My good friend Mark was riding the El Train in Philadelphia recently and something on the train just seemed off. It was actually the 2 riders on the train that sent his 'alert' senses off. He decided to take out is phone and discreetly video what he believed was about to happen. Now, it is important to note that with the increase of violent attacks in Philadelphia, it  utterly behooves good Samaritans to think wisely before they involve themselves in matters they are initially unclear of. One wrong, or right move for that matter, by an intervener and it isn't unlikely that an otherwise non-violent crime, would turn deadly violent at the hands of the perpetrator.

In this case, two men entered the train car and just seemed out of place and extremely fidgety. One of them wore a winter hoody, with a fur like brim,  on a day that really didn't require one, considering the warmer than usual temperatures. He then sat down behind a non-suspecting female deeply engrossed in her Ipad. That was the first sign something was off. Sign #2: the second man positioned himself by the exit doors of the train, with his hands in his pockets and eyes darting across the car rapidly, as though he were scooping the lay of the land for threats to his actions. Sign# 3: Both men were at least 20 feet apart and tried to act as though they did not know each other but would share these nods of agreement periodically. It's at this point Mark decided, the 2 men were actually going to draw weapons and rob the train right before the next stop, he braced himself, held his briefcase closer and pulled out his phone to record the video above. One quick note, the time between the 2 stops on the El train where this occurred was less that 90 seconds. This should give you an idea of how quick it happened.

As soon as the train came to a stop and the doors opened , the hooded villain makes his move...the rest is history. Lesson to the wise: When on a crowded commuter train where the longest time between the furthest stops is less than 45 minutes and the train stops every 30-90 seconds, it is wise to pay close attention to your surroundings and always assume the worst and be ready for it. No more are the days of polite conversation with strangers on a train, now we have entered the 'rider be alert' era, because every distraction could be mean your valuable item is 60 seconds from a new owner.