So "this" happened again.

[n00beffect]

Don't carry serious cash on you, and if possible leave your personal documents at home. I know it's not quite 'preventing' per se, but at least it softens the blow.

I was mugged in a tram about 5 or 6 years ago, but the guy actually had a knife on him and a couple of buds to help out if things got serious. I was with a friend, so there was really nothing we could do about it. I had one of those really shitty phones at the time, you know, the old bricks, so he took that, and if I'm not mistaken a 5-ver I had on me and my pack of cigs. I didn't carry a wallet at the time, so I guess that was a stroke of luck, 'cause I've heard those assholes usually take everything.

Another good precaution for your debit/credit cards is to wipe out those numbers at the back, which would allow him access were he to want to transfer the money online or something. That basically renders the card useless, unless he actually makes you go and withdraw money from an ATM.

I don't know what the right thing to do would be in those situations, I guess you get the urge to fight the dude, and you could, like in your case if he's alone and it's not sure he's got a gun and if you outnumber him... Running is also an option; I doubt he'd risk pulling out the gun and shoot you in public.

 

[Nokturos]

Some guy tried starting a fight with me/mug me on a train station late at night once. He walked up, pushed me in the chest, despite me towering a head above him, and said something I didn't catch since I had my headphones in. Before I could pull out my headphones, he threw a punch, but I saw it coming that time, and managed to either break or dislocate his elbow. After he ran off, I felt kind of stupid, as he might have been part of a gang. I never saw him again or faced any consequences for my actions, so I suppose I got lucky.

If something like that happened again, I'd probably either leg it, or inflict a less serious injury on the guy, as potentially breaking somebody's arm is a bit much.

 

[talker]

worst that's ever happened to me was gettting bullied in middle school. Four of the bastards cornered me in the first lunch break. needless to say I punched one's teeth into his lip, I bit another in the arm and i kicked the third on the shin. by the time the teachers came running I was about to hit the fourth. I explained everything and they even believed me, so I got off that one with just a warning 'not to fight, and go get a teacher if things get too rough.'

They never looked sideways at me again. I wonder why?

 

[HardkorSB]

stuff

The first time I was beaten up to the point of bleeding was when I was 2.5 years old. Yes, 2.5 years old.
I was always the weird kid (meaning that I was different from the rest) and I had no friends to support me so it was pretty rough.

If you're really worried about things like that, here's a few solutions:
- buy a tazer, when someone will try to mug you, pretend to give them your wallet/phone (or better yet, drop it on the ground in front of him) and then quickly taze the fucker, preferably in the neck so that he loses consciousness (try practicing the quick draw at home so that you won't mess up when the time comes)
- work out so that you're strong enough to overpower the opponent
- learn at least a few basic self defense moves, my favourite one is dropping the wallet on the ground to distract the mugger, then kicking the guy (because it's almost always a guy, I knew one girl who did that but she was a pro boxer so that's an exception) in the balls, then when he bends from the pain and grabs his crotch, grab his head and hit him with the knee in the nose, that's usually enough
- learn aikido (the stuff Steven Seagal does), if you're good enough, no one will ever land a single hit on you (though it takes time and effort to learn it), Thai boxing or Krav Maga can get the job done too, although those martial arts are a lot more violent

All of the above however, are the last resort options. The best method is to just run away. Practice free running so that even if someone is chasing you, you can jump over a few fences and lose him.
Always be aware of your surroundings, if you see someone iffy from a distance, don't think about leaving, just leave, trust your instincts, they're there for a reason.

Another thing is that you can easily spot potential muggers by the way they look and their body language.

I also can do this "touch me and I'll kill you" face and that can be effective as well.

 

[Kirke]

Not really. I suspect part of the reason is that I almost always carry a steel-tipped walking stick. The steel tip looks dangerous but is actually really worn down. However, I'm almost certain bones could be fractured if I swung it hard enough.

 

[Kyr Knightbane]

I've never been mugged. Been close quite a few times. In high school i was stabbed in a schoolyard throw-down because the dude realized even with 15 of his homies, i was gonna kick the ever loving shit out of him first. Even after being stabbed i still broke his elbow, jaw and ribs. Apparently I just stood there kicking him in the side until i fell over from shock and blood loss.

