Did I do the right thing?

[Scorched_Cascade]

I know there have been a lot of thread about morales in the past few weeks alone but rest assured this isn't one of them and is more about self-control.

Right to set the scene I've just had a great night with some mates and i won't lie I drank a fair bit; still perfectly aware of where I am etc. Now on leaving the SU (student union) I notice some kid (looked about a year younger than me so 18) is walking at the same speed as me on the path. Normaly I wouldnt think twice about this but there was something about this guy and so I decided to test him and so slowed my pace. He immediately responded by dropping back too and asking me why I had slowed down and then began a tirade of name calling that I pretty much just laughed at.

Now we went on like this for about 3 mins till he realised he wasn't getting to me (i'm fairly thick skinned and just don't get angry easily) he decided to up his tactics. Still keeping up the name calling he started slapping me across the face and pretty much begging me to hit him. At this point I carried on laughing (again I don't anger easily) and asked him if he had, had a bad day he responded by saying yeah and upping the routine again and pushing me into walls.

The streets were empty as its nearly 2am and I was walking home not to a club and so I started to warn him that if he continued he was going to end up on the floor (calmly mind). He carried on pushing me and demanding I hit him so I asked his age, he said he was 21 and so I showed him my phone and dialed 999 but didnt start the call and said was he aware that as hes over 18 and my face was by now marked I could charge him with assault (he tried to slap the phone out of my hand). Now I'm at this point I very nearly lost it as he carried on pushing me into things but kept my calm (still laughing couldnt help it was slightly merry) but luckily I made it to a kebab shop as I got close to it he backed off and dissapeared down and alley so I went in and told the locals (a bunch of shaven head polish guys) what had happened; Not because I like grandstanding but because I wanted witnesses so if I broke his face he couldn't say he started it. They said I should have just decked him as soon as he started pushing me.

I realise to most of you this probably sounds like I'm talking shit but I know what I was doing; I checked his stance (he didn't have one), checked how drunk he was (drunker than me but only slightly) and sized him up (he was smaller than me).

Now sorry for the long post (needed to vent a bit) but the question I put to you guys is did I do the right thing? I can't tell you how much I wanted to make him headbutt the floor and probably would have were it not for the fact he was actualy begging me to do it (I'm pretty contrary) and as I said I'm fully confident that had I needed to I could have. I have tried to be as grammatically correct as possible and don't think there are any typos present.

 

[Fruhstuck]

Not fighting's always good, you never know when someone's got a knife or whatever

 

[Baby Tea]

I would say yeah, you did.

If the guy was begging for it, he was either too drunk to know what he was doing, or something was genuinely wrong with him. I would have totally called the cops (999? Is that like 911? Pardon my ignorance, never had to make an emergency call outside of Canada), but beyond that, I'd say you showed excellent restraint and did the right thing.

 

[rottenbutter]

I believe the phrase "Don't feed the troll," applies to the real world, as well as the Internet. If you would have hit, it would have been exactly what he wanted, but laughing at it, probably pissed him off a lot more than decking him, or calling the cops would have. You definitely did the right thing.

 

[Supernovajake]

Although you are ok, and your way was much funnier, I would have hit him. Not out of anger but because he was drunk and may have had a weapon on him.

 

[Scorched_Cascade]

Not fighting's always good, you never know when someone's got a knife or whatever

He didn't have a knife I watched for that and his hands stayed away from his pockets and there were no bulges in his trousers (excuse the slight bad image).

(999? Is that like 911? Pardon my ignorance, never had to make an emergency call outside of Canada)

In the UK our emergency services are reached by 999 although they moniter the European 112 number and 911 also because people phone those sometimes by mistake.

 

[Galletea]

I admire your restraint, don't think I'd have held off that long.

 

[Amnestic]

No.*actually reads the thread*

(999? Is that like 911? Pardon my ignorance, never had to make an emergency call outside of Canada),

Yeah, it's emergency services (Police, Fire, Ambulance).

Okay, after reading my thread I'm going to have to say you probably did do the right thing overall. Considering my size (small) and strength (weak), an alcohol fueled fleeing would have been my chosen tactic, but I suppose yours works just the same. Generally getting into fights is never a good thing, all too often the person in the 'right' gets criminalised and that's really not something you want to see happen after you had to defend yourself from an attacker.

