Baffled here.
If someone is demanding your ticket, refusing to show ID, and you suspect them of being thieves or otherwise a ne'er-do-well, that is possibly the most legitimate reason for pulling the Passcom.
You're being robbed. On a train. That's your only way of summoning help.
I'm pretty sure if legitimate employees were refusing to show ID and had Passcoms pulled as a result, someone, somewhere, would surely be having a meeting without tea or biscuits pronto tonto.
And if you can't get to the Passcom l, shout "Help, I'm being robbed!"