There was an incident in California where a man was detained and cited for eating a sandwich while waiting for a train. The incident occurred at the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Pleasant Hill platform. The man, identified as Steve Foster, was confronted by a transit officer named D. McCormick. Foster’s video of the encounter went viral, drawing significant attention and prompting a protest.
abcnews.go.com/US/bart-riders-hold-lunchtime-eat-protest-man-detained/story?id=66911537
Arrested for eating a sandwich but you can loot stores at will, or do heroin on the sidewalk and nothing happens. Welcome to California. t.co/L2WJ7n3KdD
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) July 2, 2024
Eating a sandwich on a train platform might seem like a minor infraction, but in this case, it was related to transit rules. The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system has specific regulations, and one of them prohibits eating or drinking in paid areas, including platforms.
- Specific Regulation: The California law in question is PC 640 (b) (1), which prohibits eating or drinking in or on a system facility or vehicle in areas where those activities are prohibited by that system.
- Penalty: The maximum penalty for a first-time violation is $250 or 48 hours of community service.