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A Yeadon, Pa., woman pulled out her handgun on a city bus and threatened a passenger who had been mindlessly chatting away on her cell phone.
Cordelia Chisholm (pictured) was riding the bus in Upper Darby, just outside Philadelphia, last Thursday. A 22-year-old woman was on her cell phone, and when she mistakenly bumped into Chisholm, an altercation ensued.
Tempers quickly flared, and the women got into a shouting match. The cursing, yelling and screaming was soon accompanied by shoving, with about 30 onlookers on the bus.
Suddenly Chisholm escalated the argument to an entirely different level by pulling out a .38-caliber revolver from her purse. The 58-year-old woman threatened to kill the young woman as she held the gun to her intended victim's stomach. The young woman, who has not been identified, challenged Chisholm.
Out of nowhere, a good Samaritan got between the hostile women and actually quelled the volatile situation. The unidentified hero escorted Chisholm off the bus. Although police arrived just in time to arrest Chisholm, they never bothered to get the name of the man who managed to save lives.
"If it weren't for this guy, who knows how many would have been shot if the gun went off. The good Samaritan walked into harm's way and separated these two individuals. He did, in fact, save lives. We never got this guy's name," police Superintendent Michael Chitwood told the Associated Press.
Media outlets later identified the good Samaritan as 32-year-old Lansdowne resident Rasheen Bingham. "I didn't think it was that serious where she was going to shoot her," Bingham said.
Chisholm remains jailed in lieu of posting bail pending a preliminary hearing on Oct. 25.
How pitiful is it that a woman Chisholm's age would allow her short fuse to endanger the lives of innocent bystanders over a mere cell phone conversation? Out-of-control anger and rage ruins lives, leads to violence and oftentimes prison. This story reminds me of the man who shot a teen in the butt because he refused to pull his pants up.
What example are older adults exhibiting to the younger generations when they can't even act right? One would expect that this story would be about two ghettofied young women or teens whose verbal match went wrong. Instead, this is about an older woman who could easily be the near-victim's mother pulling out her .38 in a show of anger.
What a shame. Chisholm deserves to have the book thrown at her for her unconscionable behavior.
Watch the Samaritan do his good work here:
Comments: (47)
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By: MERCYGRACE on 10/20/2010 12:24PM
My understanding was the older woman was unnerved by the younger woman being on her cell phone speaking loudly and she got up and moved but was saying things to the young woman which led to the altercation.
And the has been identified as Mr. Bingham of Landsdowne, PA and I thank GOD for him being in the right place at the right time because this could have been fatal.
I'm outdone that this talking on cell phone(s) or texting while you are walking is getting out of hand---these devices have people's undivided attention here lately.
Why would you get on a bus and sit in the front of the bus and talk loudly and occupy seats reserved for seniors. There are placards on the buses stating to show others courtesy while talking on your cell phone. Does she need to lose her life over it---absolutely NOT! I sincerely hope that this is a wake-up call to everyone---you never know what someone is battling something or even at their breaking point---tread softly! (I can attest to the fact that I have heard some of the most disturbing conversations commuting on the train---I don't need to know that much about people that I don't know.)
This older woman obviously felt that she needed to posture herself in that threatening manner to gain control of the situation--IDK!
And again, KUDOS to Mr. Bingham for placing his life on the line and gaining control over something that could have ended in fatalities.
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By: acmp2222 on 10/20/2010 4:30PM
Maybe the problem is not the devices but too many people always in other peoples business. " Maybe Im not talking to loud, you are just probably listening too hard" EVERYONE IS ALWAY WORRIED ABOUT THE NEXT PERSON. THEY NEED TO MIND THEIR BUSINESS.!!! This simple situation escalated into something that could have been fatal. I think the older woman needs to be locked up. For the simple fact that she should know better.
