Ryan Bartels Carmax aka 1776 NYC subway anti masker outed as individual seen physically harassing elderly woman over face mask over the weekend in video.
Freedom at whose expense? An anti masker filmed physically harassing an elderly woman on NYC’s subway system after refusing to wear a mask has been identified on social media as Ryan Bartels– an employee at Carmax.
In the video, which has since gone viral on social media, Bartels is seen yelling in the face of an elderly woman who said she wished the subway rider would be fined for refusing to wear a mask.
Bartels is seen smiling and standing over the woman as she tells him: ‘I wish he police would give you a $50 fine.’
‘I’m so afraid,’ Bartels replies sarcastically.
The scene plays out as fellow New Yorkers ride the subway train over the weekend, with the incident reported to have occurred on Sunday on the Q train in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
We need to find out who this guy is and where he works because this was absolutely unacceptable. Unhinged #antimasker #Antivaxxer bullied an elderly woman on the #subway #NYC today. pic.twitter.com/vGHfPn30Kk
— Naviko (@Subway_DJ) August 16, 2021
‘You know what I respect? I respect freedom. What do you respect?’
‘Please get away from me sir,’ the woman says, as Bartels begins chanting ‘1776’ while pumping his fist in the air.
Bartels then turns to the woman, without betraying any irony, saying, ‘Do you know what I respect? I respect freedom.’
The woman stands up, points at Bartels, responding, ‘respect your elders,’ to which the recalcitrant subway rider tells her to sit down, saying, ‘I respect freedom.’
The woman then reiterates her point to bystanders that the stranger has been disrespecting her.
‘You know what I respect? I respect freedom. What do you respect?’ Bartels says, turning his attention to the individual filming the ongoing encounter.
‘What do you respect? Take a seat, sit down, sit the f*** down.’ an annoyed Bartels tells the filmer, User @Subway_DJ.
The video ends with Bartels glowering at the camera.
Former employer responds
In the Instagram post, Subway_DJ, said despite the subway rider’s behavior nobody intervened. Welcome to the NYC Subway! – where the cardinal unspoken rule is to never bait a potential psycho.
The encounter comes as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority continues to mandate riders wear masks in indoor train stations and platforms aboard trains, buses and trams amid the ongoing pandemic.
Riders who refuse to wear a mask risk a $50 fine. New York state has lifted mask mandates in all other locations bar healthcare settings, although private businesses can still choose to ask customers to mask-up on their premises.
Some people on social media alleged that Ryan Bartels hails from Richmond, Virginia and works as a product manager for Carmax. As of now, no other reliable information on him is available on the internet.
A response from Carmax, Monday afternoon, led to the following response from the manufacturer: ‘This individual has not worked for our company since May 2021. At CarMax, we value treating everyone with respect and this behavior does not represent our values.’
Bartels attended Canisius High School in Buffalo, New York, and then graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in commerce, according to his LinkedIn profile (since removed). While at UVa, Bartels was a Ralph C. Wilson Jefferson Scholar, according to the Jefferson Scholars Foundation alumni directory.
Widely hated on social media
Social media was swift to condemn Bartels, calling out the man’s apparent hypocrisy in telling riders to his respect for freedom while seemingly ignoring the woman’s autonomy.
‘Guy who “respects freedom” giving orders like an authority,’ wrote one Twitter user.
Posted another social media user: ‘Oh, ya he respects freedom alright. The freedom to verbally harass anyone he so chooses. “Sit the f;:’ down”. That’s profound! It’s laughable and very disturbing at the same time.’
Another tweeted, ‘Notice he didn’t choose to antagonize any of the younger folks wearing masks. Such a tough guy. He picked on someone he was pretty sure wouldn’t knock his lights out’.
Posted another, ‘Why isn’t anybody helping her out? He isn’t doing this to the men, interesting.’
Read another tweet, ‘Respects freedom. Doesn’t respect that ladies freedom. Hope he gets sacked when his employer sees this.’
‘Ryan Bartels is an American Taliban,’ another user said.
The episode comes as the Delta variant has driven coronavirus infections up across the US and in New York City as well, with 1,424 confirmed new cases recorded over the past week compared to a low of 195 cases recorded on June 20, according to the city’s Department of Health.
