Got punched today...

[Rainbowlemon]

So I'm walking back home with my girlfriend and a ton of shopping at 5:30 in the evening. A dodgy looking towny about 25-30 years old (who looked totally stoned) asked if either of us had a fag. Politely, I said no, I don't smoke.

However, he didn't take no for an answer, and insisted I had a fag - 'You have a fag, give us one'. I tried to reason with him, but he was having nothing of it. In an act of desperation, we both turned round and started walking off (across the road actually, because we were waiting for the green light to switch). Half way across the road, the guy walks up behind me full pace and takes a swing at my face, connecting with my lower jaw.

Obviously, gut reaction was 'Wtf...ow', but I was quick enough to realise he might go for me again, so I started to run (With like, 4kg of shopping....) and he chased me all the way down the road. At the time, I was thinking 'Should I ditch the bags, or do I not?', and seeing that he was gaining on me, I hopped over a nearby wall to try and give me more time. Apparently, he didn't like walls, because at that point he gave up.

All this time, my girlfriend was walking towards where I was running, completely horrified at the whole thing.

All this for a cigarette!

The reason I'm posting this is both to share my experience (luckily, I've come out fine, got a big bloodblister on my lower lip, but its on the inside, so its ok), and to ask a few questions:

1) What would you do in that situation?

2) Are townies everywhere, or is it just the UK? Because it's a serious problem over here! They're all over the damn place -_-

3) More of a statement than a question - These people need to stop taking out their crap lives on other people. It's their fault they ditched school, it's their fault they don't get on with people. Someone please give me a justification for their existance.

Thanks. =)

[Niki]

On 2006-12-01 16:19, Antimony wrote:
The reason I'm posting this is both to share my experience (luckily, I've come out fine, got a big bloodblister on my lower lip, but its on the inside, so its ok), and to ask a few questions:

1) What would you do in that situation?

If I was with a girl, I'd tell her to move away and get help as loudly as possible while I face the guy down. If he's still wanting to fight at that point, it's on.

Or, if I was alone and it was 1-on-1, he's going to the hospital.


2) Are townies everywhere, or is it just the UK? Because it's a serious problem over here! They're all over the damn place -_-

You've got a lot more of what I would call "soft" violent crime. That is, the non-murder kind. I'm not sure why, but I'm assuming it has something to do with the economy. That or English genes.


3) More of a statement than a question - These people need to stop taking out their crap lives on other people. It's their fault they ditched school, it's their fault they don't get on with people. Someone please give me a justification for their existance.

They're here as an object lesson for your children. Remember this story, as it may be useful someday.

[Skyly]

u should have fought that fool.

[Neoswayne]

I would have tried to reason with him too and since I'm quite good at degrating peoples minds I could have some fun...but if he did turn violent I would suspect something like drugs or drunkeness. I would dodge his swing and punch with my knuckle in one of the most sensitive places on the abdomen/thoracic cavity, the diaphargm. Also I probably wouldn't abandon my girlfriend, I would probably double gang with her or protect her (....with all 125 pounds of me....lol).
Also in several places in the North of America there is much crime in the cities, esp. the big ones. In the South the people are quite nice, but there are some people that are in the big cities who are gangsters. Also some of the people aren't very smart. I say this because I've been to Atlanta.
Well, I suppose people like that exist because they have had a tough life. Certain turns in their lives cause them to act in such a manner that is degrating to others. For example people who do not have people to encourage them, positive role models, and have about 20 people turn on them, even the strongest minded people can turn out to be bad........but that's just my opinion.

[Sgt_Shligger]

Hey, we have a concealed carry law for a reason ;o

If it gets real bad you and your not really good at fighting, I'd carry a weapon. If he had a gun to his head, I doubt he'd say another word.

But that seems a little extreme >_>;;

The solutions I see are
A: take a course in martial arts
B: Carry a pack of smokes with you at all times http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

[Kent]

If someone gets violent whilst requesting a lung cancer installation program, you should have the legal right to quicken the job for them. :/

[Xaos127]

You shouldn't have abandoned your girlfriend..

[Dangerous55]

You did exactly what your government wants you to do. RUN! Self-defense is illegal over there. Granted it basically ended alright, but...you could have been killed.


mod edit: no propaganda.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: rena-ko on 2006-12-03 07:14 ]</font>

[DonRoyale]

1) "Bitch, shut up!" *pulls out strawberry-scented bazooka and banishes him to the land of tinfoil muffins*

On a serious note, if I were with a girl, I'd beat him up very lightly.

