A lot of people here think he should have attacked the girl. But he was surrounded by a pack of black kids, all taunting him. What do you think they would have done to him if he had actually decked the girl? I’m guessing knives would be used.
He had to hope that, with Metro being a “safe” place, with cameras everywhere, the metro police would be responding to a passenger being beaten by a gang. But he would be wrong to hope that, because all that security is an illusion.
If he had a gun, he might be able to defend himself, except that they would probably have guns as well, and he would be in trouble shooting some kid for slapping him, and he’d probably be killed by the other kids, who would argue he was “threatening” them.
He survived, and there is enough video that they could possible identify the perp. But the important thing is, he survived. Any attack you can walk away with, that’s a win.
Do we all forget how Bernard Goetz was demonized for defending himself with a screwdriver?
Where’s Bernie Goetz when we need him?