Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe CHICAGO, July 29 (UPI) -- A Chicago Metra crew member used a vulgar phrase that includes the word "mother" to refer to passengers, the Chicago Tribune said Saturday. "It's one thing to be on the intercom and use a cuss word; that's not that big of a deal," said passenger Robert Larson. "But to refer to his passengers as that, I think it's kind of uncalled for." Advertisement Union Pacific, which is investigating the Thursday incident, apologized to riders, said Mark Davis, a spokesman for the railroad. Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said the vulgar language "is completely unacceptable." The burst of colorful language apparently is the second time this year that a Union Pacific employee has used a vulgar term over the public-address system. In January, a conductor used a sexual epithet to describe city officials who enacted a ban prohibiting smoking on train platforms. The conductor turned himself in, was suspended for a short time without pay, and personally apologized to riders.