If I was alone, 1-on-1, I'd beat the shit out of him, no question.

2) Wouldn't know, don't spend enough time outside D=

[HUnewearl_Meira]

On 2006-12-01 20:59, Sgt_Shligger wrote:
If it gets real bad you and your not really good at fighting, I'd carry a weapon. If he had a gun to his head, I doubt he'd say another word.


If the guy is wacked out enough to chase after him, punch him, and all this stuff just over a cigarette, then there's no guarantee that he's going to respect the authority of a firearm; shots would be fired before the guy would back down.

Antimony, I assume that what you call a "Townie" is what we call a "Bum" in the United States. We've got several varieties of them, out here. Some of them are where they are because of drugs (they seem to be among the happier of the overall grouping, oddly enough), then there's the kind that's out to give you a sob story to try to get you to give them money (sometimes I'm not sure if they believe they're telling the truth or not), and finally there's the variety that will ask you for money, but can oddly enough, hang out with you and your friends at Starbucks as though he were a regular part of the group. That's what we've got in the Central Valley. There's numerous variations, of course.

Though in the bigger cities (I've seen this in Fresno, but it happens even moreso in San Fransisco), friggen... They're not just bums, they're professionals. There's panhandlers out in the bay area that make more money a year than I do. I am not kidding when I say that there are bums with cell phones up there. Some of them drive new cars. I have a cousin that worked at a Macy's out there; said "Hi" to the local panhandler on her way into work, everyday. Sometimes stopped to chat. He drove there every morning in a Lexus. If I remember right. Crazy stuff.

[Rainbowlemon]

Meira, interesting story! Bums with lots of money, seems a contradiction of terms! Grr.

I'd like to stress that I see these type of people a lot here - in Middlesbrough, they're around all the time. They're like....social bullies. But, I've never been hit by one before, which is why I post here now.

To all you people who say you would have stood and fought him - Would you REALLY? I mean...really? I'm not asking for some macho replies, I'm asking for you to be honest. This guy was crazy - he was willing to hit me over a cigarette that I didn't carry. Can you honestly say you would stand and face someone like that, who would happily stab you just...for the sake of it?

To those who said they wouldn't have abandoned their girlfriend - She means everything to me. While I was running away, I was not thinking about how to escape, I was thinking whether or not she would be ok. That's why I MADE SURE he was coming after me, not her, so she could stay safe.

I am no slob - I am a natural sprinter, and am confident in my ability to outrun most people, especially ones that are drugged up and can barely see streaight. Neither am I weak - I am confident I could face someone like him and "Take him down", as you say. But that's not the point. Would you dare risk facing him, knowing that he could kill you with a concealed weapon? And by facing him, also face being put in prison yourself? (Bear in mind, like "Dangerous55" said, the law works different over here in England).

My natural reaction was to run. What I found most perculiar about myself, was my reluctance to just drop my shopping! >_>; Would you?

And Sgt_Shligger....With the guy in question, I don't think carrying smokes would have made a difference - he was just plain looking for a fight, you could see it in his eyes, and I knew no matter what I said, there was no way of avoiding it.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Antimony on 2006-12-02 06:22 ]</font>

[tank1]

I had a similiar incident happen to me a few weeks ago. Me and my mate phil where coming home from the cinema when some little chav shit comes up to us completely wacked off his face asking me if i wanted a fight. I had no doubt in my mind that i could take the guy but with all the knifings and shit that has happened lately in England i decided not to risk it and walked away. (plus chances are with our law system if i beat the snot out of him it would be me going to jail)
He followed us for about a 100yards hurling abuse and i just shrugged it off and he quickly became bored and went off.

[Merumeru]

XD geez, addiction makes you do some crazy shit, huh? eh if u did the right thing or not, all that matters is that you and your gf are okay http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_eek.gif god forbid u give some provocation or he had alterior motives...

[Dangerous55]

On 2006-12-02 06:21, Antimony wrote:


My natural reaction was to run. What I found most perculiar about myself, was my reluctance to just drop my shopping! >_>; Would you?




Hey you got away alright and things ended good enough. I just think it is a shame that you can't defend yourself. That is a human right, and you are denied it. In the UK(and alot of countries)the criminals KNOW you are not going to be armed. They are kept guessing here. A CCW pistol could have saved you, what if this guy was huge, or armed with a knife? You could easily be dead right now and your government defends that.

