In their defense, the Napa Valley Wine Train spokesperson told the San Francisco Gate that “The Napa Valley Wine Train does not enjoy removing guests from our trains, but takes these things very seriously in order to ensure the enjoyment and safety of all of our guests”. Johnson, who posted photos on Facebook, says members of her group, all seated adjacent to each other on the 18-mile ride, may have been “rambunctious”, but they weren’t “obnoxious or intoxicated”. “I felt like it was a racist attack on us”. Lisa Johnson, one of the group, turned to social media to tell the story and call out the Wine Train crew. Lisa Johnson, one of the club members, began documenting their day on social media, sharing photos of the passing view, cheese platters and wine tastings. “I’m very traumatized by the picture they’ve painted of us”.
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They have since deleted that post, and gave the women all a full refund, though Johnson also wants an apology after what happened to the group. She added such removals are “not an uncommon occurrence” but she did not immediately have information on the average number per year.
“If guests are being severely disruptive, that’s when we discuss whether they should be removed”, said Devitt. “We were thinking, ‘Who are we offending?'” Later on, Johnson said the manager told them that “this isn’t going to work”, and that if they didn’t “tone it down”, they were going to be asked to get off the train.
Wine Train management is conducting an internal audit to see whether staff members followed company policy during the Saturday incident, according to Devitt.
“The train is set up to be with your friends, to drink wine and have a good time”, Johnson said.
“It was a weird thing for all of us”, Johnson told the Chronicle.
‘Bouncing back! We got Sunshine!’ wrote Lisa Renee Johnson, shortly after getting kicked off of the Napa Valley Wine Train with her friends.
According to the Chronicle once the train arrived at the St. Helena station the entire book club, which includes an 83-year-old grandmother, were not only asked to leave the train station but were greeted by officers of the St. Helena police department. In the rearmost of six Pullman cars, four women sat at each of two tables on either side of the aisle, while three others occupied seats just ahead, she said. “We were paraded; 10 African-American women and one white woman, being paraded through the cars with four police officers outside”.
What came next, she said, was the worst part of the afternoon.
The Napa Valley Wine Train Company posted a statement on their Facebook page, which said, “Following verbal and physical abuse toward other guests and staff, it was necessary to get our police involved”.
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Facebook Family, we have a problem!We sipped wine, enjoyed each other’s company but our trip is being cut short…this woman said our laughter annoyed her because this is “not a bar”…
