That's because it's forbidden to say the truth about race. The author did say this:
There is a reality here that dare not speak its name. The New York subway, including many dark, deserted passageways, abound with people whose inescapable presence justifiably causes unease.Your outrage about race also ignores the reference and link the author made to the race-based riots that happened because of the races of the two men:
Yes, the municipal government may struggle with picking up the garbage, but it does have the recipe for terrifying you: put you in an escape-proof metal box, release thousands of criminals and nutcases back into the subway, and then ensure that you have no recourse if assaulted... and don ‘t even think of fighting back.... Imagine if Sargent Penny had an AR-15, even if he didn’t use it? And, if by chance, you do resist and win, hundreds of protestors will riot and then demand that you be punished.See how cleverly the writer avoided saying the uncomfortable truth about race out loud? Yet it's right there, between the lines.
Beautifully said!