[HUnewearl_Meira]

On 2006-12-02 07:09, Merumeru wrote:
XD geez, addiction makes you do some crazy shit, huh?


Fairly recently, a British woman stepped off a moving bus onto the highway out of her desperation for a cigarette. She was on an 8-hour bus trip, and they wouldn't let any of the passengers off at any stops fuel stops, on the pretense that the bus had a toilet, and I suppose they may have been serving food as well, given that it was such a long trip. Smoking was not allowed on the bus, and the driver wouldn't let her get off the bus at any stops made... So, after placing the threat, she got off the bus at a time of her choosing.

She won't be smoking anymore cigarettes.

So yeah, addiction will do terrible things, though some people are more prone to it than others; be it by genetics, personality or both.


In regards to putting myself in your shoes, Antimony, I'm not sure how things would have played out differently; I do smoke, and because I seem to lack any addiction traits, the chemical addiction doesn't phase me much-- two the end result that I am fairly careless with my cigarettes. When asked, my response probably would have been, "Certainly. I hope you don't mind mints." If he got upset about that, I dunno. "I'm sorry, but that's what I smoke, so that's what I have to offer you. You're welcome to have one, if you want it."

You're supposing that he probably would have started a fight anyway, in which case, anything I had in my hands probably would have got to his face, largely as a distraction, at which point I probably would have tripped him or otherwise pushed him over or something, while he was still trying to recover from that. From there, I dunno, given your laws, I probably would've used that time I bought to run, though in the US, with our self defense laws, I probably would have tried to pin him down until he gave up.

[Danger_Girl]

My old man, who did some boxing when he was in the army, always used to tell me when it comes to fighting everyone has a plan...until they get punched in the face. In other words I can't honestly answer your first question. I'm not sure how I would react in that situation.

I can only judge the merits of your reaction based on the outcome. So with hindsight being 20/20 you handled it well.



On a sidenote, a guy I know faced a similar situation over here. One night he was sitting with his girlfriend in a parked car by a lake. Some jerks in a pickup truck pulled up behing them and started banging on his car and threatening them for no reason. They ordered him out of the car, but instead he reached into his glovebox and pulled out his .38 (which he carries illegally I might add).

When he told me this story, he took time to stress to me the great sense of relief he felt when he reached into that glovebox and put his hand around his gun.

He didn't have to fire any shots. Looking down the barrel of a gun has a very pacifying effect on most. They got in their truck and left. I'm not trying to say pulling a gun is a solution to all the confrontations we might encounter, but who knows what would have happened to him had he not.

[Rainbowlemon]

Absolutely, that was another of the things going through my head - to try to push him over, or trip him up to buy me time to run. However, at the time, we were in the middle of crossing the road, and if he died because of that, I don't think I would ever have forgiven myself.

Dangerous, yeah, it is unfortunate that we're not allowed to defend ourselves with weapons - but then again, perhaps that is why crime in the US seems much greater. At least I would like to be able to carry pepper spray, but even that is forbidden here :S

[HUnewearl_Meira]

Actually Antimony, our cities with stricter gun control laws have higher crime rates. Washington DC, for example, with the strictest gun control laws, has the highest murder rate in the United States. A lot of people try to look the other way at information like this.

We might be better off if no one had guns, but the fact is that they exist, and those who have them will have an advantage.

[Cash_Lavi]

You show him the kitchen knife you just bought. OR...take his ass down...go for the jaw..hurts the most...or take those bags and just hit him with those http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Jehosaphaty]

Classically most people would tell you that you should have beaten the crap out of him and that they would have sent him to the hospital. However, I don't care how much karate you've learned, being in the situation is a lot different from talking big about it; even if you do have a black belt and are a swordmaster, and are an uber-great fighter. Realistically making a break for it is the snap decision most people would make.

Frankly, I'd like to say that I would have stood my ground, and I'm hoping I would have, but when you're faced with someone intending to harm you, things are different. Obviously things worked out, so I'm happy for you. Maybe packing heat works in some situations, I just think it's a last option that's not a cure-all.

[Dangerous55]

On 2006-12-02 13:48, Antimony wrote:


Dangerous, yeah, it is unfortunate that we're not allowed to defend ourselves with weapons - but then again, perhaps that is why crime in the US seems much greater. At least I would like to be able to carry pepper spray, but even that is forbidden here :S



Seems is right...a gun doesnt make a criminal. Someone said there area bunch of stabbings in the UK recently? I believe there is a law being passes around your government to begin "knife control". They just don't get it that the tool isnt the problem.

