Crime Story Analysis

Rider Fatally Stabs City Bus Driver and Flees
By Robert D. McFadden
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/nyregion/02driver.html?ref=nyregion

This crime article immediately caught my attention with its title “Rider Fatally Stabs City Bus Driver and Flees” because of the sheer cowardice and inexplicable violence inherent with such an act. The lede, which is a hard news lede (and also since it’s a crime story, it attributes its information) indicating who, what, where, and the astonishing why, further enraged me: “A New York City bus driver was fatally stabbed in Brooklyn on Monday after refusing to give a transfer to his assailant, who had not paid his fare, the police said.”

The “so what” or the nut graf is found in the immediate paragraph: this is the first murder of a city bus driver in 27 years. The article does a really good job of providing a mini-bio of the driver and also stirring emotions in the reader. The structure of the story is in a somewhat chronological order with inserts regarding the investigation and monetary rewards that lead to the arrest of the attacker.

The story ends with two good kicker quotes that really put this horrible crime in perspective, one by a witness and one by his son. “Over a transfer…that’s stupid” and “He was a good dad…we were like the best of friends. We shared all our secrets and laughter.” Hopefully police and witnesses can corroborate well enough to lead to this man’s arrest.