Well done that woman but yes, other passengers should have backed her up.
Not half as serious but I chased after and told off a gang of lads in London who had asked me the time, then ran off saying 'we gobbed on your coat'. Caught up with them at the tube barriers and used my very firm headmistress voice. They shuffled their feet and apologised and I made them say sorry to ds, as well. Quite satisfying. Then they jumped the barriers...