of force used in Nava’s arrest and analyzing all of the recordings that were recorded during the event.
Nava erred, according to Metro’s 28-page customer code of behavior. According to the regulations, it is against the law to “place feet or shoes on seats or furnishings.” Additionally, it states that removal from the train may be used as punishment for such behavior. Nevertheless, the officer’s actions sparked criticism, with some claiming that he went too far because they thought the teen’s behavior was such a minor offense.
One should ask those who appear to think Bethany Nava’s action was unimportant if they would like to sit where she has placed her soiled shoes. Many people wear pricey business clothing when using public transportation. They shouldn’t be forced to sit in muck left behind by someone’s teenage shoes who prioritizes her comfort over everyone else’s.
Maybe the girl’s mother should impart some basic life skills to her daughter rather than defending her. Have some manners first. Keep your feet on the ground and off other people’s furnishings when you’re out in public. And obey any legitimate orders given to you by a police officer.
Here are the videos: