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Old 09-07-2015, 04:03 AM   #1
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What would you have done?

I'm sitting by myself at a rather nice sports bar .... had a beer with dinner and was just starting on a second when a guy comes up to my table and very aggressively demanded to know what I was doing.

"Im reading yahoo news on my cell phone".
(him) "Why are you doing that? My name is Lee"
(me) "Why not? Its like reading a news paper"
(him) "I'm going to teach you a lesson!"
I'm going to beat the **** out of you!"
(me) "What? I'm just sitting here!"
(him) I'm probably going to kill you!
Yes! I'm going to kill you!
I'm going to beat the **** out of you first .... and kill you!"
(I stood up) Get the hell out of here Lee!!!! I spun him around so his back was facing me ..... "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE LEE!"

Fortunately, he did.

I went to the head bar maid and told her I needed help and asked her to call the police. I was sitting in a position where I could watch her and she did nothing more than pour drinks for other people. Gathering my thoughts I realized that I had a cell phone and I was the one assaulted ... it was up to me to make the call .... I did but the police arrived about a 1/2 hour after he left.

I full on alerted when he first said that he was going to "kick the **** out of me" and started to look for a weapon to defend myself .... any weapon. I was unarmed other than a Swiss Army knife with a bottle opener. Wasn't wearing a belt .... and nothing heavy on my table or within reach. When he said that he was going to have to kill me then my plan was to parry his punch and crash the salt shaker into his right temple as hard as I could. If this knocked him down it would either give me enough time to get away or do him in with my bar chair .... I know I wouldn't have stopped until he could not move any more if the chair was the option ..... It was that intense!

Soo .... what would you have done? Its been about two hours and I'm still all revved up.

I know that few of you know me but I'm really a peaceful person .... I haven't been in a fist fight since 6th grade I think. I have always been able to negotiate any kind of conflict. But here I was contemplating if I would need to try to take another mans life. I'm still shaking.
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Old 09-07-2015, 06:55 AM   #2
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Hi: StarvingHyena... At least I would have offered to open his bottle of beer with my "Swiss Army Knife". Alf
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Old 09-07-2015, 07:26 AM   #3
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StarvingHyena......First of all you must calm this guy down and then go over to the jukebox and put on Johnny Mathias album and then call 911.
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Old 09-07-2015, 09:16 AM   #4
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Is this a joke or something that really happened?
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Old 09-07-2015, 09:21 AM   #5
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Surely not something that happens in this day and age !
Sounds like something out of an old John Wayne movie .......well except that cell phone .....
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Old 09-07-2015, 09:22 AM   #6
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The fact that he wasn't combative when you spun him around would seem to indicate that this individual was a nut case. There are nut cases everywhere. Even some on this forum!
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Old 09-07-2015, 09:27 AM   #7
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Based on the head bar maid's lack of quick reaction (in a bar full of other patrons) and the slow response by the police after your call... this nut case sounds like the local town drunk. The kind everyone knows and no one fears because the threat is outta-the-mouth. He probably picked on you as you were the newcomer...

I'm sorry you were frightened!
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Old 09-07-2015, 09:56 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Is this a joke or something that really happened?
That is what I thought too.

Anyway, in the scenario above, the fellow sitting down was not physically assaulted, he was verbally threatenedl.

Maybe this is a riddle we are supposed to solve.

Odd that the protagonist gives his name.

Odd that the threatened person, who likely was frightened, could remember his name. In conflict situations our thoughts tend to focus on the threat. I don't remember names at the best of times, let alone if I was threatened
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Old 09-07-2015, 10:52 AM   #9
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Disengage with him, stop talking and back away.
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Old 09-07-2015, 11:16 AM   #10
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I spend quite a bit of time in bars as a bartender and bar manager while paying off my student loans. There is a significant % of adult males who should never drink - period. I watched a lot of guys go thru a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde transformation. They'd come in fairly mild mannered and after a few drinks it was like their whole personality changed violent. One night (when I was luckily off work), after sitting calmly and drinking, a guy suddenly pulled out a handgun and started shooting at people. Luckily he was a really bad shot and no one was killed or permanently injured. After shooting at some people at tables, he started shooting at guys at the pool table, they ducked behind it until he was out of ammo, chased him, and caught him outside until the cops arrived.

