I suggest we make the init scripts aware of passenger:

default file should be made to look something like this:
@@

1. sysconfig/foreman || default/foreman on debian

1. the location where foreman is installed
   #FOREMAN_HOME=/usr/share/foreman

1. the port which foreman web server is running at
2. note that if the foreman user is not root, it has to be a > 1024
   #FOREMAN_PORT=3000

1. the user which runs the web interface
   #FOREMAN_USER=foreman

1. the rails environment in which foreman runs
   #FOREMAN_ENV=production

1. Enable to allow the foreman init script to refuse start and stop
2. but handle rails app restart by touching $FOREMAN_HOME/tmp/restart.txt
   #FOREMAN_USE_PASSENGER=0
   @@

And this start script is a working example for Redhat:
@@
#!/bin/bash #

1. Init script for foreman #
2. chkconfig: - 85 15
3. description: Init script for foreman

1. Source function library.
   . /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions

if [ -f /etc/sysconfig/foreman ]; then
. /etc/sysconfig/foreman
fi

prog=foreman
RETVAL=0
FOREMAN_PORT=${FOREMAN_PORT:-3000}
FOREMAN_USER=${FOREMAN_USER:-foreman}
FOREMAN_HOME=${FOREMAN_HOME:-/usr/share/foreman}
FOREMAN_ENV=${FOREMAN_ENV:-production}
FOREMAN_PID=${FOREMAN_PID:-${FOREMAN_HOME}/tmp/pids/server.pid}
FOREMAN_USE_PASSENGER=${FOREMAN_USE_PASSENGER:-0}

start() {
echo -n $"Starting $prog: "
daemon --user ${FOREMAN_USER} /usr/bin/ruby ${FOREMAN_HOME}/script/server -p ${FOREMAN_PORT} -e ${FOREMAN_ENV} -d > /dev/null
RETVAL=$?
if [ $RETVAL = 0 ]
then
echo_success
else
echo_failure
fi

echo
    return $RETVAL
}
stop() {
    echo -n $"Stopping $prog: " 
    if [ -f ${FOREMAN_PID} ]; then
        killproc -p ${FOREMAN_PID}
        RETVAL=$?
    else
        echo -n $"Foreman was not running.";
        failure $"Foreman was not running.";
        echo
        return 1
    fi
    echo
    return $RETVAL
}

railsrestart() {
echo -n $"Restarting foreman rails app: "
touch "${FOREMAN_HOME}/tmp/restart.txt"
RETVAL=$?
if [ $RETVAL = 0 ]
then
echo_success
else
echo_failure
fi

echo
    return $RETVAL
}

1. See how we were called.
   case "$1" in
   start|stop)
   if [ ${FOREMAN_USE_PASSENGER} = 1 ]
   then
   echo -n "Foreman is running under passenger"
   echo_passed
   echo
   else
   $1
   fi
   RETVAL=$?
   ;;
   restart)
   if [ ${FOREMAN_USE_PASSENGER} = 1 ]
   then
   railsrestart
   RETVAL=$?
   else
   stop
   start
   RETVAL?$?
   fi
   ;;
   status)
   echo -n "Foreman"
   if [ ${FOREMAN_USE_PASSENGER} = 1 ]
   then
   echo -n " is running under passenger"
   echo_passed
   echo
   else
   status -p $FOREMAN_PID
   fi
   RETVAL=$?
   ;;
   condrestart)
   if [ -f ${FOREMAN_HOME}/tmp/pids/server.pid ]; then
   restart
   RETVAL=$?
   fi
   ;;

   *)
   echo $"Usage: $prog {start|stop|restart|condrestart}"
   exit 1
   esac

exit $RETVAL
@@

1. sample output:
   @
[root@staging-admin-lv-1 ~]# service foreman start
Foreman is running under passenger [PASSED]
[root@staging-admin-lv-1 ~]# service foreman stop
Foreman is running under passenger [PASSED]
[root@staging-admin-lv-1 ~]# service foreman status
Foreman is running under passenger [PASSED]
[root@staging-admin-lv-1 ~]# service foreman restart
Restarting foreman rails app: [ OK ]
[root@staging-admin-lv-1 ~]#
@

I chose to use PASSED here, we could consider opting for an ERROR or WARNING as well if that makes more sense. My opinion is it's useful for the operator, so he does not mess things up by starting something he shouldn't.