Mother and child harassed by racist ranting on train

A U.K. man recently berated a woman and her son on a Virgin train, but she fought back.

In a shocking video, the man -- identified as Alexander "AJ" MacKinnon -- told Sanaa Shahid and her 4-year-old, Zayn, that she did not belong on the train.

"How did you get into first class? You don't deserve to be in first class," MacKinnon said. "You should be in common class. In fact, you shouldn't be in this country at all."

News outlet AJ+ shared the video on their Twitter page:

Shahid spoke to Mirror Online about the incident. She said she couldn't move because of all her luggage, "but part of me died inside when other passengers just sat there and said nothing, they were leaning over their seats and ear-wigging."

She said nobody came to her aid, and she "lost faith in humanity." She said, "if they can't stick up for a mother on her own with a young child then who will they stick up for?"

While other passengers did not help her, the train staff did. "They realized what was happening and were brilliant," Shahid said.

Check out social reactions to this story

During MacKinnon's racist rant, Shahid started filming. We see him talking about her and her son on the phone and calling her a "stupid cow."

Shahid also spoke to BBC Scotland, and said that she was born and lived in the country all her life. "I consider myself to be Scottish Pakistani," she said.

She said that she would think about the rant if she took another train trip -- and that it has affected her son, as well. "He is aware," she said of Zayn, "he's a very sensitive boy and he was aware of everything that had happened at the time." The child also thought the police would take them away.

The encounter occurred on December 29 of last year. MacKinnon was fined last week for "racially aggravated offense."