We discuss Sarah Jane Comrie and the controversial viral video “Citi Bike Scandal” that took social media by storm.
Remember when your phone was for making calls and possibly sending a text messages?
Well, who would have thought that the advancement of technology would lead to everyone having a video camera in their pocket, that is accessible at a moment’s notice and able to present all manner of confrontations immediately to an eager public, desperate to see who has done what and to whom.
Of course, there is a massive advantage to this type of tech, and no, I am not knocking it, as without it, we would not have the Sarah Jane Comrie content.
The problem is that context is everything, and often we arrive in the middle of a situation and have to try and break down what is occurring without all the facts.
If ever there was a case for the lack of context argument, it might be this one.
So grab your popcorn and settle in, as we will answer the question, what did Sarah Jane Comrie do? The Citi Bike scandal explained.
Who is Sarah Jane Comrie?
Sarah Jane is a physician assistant that completed her undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in 2011. She would work at the Bellvue Hospital in New York.
What did Sarah Jane Comrie do?
Sarah’s everyday life would suddenly be thrust into the spotlight when an incident occurred over a Citi Bike rental. The viral video posted everywhere would show Sarah arguing with a young Black man, accusing him of taking her rental bike outside her work.
She said the bike was hers. He said it was his.
The ensuing argument saw her employees decide to put her on a leave of absence from her job while they took a closer look at it. The incident would be investigated, and Sarah would have a lawyer that would update the situation, providing proof that Sarah had paid for that bike.
However, statements would be made to the news outlet NewsOne, by the young man involved in the event and his mother, but by request, the names would be changed.
The young Black man’s mother would say that Michael is only seventeen and their life has been in “turmoil” since this happened.
Michael would then put his side of the story forward and explain that he and four friends had been out on Citi Bikes that day and had docked them to rest just before Sarah arrived looking for her rental bike.
Michael and his friends had docked the bikes so they did not exceed the forty-five-minute limit and get charged extra. Sarah would ask each of them for a bike, and the boys politely declined, saying they were still using them.
Sarah would then allegedly lean over Michael’s bike, which he still had his hands on, and scan the QR code. It was around then that the recording of the incident would start.
In the viral video, you can see Sarah shouting for help, but in the video, it is unclear why. She is then seen snatching at one of the phones, which implies that she is pregnant and the incident is harming her unborn child.
Sarah is also seen crying in the video. NYPD has also stated that no 911 call was made regarding the incident.
Since this incident, Sarah Jane Comrie has been accused of being racist and a “Karen.”
Why does Sarah Jane Comrie have a GoFundMe?
A GoFundMe has been set up by Sarah’s family to help her with legal bills and to help her save her reputation and livelihood. The fundraiser was started by Sarah Jane Comrie’s uncle, who stated the incident has “unfairly painted [Comrie] as a racist ‘Karen.'”
The final outcome of this story is still to be declared.
