To be or not to be

[Blackjack]

Right, Last night at around 3. I hear a lot of noise comming from the street of the appartment i live in. There is always trouble in the weekends but this time it sounded like someone was trying to break into the store i live above. because of that and the fact that my sister bike is right next to the store i dicide to check out. So i grap my trusted ironrod and set out to see what is happening. the moment i step out into the freezing night (in my t-shirt, yeah bright i know ) reason starts to kick in; You doing the right thing?, how many are they?, is it worth it?
Because while being a vigilante is fun.. being stabbed or shot isn't.
I get down and check the store, some boxes that are normally stacked infront of it were all over the place and there was a crack in the window. but other than that no sign of forced entry. But now a loud discussion catches my attention on the opposite site of the street. A group of 5.
"2 against 1" "Knife" "Shut the fuck up" was pretty much all i got. before one of the people, a woman i have seen step a man in the face with high heels, breaks off ranting about some knife and walks away. as i get closer i recognize 2 of the people. one of them a local guy always on drugs. always has a knife on him. the second one and old aquintance of mine. i ask what the fuck is going on. i get a halfassed explanation. and i decide im not needed so i go back to bed.

Well the question i wanted to ask after this looong post was really.
Should ordinary people respond to things like this? the police in my area are useless.. and i mean useless. should avarage joe's attempt to help make the streets safer. or should they just leave it to the cops, who never shows up?
This time it ended without any violence. But everytime you step out to stuff like this there is a chance you can get hurt.
It's not the first time. I have been standing face to face with a knife wielding nut job before and it's alittle TOO exciting imo

Should we just mind our own business or make an effort?

 

[Outlander]

leave it to the police.

 

[Blackjack]

leave it to the police.

Even when the police never shows up. or if they do, really dont care?

 

[Outlander]

yup leave it to them.

 

[DocWolfe]

it depends on how willing you are to risk your own life for someone elses property. If your on your own your best just staying out of it, criminals very rarely commit crimes on their own.

 

[Blackjack]

it depends on how willing you are to risk your own life for someone elses property. If your on your own your best just staying out of it, criminals very rarely commit crimes on their own.

i agree to the fact that it is not worth risking injury for the sake of someone elses property, but if it's someones health, eg. some girl getting raped, i definitely think it's worth the risk.
In this case it might not have been worth it though.

 

[kirennia]

When it's someonelses property or even your own, it really isn't wort the risk. Having had a knife put to my throat whilst being mugged with 3 other friends, I may well have been able to do something when I saw an opening but the person wasn't alone and even if I'd have done something, freedom is something people do not easily give up. I wouldn't want to see what someonelse would do if they thought they'd get arrested so although we lost a good £100, there are more important things in life.

That said, about 3 months back I saw someone who I thought was being beaten up by a group of 8 people yet I still felt compelled to charge over and help the guy. Luckily for me, they were only play fighting and ended up being quite friendly and having a laugh about it but afterwards, the thoughts started kicking in and I wondered what would have happened if they were hostile.

The question you have to ask yourself is would you ever be able to forgive yourself if someone were to get beaten/raped or whatever and you chose to not even try to do anything about it. There is always something you can do in that situation, even if it is to simply phone the police then shout over to them saying that you called the police 5minutes ago to try and make them scram. Very often, people commiting the crimes are as worried of getting caught as you are of getting hurt.

 

[Rhori]

When it's someonelses property or even your own, it really isn't wort the risk. Having had a knife put to my throat whilst being mugged with 3 other friends, I may well have been able to do something when I saw an opening but the person wasn't alone and even if I'd have done something, freedom is something people do not easily give up. I wouldn't want to see what someonelse would do if they thought they'd get arrested so although we lost a good £100, there are more important things in life.

this is why I choose to do some self defense sports, so that if this would happen to me, he'd be down on the floor without his knife and his pols twisted in a way it hurts like hell, while me sitting on him, then I'd phone the police to get this guy arrested

 

[Blackjack]

When it's someonelses property or even your own, it really isn't wort the risk. Having had a knife put to my throat whilst being mugged with 3 other friends, I may well have been able to do something when I saw an opening but the person wasn't alone and even if I'd have done something, freedom is something people do not easily give up. I wouldn't want to see what someonelse would do if they thought they'd get arrested so although we lost a good £100, there are more important things in life.

That said, about 3 months back I saw someone who I thought was being beaten up by a group of 8 people yet I still felt compelled to charge over and help the guy. Luckily for me, they were only play fighting and ended up being quite friendly and having a laugh about it but afterwards, the thoughts started kicking in and I wondered what would have happened if they were hostile.

The question you have to ask yourself is would you ever be able to forgive yourself if someone were to get beaten/raped

Might just be me, but i think there is a world of difference between a beating and a rape. I'll gladly take a massive beating by 3 steroid gorilla type mofos if it means that a girl can avoid a rape, that shit leaves very deep scaring on a female. on the other hand, if i see someone beaten. you have to take into account their size and numbers since you may just make it worse. You'll get over a beating in a month (unless someone throws a fit and stamps on your head over and over) you may never get over a rape.

