- Photo: Emma West in My Tram Experience - Ladyk89/YouTube
Emma West sits on a crowded tram, clutching her young son on her lap. She is yelling racist abuse at her fellow passengers, telling them that they have ruined her country and that they should all go home. Her words are sometimes slurred and often peppered with expletives. She refuses to accept that the mother sitting opposite is English, because she's also black. The rant goes on and on.
It took just three days between My Tram Experience being uploaded onto YouTube and Emma West appearing in court. On November 29th 2011, Croydon Magistrates Court found the New Addington woman guilty of a racially aggravated public disorder offence. She was remanded in custody until her full hearing in one week's time.
What is 'My Tram Experience'?
Kelly Hollingsworth was on the Croydon to Wimbledon tram when Emma West started her diatribe. Sitting in the seat directly opposite, Ms Hollingsworth started filming. It afforded her a prime position to catch not only Ms West's words, but the reaction of everyone around her. For just under two and a half minutes, the camera kept recording.
It captured Ms West moaning, "What's this country come to? A load of black people and a load of f***ing Polish." Then went on to show her individually accusing each passenger of not being English. "None of you are f***ing English. Get back to your own f***ing," she interrupted herself, "You know what? Sort out your own countries, don't come and sue (sic) mine."
This continued until a woman asks her to refrain from swearing for the sake of the children present. Ms West turned on her, furiously demanding to know what country she was from. The mother states that she is English, but Ms West refuses to believe it. She tells her to 'go back to', then struggles to find a country name. It starts as Siberia, but ends in Nicaragua.
It sounded like she was trying to say 'n****r', which incensed a young man behind her so much that he stood. Once on his feet, he looked lost, as if in his anger, he didn't know what to do next. Two fellow passengers reach towards him and he quickly sits back down. A young woman rushes across and hugs him. He is visibly upset.
Ms West saw none of this. She was too busy arguing with two women around her. "You ain't f***ing British! You're black!" She levelled at the mother before her.
But then a baby starts crying across the carriage and that was enough for its mother. She stepped angrily forward, "And now you're f***king waking my baby up, so do you want to shut up?" She bent right down into Ms West's face. "And I'm English! What have you got to say to me?" The argument goes on, then the footage finishes.
'My Tram Experience' Goes Viral on YouTube
The film has gone viral across the internet. The YouTube counter currently stands at 3.4million (it had gathered 200k viewers in the time it took to write this article thus far). 190 news outlets have covered the story.
As the cyberworld discussed it, the British Transport Police looked to identify the woman at the centre of the storm. With such publicity, it was only a matter of time before someone called them with a name. Emma West was arrested in Croydon and charged.
In the meantime, YouTube filled with copies of the original footage (which was uploaded by Ladyk89), as well as hundreds of blog responses and 'remix' versions. Some people had taken the rant and cut it over Dubstep and other genres. A day later, there was even a parody version aligning Ms West with Eva Braun.
'My Tram Experience' Depicts Multicultural and Racially Integrated Britain
Many commentators had focused upon the fact that this highlighted racism in Britain, but it went further than that. Ms West's rant was in isolation solely because she could find no vocal supporters on a crowded Croyden tram. Several voices spoke out at the time, challenging her opinions to her face. When the man was upset, he was calmed by a woman of a different ethnicity.
In short, in depicting open racism, My Tram Experience demonstrated very clearly how Ms West's views were out of step with the Britons around her. In consequence, they acted collectively in letting her know that racism is not welcome in modern Britain.
Jo Harrington - Jo has a BA (Hons) in History and Philosophy and a MA in History. She has a book published on the history of Wicca.
