Unhinged NYC straphanger goes off on ‘American Idol’ contestant — but riders rally around subway performer

Former “American Idol” contestant Shane Dan Turner was performing on Manhattan’s A train when a passenger objected to his music, shouted over him and allegedly tried to take money from his guitar case. A video of the confrontation shows other riders backing Turner, applauding and giving him tips, turning the incident into a viral display of support.

Turner, 29, said the woman first criticised his autism-awareness pin and disputed his autism before grabbing at the money. He changed a guitar string and played My Chemical Romance’s “I Don’t Love You”, while the woman continued singing loudly and said she had recently had ear surgery. Turner competed on the show’s 23rd season and later said he hoped the woman would get help.