I was lucky on the New York Subway when a gang of youth tried to mug me, there were two plain clothes police there, but before they intervened the other passengers averted there eyes.
What year and location was that? This must have been pre-1988, yes?
Sorry, but I don't believe your Subway story. Nice try.
I think there may be a ripple effect from 9/11 that reaches beyond "terrorism" and hijackings. I think that people in the US are a little more willing to get involved now, a little more willing to put a stop to things like that bus beating, than they were five years ago, following the example of the passengers of United 93, and the folks who stopped Richard Reid. Maybe I'm an incurable optimist, I don't know.
A lot of it also depends on where the incident would happen. In "blue" cities like NYC, I could see the sheeple sitting back and averting their eyes. But if a bunch of yoots pulled the same thing in Texas? They'd have a much higher chance of being on the receiving end of the beatdown.
}:-)4