MARTA officials are investigating an online photo that appears to show a train operator texting on the job.
In the last year, a commuter train in California and a trolley in Boston whose operators were texting crashed, killing 25 and injuring nearly 200.
It's not clear from the photo, posted on the social networking site Twitter, whether the train was moving.
Matthew Jones, a MARTA commuter on the East-West line, said he snapped the photo Friday as the train was in motion.
He said he positioned himself to do that after he thought he saw the driver texting as the train pulled up.
"When I saw him pick up his phone again, I picked up my camera and waited for him to turn away, because he was definitely looking to see who was looking," said Jones, 36.
Jones said he called MARTA to complain, partly because a couple of months earlier he saw a different operator reading a book on the job, and he wished he had said something then.
MARTA spokeswoman Andrea Coleman said an employee had been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the investigation, but MARTA needed to complete a thorough inquiry before confirming his identity or drawing conclusions.
"A full investigation will be done," which could take about five days, Coleman said.
A statement that MARTA released following the AJC's inquiries added: "The safety and security of our patrons is MARTA's first and foremost concern. Texting while operating a MARTA vehicle is against company policy... appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken upon the conclusion of the investigation."
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