If you were a witness to violence, what would you do?

[LilKim]

Specifically, if you were physically able and a bystander to this:

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=30588

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[progressivebydesign]

2. I'm a small female.. BUT.. I'd have gotten onto 911 with my cell..

.. and made sure they knew it. Other than that, I dont' think I could have stopped it. I've yelled and stopped a man from beating his girlfriend on the street, I could never just let it go. NEver.

[rzemanfl]

3. As long as we are talking about dilemmas, today Iraq was

critical because guards passed through a vehicle containing a suicide bomber who blew up a police station. Tell me, if you knew that if you stopped a car, you'd get blown up and if you passed it through someone else would get blown up, what would you do?

[devilgrrl]

4. I would have pussed out...

nooooo way am I going to try to break that up, I'd get beaten as badly if not worse. I'd call the cops.

[htuttle]

5. I'd intercede and hold him until the cops get there

I say that, because I've done it before.

Every peace-loving person should learn a few painful joint locks just for situations like this.

[Cary]

10. That guy was pretty large.

You can't just "learn a few painful joint locks" to subdue a large, sweaty man. If you're going to get into it, and not take a beating of your own, you're going to have to take that guy out fast and hard.

[Zenlitened]

6. Not even a look of alarm on any of the bystanders' faces...

... nothing AT ALL in their body language that shows any tension.

Fucking weird. Like they were watching a breakfast cereal commerical on TV.

I don't fault anyone for not trying to physically intervene -- that guy doing the hitting was a monster. But to show NO REACTION whatsoever?

Chilling. :scared:

[Spinzonner]

8. Seinfeld Syndrome

(see the series finale)

[Zenlitened]

25. But Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer at least REACTED.

Yes, their reaction was rotten -- they made fun of the poor guy.

But look at the video here, watching facial expressions -- there's like not even any muscle tension around the eyes of the bystanders. All the typical mammalian responses to stress are just ABSENT.

Brrrr. :scared:

[MrSlayer]

7. It depends.

If it's a fair fight I watch, if it's a righteous beatdown I watch, in the case of the pizza guy I'd probably take his knees out and call the cops. I've seen nothing about this story that leads me to believe the guy deserved to be beat up like that. I've been a witness to quite a bit of violence over the years and my reaction depends on the situation.

[Richard Steele]

9. I was in a similar situation once...

I "intervened"; and then I left before the cops arrived.

Other people just needed someone else to LEAD; once I spoke up every bystander backed me up.

Human Herd mentality.

[Warpy]

11. Called the cops

yelled "Hey, asshole, knock it off! The cops are coming!" and hope he wasn't pumped enough to light into an arthritic old bag.

Yes, I've done it all before.

[Cuban_Liberal]

12. I'd step in.

I can't believe how people just stood there and let that thug beat on that poor guy.

:grr:

[DrWeird]

13. I'll bet nobody on this thread would step in.

It's easy to say that you'd do it. It's an entirely different thing when it actually happens.

Those bystanders probably would have said they'd have stepped in.

[Cuban_Liberal]

14. I was a deputy.

Trust me, I'd step in.

[DrWeird]

Uh huh.

nt

[Cuban_Liberal]

16. Do you have something you'd like to say?

Or was that just a content-free snipe?

[DrWeird]

19. Who are you trying to convince?

Me or yourself?

[Cuban_Liberal]

22. I'm not trying to convince anyone.

I'm trying to contribute to the discussion, which seems to bother you.

[AngryAmish]

15. I was, and I did not step in

To my own shame. Did testify at the trial, and made sure that the prick went to jail.

[BanzaiBonnie]

24. I don't believe I would be able to stand and watch

It would depend on the situation. In a back alley with no one else around. I'd just go for help. If there were others around I'd take a stand, especially with a guy that was way bigger beating on a smaller person.