 

[Lt. Dragunov]

you made the right choice and good on your part that you did keep your cool. Because if it were me I would have lost it round the part where he started callin me names drunk or not.

 

[Fruhstuck]

I would say yeah, you did.

If the guy was begging for it, he was either too drunk to know what he was doing, or something was genuinely wrong with him. I would have totally called the cops (999? Is that like 911? Pardon my ignorance, never had to make an emergency call outside of Canada), but beyond that, I'd say you showed excellent restraint and did the right thing.

Anytime you need emergency services dial 112 it rings the local emergency services and switches onto other services than yours, if you're on vodafone it'll use orange or whatever, for if you're out of signal too. could save your life that

 

[CrafterMan]

Right thing mate. Calm and complacency over fist fighting. The best way to win a fight is to walk away.

-Joe

 

[TheKnifeJuggler]

Pacifism is a good route.

Though if he had slapped you already, I'm fairly sure if you decked him it would count as self defense.

 

[IronDuke]

I always hate not hitting someone more, waking up the next day and feeling a little soft :S

I feel epicly fail if I don't do some sort of retaliation, even if it isnt being the bigger man morally. Way I see it, people like that will keep being idiots until they get a good smack.

If you dont want to hit someone, just throw them on the floor, put them in a straight jacket hold and laugh.

 

[Scorched_Cascade]

No.*actually reads the thread*

Okay, after reading my thread I'm going to have to say you probably did do the right thing overall. Considering my size (small) and strength (weak)

I'm not paticularly large myself (am about 5'10/5'11 and 9 and a half to 10 stone) but the way this guy was slapping/pushing screamed that he wasnt a fighter normally. When he went to push me or go for a slap he went way off balance and left himself wide open. I guess what I'm mad at is not the fact that I nearly lost it but the fact I took it in the first place even knowing full well that I could have knocked him over and run away.

 

[Scorched_Cascade]

I don't anger easily either, but by the time he tried to push me into the wall, I would've just decked him.

My friends can't imagine seeing me angry and never have; it just doesn't happen I tend to sort of detach when something like this happens meaning if he was looking for a fight he really picked the wrong person. Also It might have been the knowledge that if it came to it I could deck him that kept me calmer and in fact stopped me from doing it.

Aside-Also carl and rotten butter-changing your avatars really, really threw me

Cheers people (note gender neutral term ); I realise this wasn't much of a discussion but I really needed to vent a bit and had began to wonder if he wasnt right and I was a _____ for not hitting him. I reckon I'm going to go sleep on it thanks everyone for the support.

 

[Amnestic]

No.*actually reads the thread*

Okay, after reading my thread I'm going to have to say you probably did do the right thing overall. Considering my size (small) and strength (weak)

I'm not paticularly large myself (am about 5'10/5'11 and 9 and a half to 10 stone) but the way this guy was slapping/pushing screamed that he wasnt a fighter normally. When he went to push me or go for a slap he went way off balance and left himself wide open. I guess what I'm mad at is not the fact that I nearly lost it but the fact I took it in the first place even knowing full well that I could have knocked him over and run away.

Shorter than you (5'7") and weigh about the same, if he'd really been opening himself up so much I'd have probably gone for one of those knockdowns my friend taught me at his Judo class and made a break for it then. Easier to run while they're on the floor ;D

 

[dnv2]

Yeah I think you did the right thing too.

I personally would have taught the guy a lesson but I'd have regretted it afterwards..don't like fighting any more.

Nice one anyway mate

 

[gremily]

In situations like this I try not to be persuaded by words so whenever I am insulted I reply "Yeah and?"

 

[Clairaudient]

I think you did the right thing. In a world where burglars sue people for assault while you defend yourself against them robbing you [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198988,00.html], it's better to not throw down over nothing.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

a couple fun things you can try

1 - if he insults you, insult yourself worse right back, so basically agree with him and add to it

2 - have some fun with him, if he tries to provoke you in the calmest and most serious voice you can think of say "hmmm very interesting, you know what i like the cut of your jib son, so here's what i'm going to do, after i go do my killings for the night, i'll come back and kill you last" or "you know i've raped bigger guys that you" or something similar

3 - thank him for offering the suggestions of what is wrong with you and let him know you'll strive to improve yourself from now on

there's tons of fun you can have with ppl and make them think you're crazy if they try to start fights

tho you probly did do the right thing