The People's Urban Transit Zystem, it's the PUTZ: Also Known As, The Electric Sewer

Interesting episode on the subway, genuine full bore ranting racist lunatic, he screamed from 14th to 59th on the BMT. No cops showed.

Conductor said he called and was unhappy we were not met. My concern was that some amateur would do something and it would get physical. It got close but fortunately no cigar.

(On Facebook Judith Weiss reasonably replied "Video?")

Thought about it but given that I was sitting where I could respond if needed it seemed best to focus on not provoking a reaction. If it went that next step I would have wanted the evidence. One older Spanish guy as he exited at 49th punched the wall above the guy. Then just before the person of interest departed at Lex a very whitebread in his 20s kid babbled to the guy about Obama. Inside I groaned at the cliches coming to life and wondered where the cameras were as life imitated art. The ranter yelled that he had met Obama and left. People applauded like the kid was a hero and I was unhappy because if it had gone another way then I would have had to act and people including me could have got hurt. Icing on the cake, I chatted up the girl next to me about safety and cell phones and what I know about Obama. It wasn't a movie, she wasn't single.

The subject was a black male approximately late 40s to early 50s, lean, moderate complexion, about 5' 10" and 160 lbs, clean shaven except for a trimmed mustache and neatly dressed with a white short sleeve sports shirt, and an undershirt beneath that, and a yellow windbreaker, tan trousers. Perhaps describing him as a slightly taller and better looking but not as dark version of Spike Lee without the glasses would give the picture. Physically we were a close enough match that if I was a ranting insane black man he could have been me. He cursed explicitly saying "Suck my d*ck" and F*ck you all" at everyone. He included all white and asian people and black women as hate objects but he mentioned that Indians were OK because they had worn collars. No idea if he meant South Asians or Native Americans by that. He stated clearly "I don't give a sh*t" and "I have nothing to lose"and that he was "not some homeless bum" because he "had so many jobs that he was" something that I did not quite get, perhaps he said that he was an encyclopedia. He deliberately sat with his knees spread as wide apart as possible, if needed I know where I would have punched first, and his arms up with elbows out to the side so that no one could sit beside him. He was carrying a large envelope.

Given his behavior and the possibility that he was either under the influence of a drug like PCP or simply capable of rage he could have proven dangerous. Then again if properly dealt with by trained professionals such people sometimes deflate quickly. My hope was that a cop would have shown up and gotten him off the train and processed him through the database for warrants or a protection order. Frankly I think that his just getting up and leaving was a piece of luck but that I felt bad about watching him go to probably confront others without me or anyone else reliable around. It would certainly hurt if I read a report that someone got hurt later and he was involved.