A part-time conductor at the 131-year-old Incline Railways attraction in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been sacked after an Independence Day announcement in which he told foreign passengers that the United States was "the greatest country on the face of the planet" and that those who disagreed "can leave". The remark, delivered to tourists riding up Lookout Mountain on 4 July, was recorded and posted online, where it spread quickly and prompted his employer to dismiss him within hours. The case highlights how swiftly filmed encounters shared on social media can lead to real-world consequences for staff at public attractions.

The conductor, named as Jack Peterson, greeted "the very, very few Americans" aboard before addressing overseas visitors with the contested welcome. Passengers reacted with groans and one man told him to "shut up". A Florida tourist, Nathan Scherer, who was on holiday with his family, filmed the incident and shared it on TikTok, describing the comments as "racist" and "xenophobic". Peterson was fired just hours after the footage went viral.