Scariest was when i was Homeless. I had been walking down the street, managed to donate some plasma the day before and was heading to McDonald's for some cheap sustenance and some water when a very crazy looking chap approached me, brandishing a Bowie Knife. Unlucky for him, i had my camping machete sheathed under my clothes, handle down for easy access. He demanded money, and that i strip. I reached behind me, one hand up in a placating gesture, assuring him i was going for my wallet, i un-clipped the machete and brought it up at him in a quick arc, knocking his weapon away and then pointing mine at him. He pulled a gun, i went into "shit's got real" mode and cut his forearm that was holding the gun, he dropped it and ran off screaming.

Easiest one was when my girlfriend at the time (wife now)called me and said a former co-worker was stalking her. We worked at the same place, and she got was working late, so I swung by work and stood outside the doors, told her to walk to her car like i wasn't there, she did, he followed and started running at her, i caught him mid run with a clothesline, and kicked him in the stomach. He never came back around after that. Worst part was he dropped a rag on the ground and when the police arrived he had zip-ties and a knife. Pretty sure he intended to do dastardly things. Found out from another friend that he had mental problems, and was schizophrenic and bi-polar.

 

[bliebblob]

Gods yeah I know exactly how you feel right now. I myself wonder all the time about what I would do next time something like that happens, and in hindsight there was at least one time where I really should've just gone feral on the guy's ass but didn't.

For what it's worth, here's what little I'm certain of after muuuuch contemplation:
1) Life isn't a movie or a game. You may think they've desensitized you to violence but when the time actually comes, you'll choke. Pretty much everyone does. Expecting yourself to immediatly rise to the occasion and start kicking ass is no more realistic than being handed a basketball for the first time in your life and making a slam dunk. Try to remember that when you're feeling bad for "just standing there".

2) Try to never wonder about if you could take the guy on. Only ask yourself whether or not you have any choice but to take him on. If you don't, whether or not you can take him is irrelevant anyway.

For the lulz of it, here's one of the times something similar happened to me:
At basketball practice, there were these twin assholes who's father was the coach and who constantly harassed me in a major way. At some point their parents were going through divorce which made them only worse and this culminated into a situation where one of them was all but punching me in the face in the middle of training, while his dad/the coach was in the courtside bar. Then this little exchange happened:

Him: "What's the matter, gonna cry to mommy?"
Me: "At least I know where my mom is..." (Latest word on the street was their mom had left the house for a hotel or something.)

Obviously this struck a nerve as his confident demeanor made way for pure rage. But instead of letting the fists fly right away he walked over to his brother, told him what just happened, and brought him over to beat the shit out of me together. That bit in particular fills me with rage to this day, how spineless can you get? He already was twice my size anyway! Not to mention the brother's hypocrisy:

brother physically assaulting teammate? -> "Meh."
Teammate counters with a below-the-belt insult? -> "SUDDENLY I GIVE A SH*T ABOUT HONOR, WHICH I SHALL PROVE BY PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING THIS GUY SOME MORE!!!"

I tried to reason with them for a second or two, pointing out their hypocrisy. But it was pointless because I was pretty much pissing myself in fear and they knew it. So I GTFO before actual fighting happened.

What bothers me about it to this day is that I've grown a lot more savvy since back than and now know what I should've done instead, but can't re-do it.
To counter this I've started keeping a mental blacklist of people who did similar things to me. (Some even straight up tried to murder me, I sh*t you not. Turns out kids really can get away with anything.) The idea being that if I ever again meet someone on the list, even if it's his wedding day or something, I will publicly announce to all bystanders what he did, so as to not look like a random assailant. Than I'll break his face. Sure, there will be consequences: fines, lawsuits, injuries... But the thing is, fear of those consequences is what kept me from standing up for myself back when I was a kid and I regret that to this day. So when given another chance, I'll accept all consequences with a smile because I'll have made sure it was worth it.

 

[Syzygy23]

Situations like this are why I conceal carry a .45.

How does that actually work?
Not the piece, I mean how do you draw and aim before the mugger, who most likely already has shiv in hand, shanks you a few times, and jacks the .45 to mug more efficiently with?

