nine years

[danceboy]

Well, after nine years and one month of being able to say "I've never had a problem where I live", I had one. On the T home from work, I was attacked by a young man who I believe was showing off how tough he is for a girl.

I'm fine. I have a very dramatic scrape along the side of my face. I need new glasses.

I'm trying to decide if this was actually a function of where I live or not. I'm currently leaning towards "no".

Comments

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

Ack!

I'm fine.

Given your reflexes, training, and strength, I'm more worried about how he is.

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I fought for shit. I was doing the punching equivalent of "Shoo! I said shoo!".

I just couldn't get the image that I was hitting a child out of my head.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

I was thinking the same thing as mzrowan. I'm glad, then, that you're both alright!

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[cos]

That's what happened to Doug (Esther's husband) when he got mugged by some teen girls on their street when they were living in Malden. He couldn't figure out how to deal with the concept of fighting back against them because they were so young, and he didn't have much money on him anyway so he just gave it to them.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! I'm so sorry to hear this happened. But I'm glad you're okay, and it sounds like he is, too. Are you planning to file any kind of report?

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Are you planning to file any kind of report?

I already did. The transit police were surprisingly efficient. They even gave me a ride home (which sounded kind of silly when they suggested it, but was a really good idea by the time I started coming down off the adrenaline).

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Good on you! When I was in my bike accident this summer, I didn't have my wits about me enough to either call the police or file any kind of report -- that adrenaline rush is a doozy, isn't it?

It sounds like you handled this as well as you could have. It sucks that it happened, and I hope that takes care of your random street adventures of this sort for at least the next 9 years, preferably more!

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Inshallah. Thank you.

[blk]

Ack!

No getting hurt! :(

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

No getting hurt! :(

You say this to someone who does circus arts?...

Thank you.

[blk]

There's good hurt and bad hurt, y'know. I'm sure you're familiar with them.

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

I think I heard something about that once, in passing...

[clara-girl.livejournal.com]

blah!

i'm sorry :(

i'm nto sure it was af unction of where i lived, or that i was out at 3a.m. but i was followed several blocks (nearly a mile) once and the guy tried to take my bag.

i kicked him in the balls and ran like hell.




but i was an emotional wreck for AGES afterwards.

i was also working in the dept of criminal justice at a university an di asked my boss (head of the dept) if i should file against him. he said that if i could accurately ID the guy ANDi thought he was a threat to the neighborhood, yes. otherwise? not worth it. i thought about it all day and answered both questions (correctly ID? threat?) as No. i decided the guy was just drunk or something because when i kicked him and ran like hell, he ran into the bushes and didn't pursue.

anyway

::hugs::

i'm really REALLY sorry :(.

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

i kicked him in the balls and ran like hell.

Lemur power!


As for filing, at least right now I'm pretty sure I could identify him, we'll see as time progresses. The cops are checking to see if they have images from the T exit cameras.

And I don't know if he's really a threat (he scratched my face and bent my glasses), but I want to strongly discourage people from showing off by hitting people (and also from trying to steal bags).

I'm a little worried that he's a threat to himself. Assaulting people that may well be faster, stronger, better armed than you is not a pro-survival trait...

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Someone mugged my dad once. Like a 15 y/o skinny kid who picked up a branch or twig from a tree. If he had hit my dad in the head, there might have been problems, but hitting a man in suit (i.e. undershirt, shirt, suitjacket, AND overcoat, both with some kinds of stiffening and padding) in the back does nothing. Being like 5'6" and doing it to a 6'2" tower of large houseness that almost still is my dad and definitely was 15 years ago.

My dad just turned around, glowered, cursed him out and he ran away.

(That was the first time I learned my dad could curse!)

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Alright, that's depressing.

I was thinking that it was like how martial artists famously make bad bouncers; you can be the deadliest guy in the world, but if you aren't a big primate some drunk and/or idiot will take a swing, then you have to hit back...

If larger guys (who might also be martial artists) aren't safe from random mishigas, then our species has some severe evolving to do.

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

Yikes.

What kind of idiot attacks someone as fit as you?

Very glad you're okay.

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

What kind of idiot attacks someone as fit as you?

I believe that your question contains your answer. But hell, fitness nothing; I might have had friends, or a knife, or just been willing to kick a kid in the balls.


Very glad you're okay.

Thank you.

[sensesurfer.livejournal.com]

Very glad you are ok. I hope the girl he was trying to impress was unimpressed enough to ditch him on the spot.

[water-childe.livejournal.com]

I second sensesurfer's statement.
So sorry to hear of this. :(
Glad you're mostly unhurt.

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Honestly I hope for his sake that she does and that he learns something. But from what little I saw, I think karma may not be so kind to him.

And thank you.

[sweetmmeblue.livejournal.com]

I'll add my wishes to the others you have received. *hugs* and 3fold the number of unbothered years you have had so far.

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

Yikes

[quueer.livejournal.com]

Ebeth posted in her LJ about this and I popped over to see if you had details. Sounds icky.

On another note, I added you as a friend. Friend back or not at will. Just wanted to let ya know.

Re: Yikes

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Icky may be the best description I've heard yet...

[queen-of-wands.livejournal.com]

Yikes. I'm glad the bad news comes with the you're okay news wrapped up inside it. Take care of yourself.

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

I will try. Thank you.

[samurailuci.livejournal.com]

i'm sorry you went through that, and i'm glad to know you're fine.

personally, i'm of the opinion that criminal/crazy folks can get all the same places nice sane folks can get.  i liked your neighborhood the one time i visited it.

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Thank you on both counts.

And I like the neighborhood too. I hear "Oh, you live there!" often enough that I must admit that I wonder sometimes. And the kid in question was clearly trying hard to be the standard local boogie man.

I honestly think that thats the biggest thing; some kids are told "You're thugs and thieves." often enough that they begin to believe it. And with certain things, belief is all you need.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm glad that worked our relatively well.

[danceboy.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[buxom-bey.livejournal.com]

*sits dumbfounded*

[dilletante.livejournal.com]

oh no! glad to hear you're all right!

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Yikes.
Glad it's not worse, but still scary, that.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

wow. and crap. and ... glad it turned out mostly well.

i hope the girl didn't put him up to it, and hopefully she realizes the whole thing was dumb and runs away. the guy? hopefully as well he realizes he's got some growing up to do, and perhaps got off very lucky. very very lucky.

the saddest part is that the girl might have been impressed, and he'll do it again.

heal fast.

got AAA? lenscrafters major discount!

#

[nchanter.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I'm glad you're ok. And I hope karma kicks him in the ass.

[drwex]

Glad things turned out relatively OK.

[larksdream]

Eep! Hig bugs.

[klingonlandlady.livejournal.com]

eek! I'm glad you're ok.

OBTW, the video i wanted to show you was yanked from YouTube, possibly cause it was taken without permission... But you can see the trick here (look at Bret Pfister): http://www.enc.qc.ca/en/school/graduates.asp (in the nightclub show he did that landing-on-the-armpits a LOT, while swinging, from being up top as well... very athletic and probably ouchy.