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'My Corduroyed Life' - Mark A's Journal
There are some things, and some people that I just don't get...
Last Wednesday, roughly about 8 o'clock, Rob and I were innocently walking from Manchester to Salford having gone into Manc straight after work, leaving my car in Salford where the parking is free. For no other reason that we were there and we looked like students, we were attacked by a thug.
We should have known better than to be as provocative as looking like students minding our own business in broad daylight, eh?
We were just two people living their lives: we weren't doing anything other than walking together and chatting. As we walked, we heard this obviously drunk man shouting sexually abusive stuff at an unfortunate lone girl. We ignored this and went on our way as normal. At some point this girl must have gone off in another direction, because suddenly, this person was running to catch up with us.
Staggering, slurring, and holding half a pint of Stella, he came up to us and demanded a cigarette off Rob, who gave him one. He then demanded more, and Rob said he hadn't got any. This person was a thin white male with a whispy beard and greasy hair, wearing a Nike sleeveless shirt. He spent a good quarter of a mile verbally abusing both of us and threatening us, as we politely informed him that we didn't want trouble and that we would like to be left to walk in any other direction that the one in which he was walking.
Of course, he was drunk and full of testosterone (which could possibly be used as an excuse for his quite disturbing body odour problem), and our logical and reasonable suggestions weren't acceptable, and he continued to hound us.
We finally thought he'd left us alone as we went down one street and then he went down another... until we heard broken glass and this person came charging back with a piece of broken pint glass in his hand. He then continued to threaten us, brandishing this weapon.
It was at this point that I wondered should I take him out instead of simply tolerating him and waiting for him to go away? Where is the line crossed when antisocial and threatening behaviour becomes bad enough to act in pre-emptive self-defence? As a martial artist, do I have a responsibility to only use my skill as a very last resort? As a boyfriend, do I have a responsibility to protect the man I love? The thing is, I don't know my rights and restrictions as a martial artist within the law (apparently, a martial artist can be sued for using his fists as an offensive weapon so the horror stories go). Also, so the theory goes, if someone is going to use the weapon they are brandishing, they'll use it straight away. This theory proved to be right here as he finally discarded the glass (after getting blood on my shirt from his cut hand when he pushed me), but continued his verbal abuse and threats.
So this continued until we entered a pub. Funnily enough, it was The Crescent - the pub that I consider my local (I go there too often, I’m known by the bar staff, and am almost guaranteed to know someone there if I just pop in – so what if it isn’t near to where I live?). The staff and customers are made of stern stuff there, and tend to feel loyalty to the place and its regular patrons. So up gets Rob the barman, and blocks the door when he sees what’s happening to us. All the customers watch. And the aggressive person throws more insults at Rob the barman, Rob and me before leaving.
The way I see it is this. I could have tried to take him out, and the likelihood is that I would have done. He was smaller in stature and build than I am, drunk, and not a trained Martial Artist: who would you have bet on? I chose not to despite huge temptation, and I’m glad I chose not to. However, the three main factors why I didn’t were:
1) The fact that he might get lucky and I might lose/ get hurt or cut.
2) The fact that I generally believe in violence as abhorrent and the very final resort for anything.
3) The fact that I was scared of the laws in place for assault and Martial Artists getting done in the past.
Do you know what the interesting/ worrying thing is? The main factor that decided it, in the cold light of day now that I can analyse my own emotions on the issue, is number 3. What does that say about the law in this country? What does that say about me and the priorities in my life? I can tell you this, out of all the three factors, it is the most lame, and to a small extent, I’m ashamed of my choice, and kind of wish that I had left that person bleeding in the gutter. It’s strange how the aggressive behaviour of others can actually do much more damage than simply frightening someone. This BASTARD has made me question my attitudes and my beliefs.
Mark
Current mood:
angry.