The result has been for me to become very aware of people when I am in a bar - which is infrequent now. Maybe people should have to earn a drinking license just like earning a drivers license. Prove that they aren't a violent drunk, instead are the silly ones like most of us.
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Old 09-07-2015, 11:18 AM   #11
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Having never been in this sort of situation (knock wood!), I don't honesty know.

First off, I know I would not have been doing anything on a cell phone (we have dumb phones), but probably would have been reading a book while waiting for food to arrive, if hubby wasn't with me.

Two, if it was noisy, I would have had problems understanding him since I have massive problems understanding what someone says in a noisy environment (nothing to do with age or too many rock concerts back in the day; the filter in my brain for that is defective), so I would have kept saying "what?", which would have pissed him off further or he would have left.

Third, if I understood him and I was waiting for my food, chances are my blood sugar levels would have been low and I would have started ragging on him, which could have made the situation worse. Low blood sugar levels equal quick to anger and loss of patience.

Fourth, I would have discussed the matter with the manager. I don't care if he's the town drunk, that waitress should have done something, if only to call the manager over to take care of the guy. And to give you a free drink for your troubles from someone that's well known to act that way.

Fifth, never go in there again.
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Old 09-07-2015, 11:30 AM   #12
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He's lucky you handled it the way you did. Because Alaska's a concealed carry state, it could have ended badly for him if he'd made those threats to someone else.

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Old 09-07-2015, 12:31 PM   #13
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Any chance he was angling for a "shut up and have a drink on me" response?
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Old 09-07-2015, 12:33 PM   #14
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Or, "here, I'll show you what it does".
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Old 09-07-2015, 04:44 PM   #15
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Thank you for everyone's comments. I have calmed down a bit now and am able to analyze a few things. Here are my reflections:


Don't sit alone
When I entered that sports bar .... a nice place and not a seedy dive ... it was about 8:00 pm and due to dinner rush, all tables were full except one in the very back corner. I took that table and ordered a meal and a beer. The beer came but before the meal arrived a few other tables opened up. In hindsight, I should have moved over to a table near other people. I suspect that sitting alone made me appear as an easy target to someone like this guy who was obviously spoiling for a fight.


Be aware of your surroundings
I wasn't. I don't normally think about or worry about who is around me as I'm not one who finds trouble. I did not see this fellow enter the bar OR even notice him approach my table. I didn't know anyone in the whole place so instead of looking around with a really bored stupid look on my face, I was entertaining my self with my cell phone .... ie not paying attention. Maybe this made me appear vulnerable to him.


Be armed
I don't mean to suggest carrying a gun.... I have never been trained in the use of firearms and I doubt that at my age I could be effectively. I am thinking about having a container of Mace on my key ring .... might buy enough time to get away. Mace or bear spray is problematic for Americans crossing the Canadian border .... we can't take such products across the border.


I brought this up here because last night I needed to vent and even though I don't know many of you, it feels like I'm among friends. I also realize that I need to work on my "street smarts" and hope you can have a discussion with your significant other about what to due in case of trouble.


Good luck to all and stay safe and prepared,


Tom
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Old 09-07-2015, 04:46 PM   #16
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All is well that ends well....
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Old 09-08-2015, 09:20 AM   #17
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Just glad all is well now, Tom. There are weirdos out there, and there really is no way to prepare for them, other than in how to react on the off chance you do run into one.

This could have been me too, as I am a very trusting person, and never really concern myself about safety in situations like that. Sure it could get me in trouble, but in the end it mostly has worked out for me. You are not much different, heck you came out alone to have dinner and drinks with me, along with Lisa and 6 others you hadn't met before. They just mighta been creeps too. (note: we had met Tom previously at the Escape rally)
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Old 09-08-2015, 11:36 AM   #18
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You CAN take bear spray across the border - I've done it many times and declared it with no problems. Mace, no, you can't.

That fellow was lucky you weren't carrying concealed and he didn't get shot, especially in Alaska.
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Old 09-08-2015, 03:13 PM   #19
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Tom I am sure glad you were not physically hurt. You mentioned the police showed up 1/2 hr after he left. What action did they take to help you? Were they able to identify who he was by talking to people in the bar or on their security cameras if they had them? When an innocent person is threatened that way I sure hope the police locate him.
What an awful experience you went through.
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Old 09-17-2015, 05:08 PM   #20
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This wasn't her (the barmaid) by any chance, was it?
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