And pepper spray is illegal? Who in their right mind was thinking that when it was passed into law?

As was stated, American cities have very tight gun control. One thing about criminals, they don't follow the law!

[space_butler]

On 2006-12-02 13:06, Dangerous55 wrote:

On 2006-12-02 06:21, Antimony wrote:


My natural reaction was to run. What I found most perculiar about myself, was my reluctance to just drop my shopping! >_>; Would you?




Hey you got away alright and things ended good enough. I just think it is a shame that you can't defend yourself. That is a human right, and you are denied it. In the UK(and alot of countries)the criminals KNOW you are not going to be armed. They are kept guessing here. A CCW pistol could have saved you, what if this guy was huge, or armed with a knife? You could easily be dead right now and your government defends that.



and in america the chav would most likley have been carrying a gun. they usually wont kill people, most chavs are fucking cowards.



edit: he was unlikley to be stoned, stoners arent violent. even stoned chavs.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: space_butler on 2006-12-03 05:35 ]</font>

[medusae]

edit: he was unlikley to be stoned, stoners arent violent. even stoned chavs.

PCP maybe? I don't know how prevalent that is in the UK, but it's kind of one of the common drugs here in Dallas.

[SEB]

If you're not physically built and not confident enough to take him on, then kick him in the nuts and he'll fall on the knees, then a good kick in the face and he's out cold.

[Dangerous55]

On 2006-12-03 05:34, space_butler wrote:


and in america the chav would most likley have been carrying a gun. they usually wont kill people, most chavs are fucking cowards.



edit: he was unlikley to be stoned, stoners arent violent. even stoned chavs.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: space_butler on 2006-12-03 05:35 ]</font>


Don't really know what a chav is, so can't compare to here. Maybe, maybe not. Either way, he probably would be doing it illegally. Laws do nothing but hurt people who abide to laws.

[T0m]

However, not everyone involved with violence would be considered a criminal. Fights, and random acts of violence are often commited by normal people, who happened to be in a situation that made them agressive enough to do so. This could be anything, from self-defence, to road-rage, to being very irritated about that non-moving queue, to having had too much lager. Use your own imagination to picture a situation where one thing leads to another, resulting in violence.
With this in mind, I can only be happy that in these parts, guns are forbidden, and the average Joe doesn't come packed with firearms. Now, in a situation where reason is ignored in favour of heated passion, Joe has to rely on his limbs, or whatever is within reach. While this could still prove dangerous, and in rare cases lethal, I'd give Joe's victim a much better chance than if Joe pulled a gun in anger.

You are right about criminals, they don't obey the laws. And organized crime in particular will make sure they are well armed. But that will always be the case. Petty crime here usually doesn't involve weapons at all. And few regular people in their right minds would even consider arming themselves.
So I can safely give that idiot driver, who didn't give way, the finger, knowing that he won't whip out a shotgun in anger. (I'm too timid to actually revert to even the slightest form of violence, mind. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif)

Our system where the police monopolizes violence, as our statesmen are wont to say, isn't perfect. But I prefer it to a system where everyone could own guns

[Dangerous55]

On 2006-12-03 12:43, T0m wrote:
However, not everyone involved with violence would be considered a criminal. Fights, and random acts of violence are often commited by normal people, who happened to be in a situation that made them agressive enough to do so. This could be anything, from self-defence, to road-rage, to being very irritated about that non-moving queue, to having had too much lager. Use your own imagination to picture a situation where one thing leads to another, resulting in violence.
With this in mind, I can only be happy that in these parts, guns are forbidden, and the average Joe doesn't come packed with firearms. Now, in a situation where reason is ignored in favour of heated passion, Joe has to rely on his limbs, or whatever is within reach. While this could still prove dangerous, and in rare cases lethal, I'd give Joe's victim a much better chance than if Joe pulled a gun in anger.

