I Like Trains Autistic Stereotype Meme

What are some stereotypes that drive you insane? Darius McCollum was an autistic New York transit enthusiast who repeatedly took control of subway trains and buses without authorization. He memorized routes, procedures, and operations, and in some cases reportedly operated vehicles correctly enough that passengers did not immediately realize anything was unusual.

The meme opens with a text question: 'What are some stereotypes that drive you insane?', followed by a comment from an autistic person stating they hate the common stereotype that all autistic people are obsessed with trains, adding that they personally find trains loud and boring. The middle section features a real photograph of Darius McCollum, an autistic man known for his fascination with New York public transit, wearing a train conductor's uniform while sitting in what appears to be a formal courtroom or hearing setting. The bottom text explains McCollum's story: he repeatedly took unauthorized control of New York subway trains and buses, memorized all transit routes and procedures, and often operated the vehicles correctly enough that passengers did not notice anything amiss. The joke lies in the humorous irony that McCollum perfectly fits the stereotype the prior comment was pushing back against, creating a funny contrast between individual experience and widely known public examples of the stereotype.

This meme is sourced from the Reddit:Meme RSS feed, with its original provided title being 'I like trains'. It combines a commonly seen social media comment about autism stereotypes with a widely circulated real photograph of Darius McCollum, a well-documented public figure, to create its punchline. It has primarily circulated on Reddit's meme-focused subreddits before being shared across other social media platforms.