But as you said, it's all down to your conscience. Being a hero doesn't do you any good if you are dead.

 

[Rhori]

But as you said, it's all down to your conscience. Being a hero doesn't do you any good if you are dead.

most people become a hero after their death.

or does that only work for artist to get famous?

 

[Blackjack]

this is why I choose to do some self defense sports, so that if this would happen to me, he'd be down on the floor without his knife and his pols twisted in a way it hurts like hell, while me sitting on him, then I'd phone the police to get this guy arrested

I have done several types of martial arts and self defence.
training is far far from the real thing. The streets are unforgiving. No doubt training helps but to use an old vietnamese saying "Doom on you, dojo punk!"
be careful

 

[Ezteq]

tbh i dont think you can actually say weather its right or not to intervene, tbh if someone is at risk best thing to do is make as much noise as possible yelling "IM CALLING THE POLICE"" at top of your lungs because its no good at all if you and the person your out to save get nailed.

stuff on the other hand isn't worth risking yourself for, theres always more stuff.

 

[Vilje]

About 6 months ago a good friend of mine came knocking on my door. His face were all fecked up, and he could barely speak. What had happened was, he was walking home from the local mall, smoking a cigarette. Then 2 guys saw he was smoking and asked if they could have one. He said yes. But when they noticed that he had a close-to-full package of cigs, they decided that they wanted them all. And they took them. He, of course, would not let them and tried to take it back. Then they gave him one hell of a beating. Over one package of cigarettes! My friend was 18 at the time, and these guys were in their mid-twenties. Several people just walked by and watched it happen. Pretended they did not notice. One package of cigarettes!!

The police can do very little about stuff like this, simply because they don't have the capacity to take care of all of these cases of violence. One can report it, but nothing will happen.

At the time, my friends and I got in a van and drove all around town to find these buggers, but they were long gone. The question is, what should we have done if we caught them? I guess none of us thought that far ahead. We could have brought them to the police, which would have turned us down. We could have given them one hell of a beating, but would that really be the right thing to do? One do of course feel a strong need for vengeance when things like this happens, as I am sure many of you is aware of. And if we had beaten them up, next time it might be me walking alone and running in to those guys - And maybe a bounch of their friends aswell. They might have a knife or another weapon too.

I don't know what to do if we run into those guys, or if anything similar ever happens. What would you guys have done? Is the only way to make such people stop, to let them taste their own medicine?


And to Blackjack: In my opinion one should help when possible, and long as it does not increase the likelyhood of people getting hurt, both others and oneself.

 

[DocWolfe]

theres too much scum around these days.

 

[kirennia]

this is why I choose to do some self defense sports, so that if this would happen to me, he'd be down on the floor without his knife and his pols twisted in a way it hurts like hell, while me sitting on him, then I'd phone the police to get this guy arrested

Sadly I was sitting down on the floor with my legs crossed in a corner at the time so even with all the training in the world, it isn't going to be plain sailing when they're pressing a blade to your throat. It may well sound a bit stupid on my part but I was right outside the birmingham NIA (national indoor arena) with people around so I thought nothing of it. It has since made me very VERY edgey when I see any kind of violence. The number of times I've helped people and ended up being okay make me wonder when I may get involved in something I can't fully handle.

But again, is the risk of a beating or such worse then knowing you'd just let someone get beaten/raped or whatever and you did nothing about it.

 

[Blackjack]

Several people just walked by and watched it happen. Pretended they did not notice.

When people just ignore it on the street. Thats gets me angry. Plenty of people to help, noone reacts. all it would take was 2-3 people having the courage to stop it.

The And to Blackjack: In my opinion one should help when possible, and long as it does not increase the likelyhood of people getting hurt, both others and oneself.

well it always increases the likelyhood of yourself getting hurt But the chance is usually worth it for the one getting beat, robbed or raped.

 

[Marc]

Comes down to "fight or flight" to a certain degree. Personally I would leave it to the police (or at least give them a call) but I could understand someone getting involved due to the adrenaline factor. I have a golden rule that I always stick by. Never get involved if its between a man and woman, because 9 times out of 10 they will both turn on you.

 

[[SS]Gamblor]

Comes down to "fight or flight" to a certain degree. Personally I would leave it to the police (or at least give them a call) but I could understand someone getting involved due to the adrenaline factor. I have a golden rule that I always stick by. Never get involved if its between a man and woman, because 9 times out of 10 they will both turn on you.

That's true enough about the man and woman ... seen some nasty fights , guy steps in and he gets a kicking for his troubles from both .

I personaly would phone the police , but i would keep an eye on what is happening , if it does start to go mental , then i'm afraid i'd think about charging in ... i say think about it , as saying you'll do something and doing it are 2 different things.

I have stepped in a few rows and 90% of them i did calm down and everything was grand . I have gotten a few smacks now and again , but nothing major.

It's karma for me . i'd like to think that if i was in a spot of bother with someone that a kind soul would try and help out.