You are right about criminals, they don't obey the laws. And organized crime in particular will make sure they are well armed. But that will always be the case. Petty crime here usually doesn't involve weapons at all. And few regular people in their right minds would even consider arming themselves.
So I can safely give that idiot driver, who didn't give way, the finger, knowing that he won't whip out a shotgun in anger. (I'm too timid to actually revert to even the slightest form of violence, mind. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif)

Our system where the police monopolizes violence, as our statesmen are wont to say, isn't perfect. But I prefer it to a system where everyone could own guns



I am not saying they should be handed out or that I want everyone to have them. It is a huge responsibility, and responsibility must be taught to current generations. I live in an area with a large amount of firearms, what you are describing happens very, very little(actually I can't recall it happening in my county for awhile). An armed society is a polite society. Not even all those people are carrying, it is just the idea of it. Besides, legally you cannot carry in a bar, or a few other places. This is not the idea of it though. My area is probably just as safe as your area, we have very, very limited violent crime in a county of 120,000 or so. We also have many, many guns. The thing is, we will never live with people hundreds of miles away barring us from owning our firearms. I take responsibility, government has no right to say I cannot own these. Your government doesn't trust you, are you really happy with that? Can you think of 6 million Jews who wish they had that shotgun? It can happen again.


http://www.a-human-right.com/panther_s.jpg




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Dangerous55 on 2006-12-03 14:55 ]</font>

[HUnewearl_Meira]

On 2006-12-03 12:43, T0m wrote:
So I can safely give that idiot driver, who didn't give way, the finger, knowing that he won't whip out a shotgun in anger.


I'd think twice about it before presenting the admiral. A car is endlessly more dangerous than any civilian gun you're ever going to encounter, and all things considered, your quality of life is probably more likely to be better after surviving an attack with a gun than an attack with a car.

One thing to keep in mind about the United States, is that our Founding Fathers had just come from oppressive British rule, and were paranoid about government going terribly wrong. The right to bear arms is protected here so that we can overthrow and replace our own government by force if there is a problem.

[DikkyRay]

On 2006-12-03 15:27, HUnewearl_Meira wrote:

On 2006-12-03 12:43, T0m wrote:
So I can safely give that idiot driver, who didn't give way, the finger, knowing that he won't whip out a shotgun in anger.


I'd think twice about it before presenting the admiral. A car is endlessly more dangerous than any civilian gun you're ever going to encounter, and all things considered, your quality of life is probably more likely to be better after surviving an attack with a gun than an attack with a car.


We've all read it before: Cars kill more people than guns/violence. Thankfully this guy wasnt driving at the time.
And this may seem a bit mean, but lets be thanksful he only punched you, mind you, im a pansy when it comes to fighting. I have never been in one. But lets look at it this way: What if the guy had a switchblade, or handgun? You life could have been in more danger than just a punch.
You probably had a bruise right? Painful yes, but its sure as hell not as bad as a scar or death

[Moo2u]

This thread is interesting. That said, I think you were wiser not to fight. Even if you were built, even if you were a kung fu master, even if you're effin' He-Man, it takes a better person not to fight, and I stick by that phillosophy.

I can say that from expearience. Walking home from the bars one night my friends and I desided to walk through the old barrial ground (located in the middle of downtown.) There drunkin' ideots followed us, telling us to get the f*ck out of the graveyard. The leader of this gang was ridiculous, I mean you couldn't even take him siriously. He kept on taking off his shirt and challenging us too fight (I found it hard to not to laugh at this.) This thing is he claimed we knocked over his grandfather's grave in that burrial ground. The thing is, no one had been barried there since the 1800, so it technically was impossible that his grandfather was barried there.

So we left the graveyard, knowing we couldn't reason with these ideots, but they kept following us for a block. Eventually they caught up to us and tryed to get us to fight again. Us keep on saying that we don't want to fight. My friends are equally non violent people, so they were in the same boat. Finally their leader, let's call him Cap. Dumb-Ass, started getting all up in my face (I think it was cause I was obviously the smallest of the bunch, so if they could take on anyone, it would be me.) I try to talk to him, saying I didn't want to fight him. So you know what he dose? Cap. Dumb-Ass puts me in a headlock and gives me a punch in the face. So now my friend dosen't take this sitting down, he pushes him off me, but then Dumb-Ass' friend seeing him pushing Cap. Dumb-Ass off me, so he gives my friend a punch in the jaw. Things were escolating quickly, and still we didn't want to fight, and we didn't through a punch.

Finally Cap. Dumb-Ass' friend shows up, and tells him what a dumb-ass he is for picking a fight with us. He takes him away, and we go on our marry way.

Now there guys may not have been a major threat. Sure, they were pretty big, but they were majorly tanked and pretty stupid. It was Cap. Dumb-Ass and his friend vs. me and my two friends (one of whom plays football and the other rugby) so chances are we probably could have taken them. That dosen't mean we should have beaten the crap out of them, but it dose mean that we're better people for not fighting, and that we'll probably end up better, happier and more successfull than Cap. Dumb-Ass.

