Why one should avoid casual arguments with strangers while using public transport
Yesterday I came across this Dec. 2012 youtube video, PHILLY FANS SHOOTING AT CHICAGO BULLS FANS ON TRAIN !!!, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6GUpB5Izjw, 2 min. 25 secs. This is a video which seems to have been put up by Philadelphia, USA police. At around 1 min. 10 secs in the video you see two men get down from the subway train onto the platform. One of them then turns around takes out a small hand-gun/pistol and fires two shots into the open subway train compartment, turns around and walks away! The video description states the following: "On December 12, 2012, at 10:39pm, the complainants, a 36 year-old male and a 30 year-old male entered the westbound Septa El train at 15th and Market Streets. While on the train, an argument erupted amongst several passengers. When the train stopped at the 46th and Market Street, the suspects exited the train onto the platform. Suspect #1 then pointed a handgun in the direction of one of the complainants and fired one shot into the train striking him in the left side of his stomach passing through him then striking the second complainant in the left thigh. Both offenders then fled on foot from the El platform in an unknown direction."
Now I have extensively used public transport in big cities in my life. I am a big-city born and bred guy, born in Bombay/Mumbai in the early 60s and lived in it and its outlying suburbs till 2002, for around 4 decades (with some absences of some months and even around a year). I have spent quite a significant part of my student life and working life in Mumbai public transport - local trains and buses. In the late 80s, while on assignment in Brussels, Belgium for over a year I have used its tram, bus and subway services extensively. On visits I have used London's subway (tubes), Boston's subway/train, New York City's subway/train and buses. I have visited Philadelphia too but did not use its subway/train services as my friends and I had a rented car. Fortunately perhaps, I have never experienced this sort of madness over around two and a half decades (till 2002) of quite regular use of public transport in big cities in India as well as in the West . Sure I have seen enough arguments and fights over seats and other somewhat important matters (none of which ended up in a shooting though). But shooting over a casual argument about a sporting event during a local train/subway ride! That shocks me.
I guess people nowadays have become more stressed out and prone to outbursts of violent rage, especially in cities, the world over. So the safe thing is to avoid any casual arguments with strangers while using public transport. Sometimes one may need to argue for one's rights like if somebody tries to force one out of a seat. At such times I think one should try to be polite and avoid escalating the matter into a rage outburst. If things get really bad it is far better to give up one's right (like one's seat) during the short public transport ride, rather than lose one's life or get grievously hurt.
Now I have extensively used public transport in big cities in my life. I am a big-city born and bred guy, born in Bombay/Mumbai in the early 60s and lived in it and its outlying suburbs till 2002, for around 4 decades (with some absences of some months and even around a year). I have spent quite a significant part of my student life and working life in Mumbai public transport - local trains and buses. In the late 80s, while on assignment in Brussels, Belgium for over a year I have used its tram, bus and subway services extensively. On visits I have used London's subway (tubes), Boston's subway/train, New York City's subway/train and buses. I have visited Philadelphia too but did not use its subway/train services as my friends and I had a rented car. Fortunately perhaps, I have never experienced this sort of madness over around two and a half decades (till 2002) of quite regular use of public transport in big cities in India as well as in the West . Sure I have seen enough arguments and fights over seats and other somewhat important matters (none of which ended up in a shooting though). But shooting over a casual argument about a sporting event during a local train/subway ride! That shocks me.
I guess people nowadays have become more stressed out and prone to outbursts of violent rage, especially in cities, the world over. So the safe thing is to avoid any casual arguments with strangers while using public transport. Sometimes one may need to argue for one's rights like if somebody tries to force one out of a seat. At such times I think one should try to be polite and avoid escalating the matter into a rage outburst. If things get really bad it is far better to give up one's right (like one's seat) during the short public transport ride, rather than lose one's life or get grievously hurt.
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