Being witness to sudden fistfights on the street

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Isn't this always weird? This morning I saw a classic and time-honoured encounter, HIPPY BIKE MESSENGER vs. BALDO IN BENZ, which started predictably when BALDO opened door of BENZ and HIPPY rode straight into it. HIPPY was screaming and flung bike (and messenger bag) to floor and began circling BALDO. Then they both drew their fists and began circling each other like old school movie. It looked a bit like this:

http://www.engadgethd.com/images/2005/09/Fighting%20Irish%202.jpg http://eteamz.active.com/ccllb/images/FightingIrishsmall.gif

but not so Irish.

Anyway, they circled and jabbed without connecting for a while. Normally I would think "such children" but I had just suffered an annoying commute and seriously wanted some blood. And in this case I didn't care who lost. But sadly a group of men (who until now had been happy to stand, arms folded, and watch) pulled them apart and it all calmed down. Back to normal.

― admrl, Thursday, 3 May 2007 16:09 (seventeen years ago) link

Benz Baldo deserved to go DOWN!

― The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall, Thursday, 3 May 2007 16:12 (seventeen years ago) link

Filthy courier scum was probably HIGH on ROLLUPS and the THRILL of RUNNING OVER OLD LADIES!

― Mark C, Thursday, 3 May 2007 16:45 (seventeen years ago) link

let's see I've seen several on-the-street fistfights, another actually involving a 2x4 with nails in it, and at least one involving several cops tackling a guy running down the street with a giant butcher knife in hand.

always depressing.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 3 May 2007 16:55 (seventeen years ago) link

I would bet almost all of these were drug-related.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 3 May 2007 16:55 (seventeen years ago) link

oh oh oh I saw two gangs of teenagers with huge chains and pitbulls charge each other in London. That was cool.

― admrl, Thursday, 3 May 2007 16:57 (seventeen years ago) link

I dunno... when yr watching two drunk Mexican guys argue and one of them's wearing a "Dora the Explorer" backpack and they're lurching back and forth yelling and then suddenly one pounds the other's head into a brick wall - I mean I guess it sounds kinda funny written down but the actual affect on me is one of sorta soul-crushing sadness.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:00 (seventeen years ago) link

I saw two VERY drunk Mexican guys get into a fight at my local last night. It was almost immediately broken up by one of the bartenders and resulted in the entire party being ejected.

― Michael White, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:01 (seventeen years ago) link

was that in cricklewood admrl?

― 600, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:01 (seventeen years ago) link

No, Bloomsbury!

― admrl, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:02 (seventeen years ago) link

or...Euston Square

― admrl, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:03 (seventeen years ago) link

I never take any pleasure in seeing a fight, even if someone is seriously in the wrong.

― Michael White, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:04 (seventeen years ago) link

does witnessing teenage crack dealers jump a rival dealer outside of Carlos' bar at 24th and Mission count?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:07 (seventeen years ago) link

Also, when we were teenagers we used to hang out in a CRUSTY SQUAT in Camden Road with my friend's sister who lived there. Anyway, I guess we never really rezlized that they were a)on the lam and b)dealing smack from there (my friend once sat on a discarded needle by mistake!). They all had the names like Carrot and Spud and Squid, etc. One night I saw Carrot sitting outside of Camden Town tube and some businessman pushed a stray shopping trolley into Carrot and Carrot chased him across Parkway and finally landed a HUGE punch on his face which (amazingly) resulted in his briefcase spontaneously popping open and sending a flurry of paper everywhere. It was very visually exciting.

― admrl, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:08 (seventeen years ago) link

But of course, also very sad.

― admrl, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:08 (seventeen years ago) link

fights by the dozen out here

― river wolf, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:08 (seventeen years ago) link

come and say that to my face

― admrl, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:09 (seventeen years ago) link

did I mention that Carlos' Bar has a big "Commuters Welcome!" sign painted on its side?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:09 (seventeen years ago) link

is Carlos' Bar a must-stop for me next month, then?

― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:10 (seventeen years ago) link

do you need to score some heroin?

adam maybe you should just watch this thing called Ultimate Fighting Championship

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:11 (seventeen years ago) link

I saw an honest-to-god martial arts fight on the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD. At first I thought these guys were just showing off, but they started fucking each other up. The one who was taking the beating ran off.

― kingkongvsgodzilla, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:11 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm a pacificist

― admrl, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:12 (seventeen years ago) link

Once in college, we were hanging out on our front porch when these two dudes came spilling out of the house across the street. They were just wailing on each other, like in Every Which Way But Loose. They made their way across their yard and out into the street. At one point, the bigger one threw his jacket off and tried to amp up his beat down. The smaller guy would have none of it. All the while, cars were coming down the street and having to stop while they waited for the fight to end in front of them.

One car came up, passing the others, and this lady got out and started screaming at the bigger one. He started yelling at her, and then got in the passenger side. They peeled off, and the smaller dude just booked the shit out of there. All the parked cars started going down the street again, and we just stood there, transfixed.

Finally, my pal ran across the street and grabbed the big dude's jacket. It was a sweet White Sox windbreaker that was at least three sizes too small. I haven't talked to my pal in over thirteen years, but something tells me that he still wears that thing.

― Pleasant Plains, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:12 (seventeen years ago) link

i saw a guy get beaten nearly to death a block away from my current house. my friends and i intervened, and later found out from ER dudes that guy getting beaten on had suffered subdural bleeding and had to be flown to Billings to get holes drilled in his head. baaaaaaaaad news.

― river wolf, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:14 (seventeen years ago) link

I always think I'm seeing fights start in my neighborhood, but then they turn out to be drunk frat guys screwing around. They should probably cut it out, cause when I see a drunk guy with a baseball bat chasing someone down the street, I do get a little edgy.

― nabisco, Thursday, 3 May 2007 17:20 (seventeen years ago) link

when walking in the haight a few years ago, i saw a super-scary drunk frat guy vs. bum fight. it was late, street was empty except for me, and the two were going @ each other when i got there. this was pre-cellphone days, and they were really, basically, trying to kill each other. they were already battered, and both outweighed me by +/- 100lbs. i couldn't intervene, and i couldn't ignore it. eventually the bum got away and the frat guy floored him and stomped on his head. then the bum got up and stumbled away, throwing a 40 oz. @ the frat guy, and hitting him in the shoulder. they both yelled at me and told me i was next in line. it messed me up for like two weeks, especially the sound of the frat guy curbstomping the bum.

― remy bean, Thursday, 3 May 2007 18:08 (seventeen years ago) link

every single night

― Dr. Superman, Thursday, 3 May 2007 19:40 (seventeen years ago) link

one year passes...

When should you try and intervene in sudden fistfights on the street? I was walking down the high street a couple of nights ago on the way back from the supermarket with my wife when suddenly one of 3 drunks that were hanging around started laying into one of the other drunks. The 3rd drunk didn't do anything just stood there. There were also a bunch of people in the kebab shop just watching. We were over the other side of the street but I still felt pretty bad for not trying to stop the guy, although it was all over pretty quickly and the aggressor ran off towards the bus station. My wife was a bit shaken up by it, I guess she'd never seen street violence before.

― Colonel Poo, Thursday, 10 July 2008 14:06 (sixteen years ago) link

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