Passengers demanded bus drivers act as informal security inspectors post-bombings

Evidence

“But did you see it?” the man insisted. “Did you see that it was a baby?” New passengers began boarding the bus at the stop, and they could hear the conversation rise in tension and volume between the driver and the couple. The words “terrorist” and “bomb” floated through the bus. “Look, it’s your job to check!” the man yelled at the driver, his wife egging him on. “It’s your job to check,” he repeated. “Otherwise we’re calling the police!” — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 331

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the theme of ordinary citizens deputizing transport workers as security screeners, echoing post-9/11 raced surveillance in NYC transit.
• SEED: An essay could explore the moment when the driver refuses to be coopted — the working-class Muslim ally who defuses surveillance, versus neighbors who police each other.