• Flash

Atlanta has never been famous for its public transportation, and if you’ve ever taken a ride on a MARTA train, you probably understand why. Despite the “no camera” policy on MARTA trains, one passenger was able to capture a truly compelling (if not completely disturbing) episode of attack as Nafiza Iman Ziyad, the self proclaimed “Soulja Girl” – dubbed “MARTA Girl” by bloggers – brutally threatens and denigrates an elderly passenger on the train. More disturbing than the actual tirade is the fact that other passengers on the train proceeded to laugh at the spectacle instead of stepping in to aid the clearly frightened woman at the blunt end of Ziyad’s attack. MARTA Girl, who has a history of bipolar disorder, continues to talk to rapper Young Jeezy (who is not actually there) and freestyles on the woman until another passenger finally steps in. The ensuing confrontation leads to a charge of rape and an oddly physical climax. MARTA Girl was eventually arrested after being positively identified by the senior citizen, and the footage lives on as one of the top viral videos in 2008. The explicit nature of the video garners a lot of attention from outraged bloggers across the globe, and many question if the attack stemmed from the influence of irresponsible hip hop lyrics (MARTA Girl repeatedly swears at the woman using popular hip hop lyrics from Soulja Boy, such as “Yah, N—-, YAH!”) or solely from Ziyad’s bipolar disorder. You be the judge.

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