"An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older -- about 1 in 4 adults -- suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year."
So it's likely a belligerent bystander has a problem and is not in control of him/herself.?ÿ Best mindset is you're dealing with someone who is sick and needs help.?ÿ I took a one day self defense class which was not at all what you think, no ninja disarming/submission training. Here's a brief list of takeaways from the course:
- Safety is paramount, both for you and your harasser.?ÿ Your wallet, getting your job done and protection of your equipment are secondary.
- Situational awareness is critical.?ÿ There's a huge difference between an apparently unarmed yeller on the other side of a fence, and a person brandishing a weapon who is approaching you as he/she is yelling.
- Distance is your ally.?ÿ Keep fifteen feet away by stepping back if necessary, and realize all humans are armed with fists and feet and can do damage barehanded.?ÿ Also, they may have a concealed weapon.
- Remain as calm as possible.?ÿ Don't let the harasser's rhetoric cause an adrenaline rush which may cause you to escalate the situation with your own rhetoric, instead concentrate on saying neutral, calming, simple sentences if you decide to talk.?ÿ This is very hard to do because the fight response is autonomic, but at least try.
- *If* your spidey sense, or a brandished weapon makes you think you're in a life threatening situation, flight is your best response.?ÿ Run away as fast as you can.?ÿ Avoid being cornered and if in a restricted environment consider cover options, your vehicle for example.
- Close in brandished weapons situations are dangerous; the harasser should be considered an assailant.?ÿ ?ÿIf an edged weapon, *never* let him/her get within 20 feet of you; that last 20 feet can be traversed with a lunge and you'll be defenseless in seconds.?ÿ If a firearm (typically a handgun), run away and realize most assailants are lousy shooters and are unlikely to hit a moving dodging target once you're more than 50' distant.?ÿ If surprised by a raised rifle in close quarters (10'), you can't run away fast enough to protect yourself, so run toward the assailant and get your hands on that barrel.
- Carrying a defensive handgun is a no-go;?ÿ they're heavy and years of daily carry will give you lower back problems, illegal in most jurisdictions, and, most importantly, unless you've spent hundreds of hours of intense training (target plinking doesn't count), you're probably as bad a shooter as your assailant in a dynamic firefight.?ÿ The proud *I carry* crowd is woefully unaware of their shortcomings.
- Lastly, if you end up cornered in close quarters fight like a bull, attempt to deflect & neutralize any weapons as best you can, and it's not UFC rules, jab with your fingers into their eyes, head butt them, grab a finger and twist it backwards, anything to disable them.
Been in three brandished firearms incidents while surveying and flee as fast as possible worked.?ÿ Satisfied the assailant, I got my gear back & returned with a Deputy Sheriff weeks later to complete the survey.?ÿ One question in the final exam still sticks in my mind.?ÿ You're accosted on a deserted sidewalk at night by a mugger with a knife 6 feet distant who's demanding your wallet.?ÿ Correct answer is hands up, carefully remove your wallet and throw it 20 feet behind the mugger, then run the other direction.?ÿ He's happy, you're happy and nobody got hurt.
The police will answer the call. They are there to protect and serve.?ÿ
Not how it works around here. Both the City Police force and the County Deputy Sheriffs will provide an escort if requested, *but* charge you for their time as you are commercial entity and the bill is usually several hundreds of dollars or more depending on travel time.?ÿ Also have to schedule it weeks in advance.
I have just one simple rule of thumb for dealing with belligerent people. Hear them out and nod my head like I'm agreeing with them and I feel their pain. It's exhausting being angry and they usually run out of stream soon enough, however ... the moment the hair goes up on the back of my neck I'm out of there so fast their head's left spinning. No confrontation is worth anyone getting harmed unless I'm trapped and then even then a mouse will come out fighting.?ÿ
The sheriff and the under sheriff are close friends. I have their personal cell numbers stored in my phone. No worries about getting help of any kind at any time so long as their is anyone available. They are understaffed and have been for years. That would be the only hang up.
For many years the sheriff of a neighboring county was an old drinking buddy from our high school days (different schools). One call would handle anything in that county. The sheriff of a different neighboring county was in high school with me. When he left that job he went to working with me for most of a year. He simply needed to get away from the stress inherent in that line of work.
Ewe kin bet awn dat. But he has a hard time spelling sherif/sherrif/sherriff/sheriff correctly on the first try.
Ewe kin bet awn dat.?ÿ But he has a hard time spelling sherif/sherrif/sherriff/sheriff correctly on the first try.
There, their, they're ...
In this case I should have done more. We have a newer aluminum body truck, so our old magnets don't work. We haven't had vinyls made for it yet. I don't have a company shirt, and vests aren't common in my area. Those are all just excuses though. I've been meaning to get a vest, and I'll discuss shirts/ truck signage with the decision makers.
I did identify myself, and left a door hanger with our info.
Your statistic reminded me of another, "Half the population is below the average intelligence."
A dummy with a weapon, especially if feeling territorial, is not someone I want to stay around. Thanks for the tips!
I can tell you one way NOT to handle it.?ÿ We were staking the back property corners of a subdivision (true lining) when we hit about 3 inches into a +/- 10 inch pine.?ÿ The crew chief took his bush axe and began to cut a notch into the side so we could see by it.?ÿ The vast majority of the tree was on "our" side of the line so the notch was visible to the adjoiner.?ÿ The "lady" of the house came out and began ranting, raving and calling him names that would make a sailor blush.?ÿ After several attempts to calm the lady and her constant demands that he "fix" the notch he said okay.?ÿ It took a couple of dozen swings but the tree fell on "our" side.?ÿ Needless to say she was NOT a happy camper.?ÿ I did buy the crew chief a beer though for having the intestinal fortitude to do it.?ÿ The boss sent a different crew?ÿ out to finish that job.
Andy
That reminds me of a situation about 25 years ago in East Cobb we were cutting out the line for a traverse along the back line of a subdivision. The crew chief was working under encountered one of those elephant ear plants and it was well on our side so he cut it down. No sooner had the thing fell to the ground than the old woman came bounding out of the house screaming because he cut her plant down and in one of those perfect deadpan voices he said "you don't have to worry about that anymore".
That crew chief went on and got licensed and he became a good friend of mine. I recently learned that he fell on very hard times and lost his wife and family and hurt his back and painkillers didn't help and he took his own life.
You may have known him but I will not give his name here. Sad.
