Overview
- A part-time conductor on Chattanooga’s Incline Railway made an on-board Independence Day announcement that some riders found exclusionary and a passenger recorded the remarks for TikTok.
- The clip, posted by passenger Nathan Scherer, went viral and drew over half a million views as riders groaned and one person told the conductor to 'shut up.'
- CARTA said it received complaints, met with the employee and fired him the same day, saying the remarks violated its code of conduct and that he will not return to the Incline.
- The fired conductor, Jack Peterson, defended the comments in media interviews as a patriotic statement and has received public support while CARTA reiterated its zero-tolerance policy.
- The Incline Railway is a 131-year-old tourist attraction whose operator says the episode shows how quickly social media can force swift discipline and raise reputational risks for public-facing staff.