By Shawn Henry 
San Francisco’s normally predictable N-Judah light rail line became a scene of pandemonium one September morning when a drowsy train operator seemingly nodded off at the controls. Passengers were sent flying as the train whipped through a tight curve, rocketing far past the safe speed limit. It was just after sunrise on the 24th, that typical sluggish Monday vibe shattered by sudden chaos—some folks smashed into walls, others tumbled like loose change in a washing machine.
Security footage, leaked later to reporters, showed it all: the operator’s head lolling, eyelids flickering, then chaos erupting as the train hit 50 mph in a zone meant for a crawl. Riders shrieked, bags went airborne, and the whole mess skidded right past Duboce Avenue, only stopping near Walter Street. A total mess, even if, thankfully, nobody got seriously banged up.
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SFMTA higher-ups didn’t mince words: the operator was toast. “Unacceptable,” they called it, yanking her off duty pronto. Fatigue? Yeah, big-time factor, apparently. Now the agency’s doing the whole song and dance—investigations, protocols, promises of “corrective action.” Sure, fine. But anyone who lived through that bone-rattling ride isn’t forgetting it soon. Some things stick with you, like the way that train shuddered and bucked like a wild thing.
Still no official word on whether the operator faces discipline, though “internal reviews” drag on. Meanwhile, commuters who got tossed around like rag dolls might get a call from investigators. Because nothing says “priority” like damage control after the fact. Watch those curves, folks. And maybe chug an extra coffee before your shift, huh?
Kennedy Puckett