And now you know....the rest of the story...

[Hustler_One]

Its kind of scary the amount of idiots in the world. Im sure that was a scary experiance for you. To answer your questions of what would I have done, I honestly dont know, it would be hard for me to tell you as I havent been faced with very many situiations where I felt threatened. As someone said, the man could very well have been armed, and just waiting for a "good" reason to bring said weapon out. And if Ive learned anything during the time I spent in my self-defense classes Ive attended, its that running is the best option. So I would say you handled it well. Although you mentioned that arming yourself is illigal in england? I cant agree with that... An example would be just last summer, I was helping my aunt with her newspaper route. She lives in the country, so its a vehicle route. We also had to deliver them VERY early, ussually starting by 1:00 AM. One time, during the last week we were working, we were driving out to a delivery, when we found a log layed across the road, very obviously placed there by someone, and just under it, was a cinderblock. When my aunt got out to move these, movement in the bushes nearby, as well as muffled laughter was very clearly heard. Obviously this scared us both a lot, and we quickly drove away. Thankfully, the people were apparently just doing this as some sort of sick joke, and they neither reveled themselves, or tried anything during the next few days. But imagine if they had, we very well could have been hurt badly if we werent armed (I always kept a kitchen knife with me on these trips, unknown to my aunt.) I guess it could be debated, but I really feel that law doesn't protect as much as it could harm. Just my 2 cents though.

[Rainbowlemon]

On 2006-12-04 15:40, Hustler_One wrote:
Its kind of scary the amount of idiots in the world. Im sure that was a scary experiance for you. To answer your questions of what would I have done, I honestly dont know, it would be hard for me to tell you as I havent been faced with very many situiations where I felt threatened. As someone said, the man could very well have been armed, and just waiting for a "good" reason to bring said weapon out. And if Ive learned anything during the time I spent in my self-defense classes Ive attended, its that running is the best option. So I would say you handled it well. Although you mentioned that arming yourself is illigal in england? I cant agree with that... An example would be just last summer, I was helping my aunt with her newspaper route. She lives in the country, so its a vehicle route. We also had to deliver them VERY early, ussually starting by 1:00 AM. One time, during the last week we were working, we were driving out to a delivery, when we found a log layed across the road, very obviously placed there by someone, and just under it, was a cinderblock. When my aunt got out to move these, movement in the bushes nearby, as well as muffled laughter was very clearly heard. Obviously this scared us both a lot, and we quickly drove away. Thankfully, the people were apparently just doing this as some sort of sick joke, and they neither reveled themselves, or tried anything during the next few days. But imagine if they had, we very well could have been hurt badly if we werent armed (I always kept a kitchen knife with me on these trips, unknown to my aunt.) I guess it could be debated, but I really feel that law doesn't protect as much as it could harm. Just my 2 cents though.



Again, that's the thing with protection - Would you ever actually bring yourself to knife an offender in front of your Aunt? I suppose just standing there won't protect you, but...scary thought.

[space_butler]

On 2006-12-04 15:40, Hustler_One wrote:
Its kind of scary the amount of idiots in the world. Im sure that was a scary experiance for you. To answer your questions of what would I have done, I honestly dont know, it would be hard for me to tell you as I havent been faced with very many situiations where I felt threatened. As someone said, the man could very well have been armed, and just waiting for a "good" reason to bring said weapon out. And if Ive learned anything during the time I spent in my self-defense classes Ive attended, its that running is the best option. So I would say you handled it well. Although you mentioned that arming yourself is illigal in england? I cant agree with that... An example would be just last summer, I was helping my aunt with her newspaper route. She lives in the country, so its a vehicle route. We also had to deliver them VERY early, ussually starting by 1:00 AM. One time, during the last week we were working, we were driving out to a delivery, when we found a log layed across the road, very obviously placed there by someone, and just under it, was a cinderblock. When my aunt got out to move these, movement in the bushes nearby, as well as muffled laughter was very clearly heard. Obviously this scared us both a lot, and we quickly drove away. Thankfully, the people were apparently just doing this as some sort of sick joke, and they neither reveled themselves, or tried anything during the next few days. But imagine if they had, we very well could have been hurt badly if we werent armed (I always kept a kitchen knife with me on these trips, unknown to my aunt.) I guess it could be debated, but I really feel that law doesn't protect as much as it could harm. Just my 2 cents though.



you know, most people who get stabbed are stabbed with thier own weapon...