A couple of weeks back, the night of an England Euro 2004 match, Pam and I were walking back to hers along Uxbridge Rd. We walked out of the late-nite grocery, past the Pizza place where a couple of obviously-drunk, obnoxious guys were standing. I got bad vibes off them instantly, and as we walked past them, they started to close in on us. I maneouvred myself between them and Pam as they leered in, and one of them slurred, really pathetically, "Can I pinch your arse?"
Pam told them to fuck off and we walked on. They shouted something threatening, but we ignored them and walked home no further molested.
Afterwards, I felt bothered. I knew that just ignoring the jibes, deflating the tension of their physical presence by non-threateningly standing between them and Pam, and not responding to what they said to her, that I'd done totally the *right* thing. But part of me wondered if I shouldn't have stood up for Pam's 'Honour', in some misguided and, certainly, unrequested-by-Pam throwback to old skool macho posturing, and "fought back".
Did I do the 'right' thing, or did I wuss out, no matter how wisely?
― stevie (stevie), Friday, 16 July 2004 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)
You've got me singing the Flaming Lips "Fight Test" to myself now.
No point fighting unless you need to is there? I'm assuming Pam hasn't been castigating you ever since for not taking a token pasting from some drunken twonks?
So no harm done apart from the odd "what if" scenario playing out in your head.
― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 16 July 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)
Exactly right. Only fight when you're cornered like a rat.
― the music mole (colin s barrow), Saturday, 17 July 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)
if they HAD grabbed her,
that shit would have kicked right in,
they'd be bloody heaps
― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Sunday, 18 July 2004 02:38 (twenty-one years ago)
I think you definitely did the right thing. Personally, if I were in actual physical danger from a bunch of guys I would obviously want help from a friend. If there is no difficulty in walking away, though, I think its a million times better to do so as it involves no police, no visits to the hospital, and no complications. Id rather be able to walk away from a potentially messy and upsetting situation than have my Honor defended any day of the week.
― Laura E (laurae55), Sunday, 18 July 2004 03:40 (twenty-one years ago)
understand your feeling stevie but you definitely did the right thing by not rising to them.
― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)
i mean of course you have to put your partner's honour up there but there's also the matter of protecting your own ass against two guys who may or may not have something nasty up their sleeves/in their jackets and it's best not to take the risk y'know?
― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)
protect your ass indeed - maybe it was yours they were fixing to pinch¡
― dyson (dyson), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)
if anything, your girl telling them off was probably far more effective than anything you could do.
― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)