I keep a 12 inch piece of cable wire (heavy copper) in my car. It's not a weapon or anything like that, but I'd be sure to be holding onto it. I'd tell the guy to knock it off and let him come after a fifty year old grandmother --- if he really wanted to look bad. If the fellow turned his rage on me, I can tell you he wouldn't come out unscathed.

And the chances are that all those idiots standing around watching would be put to shame enough to join in.

[htuttle]

18. I don't believe in boasting about this sort of thing

But I spent 9 years driving a cab, and had to restrain more than one violent nut in that time.

You're right, most people think they would, but wouldn't (most people get frozen due to shock, I think). But if you don't go into shock when violence suddenly erupts somewhere it shouldn't, stopping it seems like the natural thing to do at the time. I don't recall ever really thinking about it first -- I just did it.

If you're watching a collegue of yours get beaten by a drunk, you step in and stop it, because that's just what you do. Maybe you take a punch or two yourself in the process, but you don't just stand there and watch it.

I'd be willing to bet that almost anyone who ever tended bar, or worked in a hospital, or was a cop (obviously) or even who worked nightshift at a greasy spoon would do the same thing.

:shrug:

[Cuban_Liberal]

20. Exactly.

When you've done it as often as you or I have, it becomes second nature.

[DrWeird]

21. colleague, sure.

But a complete stranger is something completely different.

Odd quirk of human psychology.

[Moms Baby Democrat]

17. I have before....

Quite a few times actually, I personally cannot stand by and watch someone get hurt unfairly. Some say it's foolish, I could have got hurt, but for myself it was more about doing the right thing.....

[Clovis Sangrail]

23. hard to say

When I first heard about this I was sure that I would have stepped in.
Then I watched it.
From what I could tell the whole thing happened pretty fast... likely faster than most people would take to decide if they should get involved.

Not that it excuses it, but I'm curious what the victim said to the girlfriend.
Does anyone know?

It could easily change how I would react to the situation.
If Scarpino had just loudly told the person on the phone that he was going to be later than expected because a "lazy stinking <insert racial slur>" had cut in line... I think I might have just stood by and enjoyed the show.

[Bonobo]

26. It requires training of some kind to not go into shocked spectator mode.

Too much TV makes you a passive spectator and it is hard to shake that.

I'm currently getting into martial arts and hopefully will be prepared if such an incident occurs.

However, having said that, the person who got beat on made some very, very bad decisions to have been in that position.

1. He pissed off a big guy's girlfriend and was probably rude mouthed when he couldn't back it up.

2. He stayed on the phone rather than waking up and realizing he was in danger.

3. He should have turned on his heels when that bug guy came into it. He never had a chance against someone that size. Unless he had lots of martial arts training, that is.

I don't mean to blame the victim, but the best offense is a good defense and the first rule is not to get into threatening situations. Second rule is get away from threatening situations. Last rule is to try to defend yourself. He did none of them.

[shreck]

27. I carry

Conceal so I can break up any fight smaller than platoon level.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

28. Well

"a man's enemies will be the members of his own household" Matthew 10:36

interesting choice....what is the significance?

[AlienGirl]

29. I'm notorious for "getting involved"

I'd probably call 911, then try to interrupt things myself.

I've never had to do anything in a fight, but I have been one of two people on a busy street who stopped to check on the well-being of an old man lying on the sidewalk. Everyone else just kind of ignored him; AuntJen and I stopped, found out he was having trouble breathing and had been there for about 20 minutes, and called an ambulance for him. It was surreal, the way people just walked past not even seeing him.

Tucker

[everythingsxen]

30. I'd be the one serving the four year sentence no doubt...

I have a bad habit of getting involved in violent situations; I like to defend the little guy.

Unfortunately I have an awful temper. I would most likely step into the fight, the aggressor would hit me and then that would be it....

I would wake up in the jail cell and be told that I was facing charges for beating the crap outta that guy and no doubt a deputy or two as well.

I fight using the "berserk ogre with an anger control problem" style. :eyes:

Handy to "win" a fight with --- bad consequences afterward though.