You just pretend you're grabbing your wallet from within your coat, then either quick draw it if you think you're fast enough or just shoot at them through your coat so they don't get a chance to see it coming.

 

[Jadak]

does it bother anyone that it's legal to be killed, robbed or stabbed but not legal to defend yourself?

There's a lot of talk of appropriate force. How am I supposed to know what that is? Do I know this man's tolerance for pain? Is there any way to assess that? In New York State, it's not legal to do anything but call the police, basically. A knife for protection is illegal, forget about carrying a gun, Batons. The police here are more happy to clean up your body then you having a go of protecting your own life.

I remember doing Grand Jury when I was 23. It was the last day and the prosecutor asked if there were any general questions, since we finished up early. Since they bored me, I figured I'd be an ass and ask a stupid question. I asked if there was any truth to martial artists being arrested for protecting themselves.

You could hear my jaw drop when he said yes. That Defending with Appropriate Force thing again. That a lot of students were taught to break hands or arms. And when they do it, those who started the issues say they didn't have to go that far.

Umm.. I agree with you that sometimes the enforcement of the law is bs regarding 'appropriate force', and that there should be very few limitations when it comes to someone defending themselves.

The only force that is ever excessive in such situations is once said situation has been resolved and you then continue to fuck up the attacker for no particular reason, and even then I'd be more inclined to let it go.

But... Where is it legal to kill,rob and stab, exactly?

 

[Kennetic]

Situations like this are why I conceal carry a .45.

How does that actually work?
Not the piece, I mean how do you draw and aim before the mugger, who most likely already has shiv in hand, shanks you a few times, and jacks the .45 to mug more efficiently with?

Simple, you don't let him get that close to you in the first place. I don't let strangers within arms reach personally.

OT: The best advice is to stay with a group of people. If you're not in a group, then try to run and get help or just get away. Attacking probably isn't the best way because it can make the situation way worse if you get overpowered. I carry a Glock 26 on me at all times but I've never drawn it and I wouldn't draw it unless all other options are impossible. Of course, I don't know you're situation but you say it happens often so the group thing is probably your best bet.

 

[Yopaz]

Sorry this happened to you.

This kind of thing doesn't really happen to me which might be because I am extremely paranoid and always make sure to be aware of my surroundings and I generally stand close to groups of people if I have to wait for someone or if I am waiting for a bus. Most of the time I simply don't look like an easy target.

 

[Compatriot Block]

Why are threads like this full of stories where people talk about how they decided to fight the mugger? It's crazy. You never know how desperate they are, or whether or not the concealed weapon is a real gun.

If you aren't carrying a gun (or sometimes I imagine, even if you are) it's so dangerous to initiate a fight like that.

I am working this summer at a medical respite program for homeless people, and I've seen first hand the level of substance dependency and mental illness in that population. They are very upfront about their criminal history, and most of the stories I've heard involved them being absolutely desperate for whatever they can get.

 

[Ratties]

Here is a story for you. Me and my friend went to this dive bar to hang out. He had just gotten raise and wanted to celebrate. I didn't want to go anywhere big. We get inside and there is about 8 people. We grab our drinks and settle down into this booth. After awhile, I have to take a piss. I go the bathroom which is a nightmare. Its one of those crappy bathrooms, one stall, one on the wall. Dirty as fuck. I am peeing on the one on the wall, in walks this drunk guy. For some strange reason, he doesn't use the stall. He standing way to close to me. Right as I am about to zip up, he says this. "Hurry up you fucking ******." My anger meter was at 100%. I pretended like I didn't hear him. I went over to wash my hands. He didn't even look at me. Normally I would let this kind of stuff go, I was already in a foul mood. I took the back of his head, slammed it into the toilet. Alot harder than I thought. There was blood everywhere. I think I broke his nose. I got the hell out of dodge. As we were stepping out, he started screaming bloody murder. After we were far enough away, I saw 3 dudes step out, scanning the horizon. I knew they were looking for us.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Umm.. I agree with you that sometimes the enforcement of the law is bs regarding 'appropriate force', and that there should be very few limitations when it comes to someone defending themselves.

