Railway conductor sacked after calling America 'the greatest country' on Independence Day
'We have zero tolerance for language that demeans or excludes anyone who rides with us,' the train operator said
A part-time railway conductor in Tennessee has been sacked after calling America "the greatest country on the face of the planet" on Independence Day.
Jack Peterson lost his job on the Incline Railway after his patriotic July 4 remark, which was captured on camera and posted on social media.
In the footage, he could be heard telling passengers on America's 250th anniversary: "To the very, very few Americans in here, happy Independence Day.
"To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet, and if you disagree, you can leave."
One killjoy traveller in the video could be heard telling Mr Peterson to "shut up" after he made the remarks.
The Incline Railway first opened its doors in 1887 and is operated by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (Carta).
Often touted as "America’s Most Amazing Mile", the scenic service forms part of the Lookout Mountain Attractions.
After the footage was handed over to Carta, a company director "met with the employee that day and immediately fired him", according to News 9.
The operator later confirmed Mr Peterson had been shown the door to the broadcaster.
Carta's chief of staff, Scott Wilson, said: "I want to apologise directly to the passengers who experienced this, and to everyone who has seen the video and felt its sting. It should never have happened.
"We have zero tolerance for language that demeans or excludes anyone who rides with us. For 131 years, the Incline Railway has welcomed visitors from Chattanooga and from around the world.
"Every passenger who boards our railway deserves to feel respected and welcome, and we are committed to making sure that is always the case."
Mr Wilson later told Fox News: "The role of the conductor on Chattanooga's iconic Incline Railway is to welcome visitors from around the world to our Scenic City, seat them safely, and play an audio recording about the railway's history.
"Instead of following protocol - and common decency - this new, seasonal employee used the microphone to make assumptions about the citizenship status of our visitors and their disposition toward our great country.
"We certainly agree this is the greatest country on the face of the planet, especially in this 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence.
"But rudeness toward our guests is the exact opposite of the conductor's role, and he was dismissed with cause the same day. We deeply apologise for this incident, especially because it departs so profoundly from the welcoming character of Chattanoogans."
Mr Peterson voiced his disbelief in Carta's decision to dismiss him, saying the company "has a lot of thinking to do when it comes to supporting this country".
He added: " I do not believe my firing was a correct or just one. My personal thought is, what has this country come to when someone can get fired on Independence Day for a patriotic statement."
The dismissed railway conductor has since launched a GoFundMe page, which has raised over $8,700 (£6,495) from hundreds of supporters.
The man who captured the incident and uploaded it on social media has also spoken out since the video went viral.
He said he lodged a complaint against Mr Peterson because he wanted to "make sure that management knew there were uncomfortable comments being made towards riders that were assumed to be foreigners".
The man said he hoped the railway conductor is able to get his job back, but "instead welcomes all riders".
"The US is for all and not just those who were lucky enough to be born here," he added.