New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was reportedly asked to leave the quiet car of an Amtrak train after talking on his cell phone on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the GOP presidential candidate apologized in a statement, and said the governor did not intentionally board the quiet car.
“After breaking the cardinal rule of the quiet car, the Governor promptly left once he realized the serious nature of his mistake and enjoyed the rest of his time on the train from the cafe car,” spokeswoman Samantha Smith said in a statement. “Sincere apologies to all the patrons of the quiet car that were offended.”
The seat mix-up on Christie’s train from Washington D.C. to New Jersey was first reported by Gawker.
According to Alexander Mann, a passenger on the train who spoke to Gawker, Christie boarded the train last minute and was yelling at the security detail with him about the seating arrangements. Mann referred to the people with Christie as secret service agents, but the governor does not have secret service protection. He travels with New Jersey state police.
Mann said after about 10 minutes of an intense phone conversation, during which Christie reportedly used phrases like “frickin’ ridiculous” and “seriously?! seriously?!,” the conductor asked him to stop talking on the phone or leave the quiet car.
Another passenger on Twitter disputed Mann’s account, writing that Christie was “super courteous.”
“About the @Gawker fail: @ChrisChristie was super courteous & possibly the least intrusive in-public phone person ever,” the passenger tweeted.
Nicole Brown