The only force that is ever excessive in such situations is once said situation has been resolved and you then continue to fuck up the attacker for no particular reason, and even then I'd be more inclined to let it go.

But... Where is it legal to kill,rob and stab, exactly?

It's legal for you to be a victim in New York Tri State area (basically New York City), and not much else. It's legal to be robbed, but not carry a means to defend yourself. It's legal to get stabbed but not own a knife that might make that guy think you're not an easy target.

Hyperbolic of a way as I put it, the police department would much rather see you as a statistic than as a capable human being who can defend him or her self.

 

[Gone Rampant]

Today I saw a guy who seems a little bit "off" and kept talking to himself in the train.
Each time a seat opens up he will sit down, and then as soon as he spots a older female standing, he insists that she take his seat.
It sound very good in concept, but the problem was that all the women he offered his seat to were not old.
So they kinda got offended.

This wasnt a violent situation or anything, so i was not scared.
However it did make me wonder about what the appropriate measure was when you get pestered by people like that.
It is just so ....weird.

Well, that first paragraph is a lot like me. I wind up talking a lot to myself, and I was raised to offer my seat if I didn't need it, which is often. If they're offended, they should just politely refuse the seat.

OT, I tend to avoid staying in one place in public for long to avoid this kind of thing, so no, no angry people have come up and started yelling at me... at least for that reason.

 

[hornedcow]

I'm a shut-in living in a rural neighbourhood so I've never been mugged, although I did once come across about 5 teenagers about to break in to my dad's car. There was a group of us so they scarpered pretty quickly but some of the older ones seemed a little reluctant.

 

[bojackx]

About a year or two ago me and my friends were mugged, or they attempted to mug us anyway. There was four of them and four of us, and they were a couple of years younger than us at about 15 or 16. To be honest it was a pathetic mug attempt, since they were younger than us and the only weapon they had was a six-inch chain, so it was hardly mentally scarring.

We had gotten into this secluded elevator and then they cornered us in it and asked for the time. My friend (we'll call him friend #1) got his phone out to check and got it taken from him, which he responded to by (get ready for this) taking it out of the mugger's hand. At this point one of them said they were going to "hang us off the bridge with this chain" and so friend #1 pushed all of them out of the elevator at once and walked away, to which I followed. They pestered us a little more (one swung at me but missed) and then left.

Thinking back on it I get a little pissed at my two other friends who said not a single word throughout the entire stand-off. One of them is massive and could have just told them to piss off and it probably would have scared them off, and the other one is hardly small, but they just stood there in silence and even stayed in the elevator as the doors closed to take them to safety whilst me and friend #1 were up against all four of them. As I've said, they were pretty terrible at it so we got off fine in the end, but still.

In my case, there was really nothing much we could have done to avoid it; it was broad daylight, we were in a group and we didn't even notice them behind us, but my advice would be to make sure to stay together and don't split up. Having other people around you during such incidents can really take the edge off.

 

[Rad Party God]

Wierd stuff has happened to me too, though not as voilent, in fact, I might call it hilarious.

I was taking a walk around my neighborhood (before subscribing to the gym, sometimes I did that to clear up my head and I still do it from time to time) and I stumbled upon a drunken man with a bag in his hand, he wanted to show me what he had in his bag and that ringed an alarm or two, I was ready to take my leave when he showed me a tequila bottle, I was highly relived and he even invited me to drink with him, of course I refused, but we had a little nonsensical chat about... something... I don't remember.

But anyways, that drunken man seemed like a nice guy and we both went our separate ways.

Nothing special and nothing violent.

 

[wickedmonkey]

Sorry to hear about your experience, I was almost mugged years ago...

Walking home through town when some guy rushes me from where he'd been hiding round the corner of a building, unfortunately I was walking home from a sparring-heavy Tae Kwon Do session and was still wired from it, so he was thrown off and got a boot to the head for his troubles. Deciding this wasn't going to work for him he just swore at me and ran off.

That said, I didn't really realise what had transpired until afterwards, I'm not sure how I would have reacted had I had time to think.
It also turned out the guy had slugged me under the ribs once or twice as me left side started aching shortly after, I was lucky to be wearing a baggy jacket that seemed to help soften the blows and doubly lucky he didn't have a knife in his hand!