Surreal thing happened to me today...

Status
Not open for further replies.
Ahh British people in a nutshell. Whinge about people behaving like ***** and generally having no regard for anyone else. Complain that the police don't do anything but then when one tries to do his job and stop someone who is doing something they shouldn't and the policeman is being a jobsworth and is on his own.

You know those stories about people getting stabbed because they asked someone being a ***** to stop being a *****? Maybe if those sort of people weren't just left to behave like ***** whenever they want, this sort of thing wouldn't happen so much. I'm betting that the buy he was trying to arrest was being a ****. If I was riding my bike on the pavement and a policeman stopped me I wouldn't give them **** and try and walk off and if I did I would expect to be arrested.
 
fez said:
Ahh British people in a nutshell. Whinge about people behaving like ***** and generally having no regard for anyone else. Complain that the police don't do anything but then when one tries to do his job and stop someone who is doing something they shouldn't and the policeman is being a jobsworth and is on his own.
Click to expand...
That's the trouble with sweeping generalisations. There are so many different viewpoints and attitudes within the group that you're generalising, that you can't find a consistent and non-contradictory position to apply to all of them.

Maybe if you hadn't started with "All British people are..." you might have been able to avoid this.
 
I would like to think I'd intervene, but the reality is, when it came to it, my courage would probably fail me. That said, I wouldn't be completely idle and ignore the situation - I'd probably at least have dialled 999 in case the officer hadn't had the chance to call for help.
Well done, HB :)
 
Man's doing his job and ended up in a bit of a pinch, a member of the public who weighed up the situation and assisted successfully. Job jobbed.

It’s a bit of a shame that in today’s world this type of action is either frowned upon, or the action itself never takes place because of the bystander effect or in general people are happier to film it for Facebook likes instead. Sure someone could be potentially sued by the suspect later if they received any injuries from the scuffle, but then any decent court jury should laugh the case out.
 
mrk said:
Man's doing his job and ended up in a bit of a pinch, a member of the public who weighed up the situation and assisted successfully. Job jobbed.

It’s a bit of a shame that in today’s world this type of action is either frowned upon, or the action itself never takes place because of the bystander effect or in general people are happier to film it for Facebook likes instead. Sure someone could be potentially sued by the suspect later if they received any injuries from the scuffle, but then any decent court jury should laugh the case out.
Click to expand...
Or you could end up seriously injured yourself. And be on your own with no help from anyone. Potentially losing your job, or ending up disabled.

Like it or not, police signed up for this. The rest of us lack the training, the equipment, and the support network.
 
FoxEye said:
I don't even lift. Seems a tad pointless to go after a "huge guy" and then get injured for the sake of some guy riding a scooter on the pavement.

Nope. Doesn't sound like a plan to me.

I also doubt if many people really give a crap that he was riding on the pavement. There are worse things going on.
Click to expand...
Neither do I, and at the time you wouldn't have known what the offence was for; You'd have seen the policeman try to restrain a gentleman, without any background. Then you'd have seen him struggle to restrain.
 
HoneyBadger said:
Early this evening, I left work and walked a couple of miles to the coach stop as I do every day.

It’s in London, Puddle dock, behind Blackfriars train station as I commute from Kent.

Standing there waiting, it becomes apparent there is a situation occurring, a policeman has stopped an electric scooter rider for illegally riding his device, only the rider, a huge guy isn’t having any of it.

At this point people are watching, phones come out, everyone’s filming. As the situation unfolds, it’s clear the policeman is out of his depth and a major scuffle breaks out as the officer tries to detain the rider, the rider doesn’t want to be detained so keeps trying to walk off, eventually dragging the officer along the ground, with the officer shouting.

In what seems like an instant, they’re in front of me fighting, the officer is losing.

I look around, is someone going to help?

No. All people are doing are watching, filming and a few are laughing.

As the officer hits the floor, I make eye contact with him, suddenly I realise my fellow passengers are gone, moved up the road and it’s just me!

What do you do?

I stepped in to assist.

Fortunately I was in a position to restrain the rider (thanks Ju Jitsu!) and subdue him with the officer until backup arrived. The officer hit a panic button and within 2 mins several police cars were on the scene.

They arrested the rider, took a statement from me and several others, the assaulted officer shook my hand and thanked me, although he had a broken finger.

I then jumped on the coach and went home.

I was talking about it this evening to my wife when I got home and she replied that she wouldn’t know how to react in such a situation, I get that but ....

This was 16:35 in London, loads of people were there, loads. I was the only one that helped and it’s genuinely shocked me.

What has society come to? When people would either watch, film or walk away from someone who needed help?

Forget that it was a policeman, it was a human being needing help...

Restore some of my faith in humanity, who would have helped?
Click to expand...

good work..... I would like to think i would do the same but until am in that position I do not know for sure.
Some good points on both sides however. I am a great believer that you dont start a fight.... BUT equally if you end up in one and you get an advantage you do not pussy foot around.. shock and awe and all that . I have seen too many films where the "victim" gets a lucky punch or what ever and manages to down their superior assailant only for them to let him get up again and ultimately lose... badly.

therefore IF I did get involved it would likely be a haymaker in the side of the head followed by what ever punches came to mind............. which would as others have said likely have gotten me in more trouble than the guy fighting the copper, ergo... I hope i never get in that position.
 
Last edited:
FoxEye said:
You said the guy was huge and the police officer started the fight over a scooter. And the huge guy was trying to leave without a fight at first.

And you're asking why I wouldn't get myself killed over this?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure how you got "the police officer started the fight" from the story.

What should the police do when someone is reluctant to cooperate, or resists arrest? Just doff their cap and say "Terribly sorry, don't mind me, on you go"?
 
I struggled to sleep last night, playing things over and over again in my mind, occasionally looking at the comments being posted on this thread.

Whilst I can understand some points, I can't help but feel that those implying they wouldn't have helped are part of the reasons why society is like it is.

I get the risk factor, I get the "He could have had a knife" - all valid points but my theory (Probably more subconscious in retrospect) is that if this had been the case, he probably would have used it before I stepped in. We'll never know.

Those saying they wouldn't have helped, well you leave me cold. Making direct eye contact with the cop as he was on the floor, screaming about his hand and then to have ignored that and walked away is no mean feat. Kind of questions your morals really, at least in my opinion.
 
This is why you should always carry an AK-47, 12 Gauge sawn-off and an ankle-holstered Colt .45.

If you really want style, a Katana works wonders.

None of this electric scooter rubbish any more.

CR3EgtM.jpg
 
Good for you for stepping in.

Can't say I'd be as brave honestly - Police are there for a reason, I'd have left them to get on with it. As others have already said, the guy could have had a knife.

I feel like I've read a case before where someone intervened with a scuffle, someone ended up dying or badly injured and the person who intervened was in big trouble. If I was genuinely worried that the officer couldn't handle himself, I would call 999.
 
Been in a situation or two like this myself, though yours sounds considerably more exciting. Helped a lady being robbed at a cash point. Got the **** kicked out of me but managed to hold the guy till the police arrived.

I think most people would like to THINK they had it in them to step in and help, but it's one of those things I suppose. You don't really know who you are or what you'd do in a situation like that until you're there. Standing there just filming it is mental though. Either move on or do something to help.

Good on you for stepping in dude!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom