Security guards should be smart enough to not mess with any woman, let alone a cunning 82 year old. What is the IQ requirement for security guards, 40?

No mention of the harsh treatment the other passengers had to endure listening to her caterwauling. Thank heavens in Switzerland there are "quite" train cars -- meaning no talking, no music, no singing, no whispering -- just sheer, unadulterated peace and quiet.

Haven´t we all been on public transportation and been annoyed by loud mouths and sloppy people? Lady should not be alone on a train - obviously her screaming was maybe a sign of dementia. I agree with comments - son and lady were after big bucks. I would rather pay more and take a cab.

Guess some people have never been on the #7 train.

There is insufficient information in the story to form an opinion about this incident. Did the security guard approach the woman and ask her to stop singing, explaining that there were rules against singing on the train? What other options did the guard attempt to get her to quiet down? If the guard explained the rules, was the woman rude and confrontational with him when he did so? This story reads like the facts presented were carefully chosen in order to make this woman look persecuted, with any and all facts mitigating the guard´s actions left out (on purpose).

Perhaps the Christian ingredient neutralized the woman/black/elderly status. A lot we don´t and probably won´t ever know. But yes, diversity training is always the proper and proven antidote to brute force.

Maybe she should have been doing a Muslim prayer.

Maybe she was so loud others could not hear on their i-pods and cell phones.
The picture of her is priceless.

Yes, little old ladies should be seen, not heard.

There was a sound track on the recording and it didn´t reflect caterwauling, screeching, or dementia. Of course I could be wrong. She could have been an evil woman on the train not the eighty two year old looking harmless woman th displayed after the incident.

One thing I totally agree with other here about. There should be no individuality displayed on public trains. The steeple riding them should be velcroed to the walls, and gagged, so the elite among us can be comfortably self absorbed.

Yes, let´s have everyone do what they want, when the want it: play videos with the volume turned up, play audio books for the kiddies, sing songs, play guitars. It´s all about self-expression, not self-control and good manners.

Personally, I dislike it when threads turn to one-up sarcasm. I don´t find it informative, but distracting.

To me the issue is not whether the old woman was irritating the other passengers, or whether she should have been out without supervision, but her physical treatment. If someone is vulnerable it is wrong to leave them in a dangerous situation, let alone hurt them.

If I were the security guard and the singer was a punk wearing a baseball hat backwards like Gomer Pyle, I´d have thrown him off. No problem. But an old woman. Leave her alone man.

Many people seem to have no idea what it is like to be a captive audience on a commuter train when someone decides to sing or preach and screech loudly. It is disturbing, annoying and uncomfortable.
After working all day, I have paid my fare the same as she but I am not bothering anyone and I deserve to ride in peace. She should have been asked to stop singing and if she refused, she should have been escorted off the train. I am not saying she should be beat up or treated badly, but she was wrong.

I bet she whistles too.

#9, this woman aside there used to be standards of decorum and behavior that one adhered to in public. It was what made us a civilized country.

I guess what you are advocating is......"Hey, if it feels good, do it.."