Riding while white

Blogger Cicero writes at The Big Lie on Parade:

A black woman got on a bus in Philadelphia and just started beating on a white male passenger. Maybe we need a new category for white public transportation riders beaten by blacks for no apparent reason? Riding while white.

Cicero has the video. Here is the story, from Philly.com:

Philadelphia Police have released a video of a beating on a SEPTA bus in hopes of apprehending the woman who committed the assault.

On the afternoon of May 31, the Route 23 SEPTA bus was on the 5700 block of Germantown Avenue when a woman, wearing a pink shirt and white-framed sunglasses, boarded the bus, sat down only for a moment, then rushed over to a man near the back, and punched and slapped him at least 15 times about the head and shoulders.

As seen on the video, the victim puts up his arms to ward the blows, but doesn’t fight back, but finally stands up, showing he’s much taller than his attacker.

At least eight passengers are seen sitting near the assault and watching without intervening.

The woman, described as stocky, black and about 5-foot-5, got off the bus at the Germantown and Chelten Avenues and “fled on foot in an unknown direction,” according to police.

The man told police the woman was a total stranger, and he did nothing to provoke the attack.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Northwest Detectives at 215-686-3353. “If you see this female, do not approach, contact 9-1-1 immediately,” police caution.

[end of article]

The story says the woman is black. In some, but far from all (it would be interesting to know the percentage), news stories concerning a black at-large criminal, the media do condescend do describe the criminal by race.

Also, note the unexplained initials SEPTA. Evidently this is the name of the public transit system in Philadelphia. But if you don’t live in Philadelphia, how would you know what the letters stand for?

The same irritating practice is followed by every local news outlet in the country. The editors of these publications all act as though their only readers are from the local area and do not need to have the initials explained.

The use of unexplained initials, acronyms, or technical terms is a sign of thoughtlessness. In any piece of writing, an acronym should be written out in full in its first appearance.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 23, 2012 04:29 PM | Send