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By: MigThor on 10/21/2010 7:08AM
I see a pattern here. When one taboo or unlikely thing happens, then others start to do it. First an old woman shoots a teenager, then we have this event: an older woman pulling a gun on a young woman. There will be more. From my generation we tell the young folks "I'm not going to play with you. Go play with somebody else. Since I can't whip you, I've got my gun" or something to that effect. I see within the Black community a growing disrespect of older Black people. I definitely see it on BV Blackspin, young hoodlums with no sense of intelligence nor tradition. In this case either the old woman was crazy or the younger Black woman bumped into the older woman and didn't respectfully excuse herself since it's nothing but an old Black woman whom she bumped into. Sad to say, many older folks are packin' since they know how wild the young ones are and fist fights don't solve problems and having rational debates are definitely out of the question. It's sad that so many of our young kids are so ignorant and disrespectful.
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By: basslady on 10/21/2010 8:22AM
The older woman went to far with a gun. However being a senior myself, I have thought of carrying because the younger generation has no respect for us & we are easy prey. They will sit(not all) on bus, train ect. seats reserved for seniors. Some due talk to loud on the cell or text with no one else in mind but themselves, then have the nerve to look at you like, mind your business, when they are clearly speaking so everyone can hear their conversation.
This I feel, is the result of yrs. of the gov't telling you how to raise your children & babies having babies. If there is no respect at home it snowballs into adulthood & not having a clue how to respect others or anothers space.
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By: LaDelle on 10/21/2010 9:04AM
Titus 2:4 - The older women are to teach the younger women to love. . .I know this applies to family and others. I'm in my mid 50's and one of my challenges when I was younger was the older women not always having my back, didn't have my front or my sides.
A great opportunity to teach, even if Ms. Chisholm knows the Word of GOD. Instead of folks jumping on band wagons to burn Korans of those whose hearts need to be changed by Holy Fire, we need to get together to burn some old habits of being quickly angered and not showing love, so that we are truly an example for others to grow by and teach others, too!
We all need prayer and need to pray for all!!!
GOD bless and keep you!!!
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By: john on 10/21/2010 1:31PM
If a blk man did this act, he would be demonized and charged with multiple felonies and terroristic threats. America, America, how sweet and fair our legal system is when dealing with crimes and gender. My last comment was not shown for some reason. Is this America or Russia/Iran?
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By: Karo on 10/26/2010 3:28PM
More importantly, why would you push a person with a gun pointed at you over the edge. That girl was pure stupido for trying to jump bad. She could be a statistic right now and that woman would have gotten off because she looks like she already receives a crazy check... ya feel me?
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By: Daywalka on 10/28/2010 10:44AM
Although I don't agree with the violent nature of the old lady's response, I don't believe that she was responding to the simple act of the younger woman talking on the phone. The article said that the younger woman "bumped" into her and that's when the altercation occurred. I ride the train to work daily and have seen on more than one occasion the blatant disrespect that a lot of these younger people have in the way they bump into people, step on people's feet and don't bother to say "excuse me" or "I'm sorry." The conversations that many of them have are also unruly. Many of them act as if the train is their own personal living room. I don't doubt that the young lady probably aid something disrespectful to the older one and got a rude awakening from it. This is a classic case of how people need to be more mindful of their actions and respectful of others at ALL times.
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By: dvine on 10/20/2010 1:29PM
was it really that serious?! that serious to pull out a handgun on someone.. how bout just ask them to say excuse me or say excuse you and keep it moving.. that gun could've went off and all hell on that bus would've broke loose..
as far as the cell phone situation. i can't stand it.. you can't walk and txt because you would be bumping into everyone and the loud convos is just plain rude..
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By: Michelle on 10/20/2010 2:23PM
I agree with the author of the article... How can older adults tell/help younger adults and kids, when they are acting worse than they are... It's so crazy... I hate to hear ppl talking loudly on their cellphones, but come on, let's face it, this is the era we live in... and that whole situation could have been much, much better..... she needs to go to jail for her actions...
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