Pet Peeves

Deleted member 16771 said:
I just nearly got into a fight.

Essentially I'd been at the library - finished reading but couldn't concentrate enough to write, so I decided to do my shopping while the shops were open. Then, on my way back from the shops, walking towards home, this happened:

Walking along the riverbank with two large shopping bags in hand, headphones in, and satchel fool of work-stuff around my shoulder, I notice a man (early 20s I'd guess) looking at me and talking, so I take out an ear of my headphones and approach him. He was with a group, drinking on a slipway into the river.

He was saying, 'give us a can, mate', and I said '[chuckle] Oh I don't have any, but you seem to be doing alright', and walked off, but I noticed that another lad in the group was pissing in the river, so I must've given a funny look towards him (in eyeline of the other lad) as I walked away.

After about 15-20 feet, I notice a bottle sail by me (well wide), obviously having been thrown by the group, so I turned around and took out my headphones, placing them in my pocket.

At me turning around, a blond guy (the pisser) started posturing and advancing on me, though they were pretty far, at least 25+ feet away or maybe 3 car-lengths. I stood there, and put down by bags, looking at them incredulously, though I don't think anybody could've gauged my expression.

He kept advancing and stopping, taking back steps as he literally puffed out his chest (phantom lats syndrome), looking to his mate (the 'brunette' who asked me for a can). His mate started tenuously advancing, too, as the other guy was like 'come on!' and the girls in their group called out for them to stop.

I just stood my ground, and waited for them to advance. I put my arms out at one point as if to say 'why is this taking so long'. Eventually they retreated and went back to their slipway, out of sight, though I stayed there for a little while before carrying on my way (with one eye over my shoulder).


Now, I'm 6' 1" and around 220lbs right now (I've lost about a stone recently because of a breakup), and I would guess that one of them was something like 5' 8"-9" and the other maybe 6', but both of them looked like welterweights to me. Not intimidating on their own, but two of them is a big step up (I'm convinced that even the toughest dude is going to lose when outnumbered by determined men in real life). So my heart rate was going, and I wasn't sure how it would play out. I was standing my ground in any case and the plan was just to strike the blond as soon as he got into range, because he was advancing ahead of his buddy for some reason, and then keep my distance and see what the other bloke would do - 'kite' them almost if they were able to take the hits. I was prepared to get beaten up, for sure, but I would inflict as much damage as possible before that happened.

I thought about how precious my research was, and my shopping, and didn't really want that stuff to get thrown into a river or something, and decided against advancing on them, though I had that impulse for a brief moment. I was definitely pumped and ready to go, a mix of fear and aggression and weirdly all the things I've said in the past about 'honour' and so forth - like I'd confined myself to a course of action based upon the words I've been telling myself for a long time. That was the strangest feeling - a kind of resignation based on remaining consistent, like 'oh well, I guess I have to do this now'.

As I walked home, though, I became furious at the thought that this guy had gotten away with throwing a bottle at a stranger unpunished. Though it went clear of actually hitting me, that's pretty intimidating behaviour which ought to land him in prison in my view. Despite this I felt like I had no personal recourse to deliver this kind of immediate punitive justice to the guy - two guys (I think I saw another one in their group, too) is slim odds.

The last time something like this happened was Christmas, when some hooligans drove over my mum's front lawn on a quadbike, though nobody actually tried to physically intimidate me - they were pretty meek. The lad who did it didn't return and his friends completely disavowed him.

Fucking hooligans, I can't stand them. Always they're trying to impress some girl by trying to intimidate strangers - honestly this never happens when it's just men on their own.
Click to expand...
Hell yeah! I'm glad you stood your ground and didn't have to fight! Not being intimidated by the losers is the best way to have them back down. I've been in a couple close calls like that in the past and didn't back down until they did. Be prepared to replay the scenario in your bean over and over and over, each time kicking all their asses in a new and more creative way.
 
Milktoast Bandit said:
Hell yeah! I'm glad you stood your ground and didn't have to fight! Not being intimidated by the losers is the best way to have them back down. I've been in a couple close calls like that in the past and didn't back down until they did. Be prepared to replay the scenario in your bean over and over and over, each time kicking all their asses in a new and more creative way.
Click to expand...
Well if they were determined to attack me, it was going to happen in any case, so there would have been no point backing off myself.

I was a bit concerned that my aggression didn't go super high - I was more calculating and weighing the outcomes - so yeah you're right; visualisation helps. I felt it more as I walked home (because of the injustice), though. It was literally right next to the Cathedral, too, with people walking their dogs in the cool night air and couples having romantic moments by the Wear (river). Fucking ruining everybody's experience.

Thankfully, though, my tension has been relieved with a cute dog video so :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:
 
guns would have solved this problem...


558827606da811cf32adf0f6-750-458.jpg

american-eagle.jpg
 
flower said:
When opening a bottle of carbonated mineral water and it explodes. :expressionless:
Click to expand...
QFT, then automatically moving it in front of you making it a sprinkle fountain to everyone/everything around you :sweatsmile:

Hmmm, always got the habit of tapping the top first of a can first before opening wondering if it works with bottles as well, seems science is on both sides of the yes/no on that one.

And off course there exists a wiki for this:
  1. Feel for the "pressure" on the container. If it feels hard, it tells you how much dissolved carbon dioxide is trapped in there
  2. Get a good grip of the bottle body.
  3. Turn the bottle cap slowly. Watch and monitor the amount of "fizz" that rises to the top.
    • If it rises too fast and a lot of hissing noises, turn the cap the other way (as if you're closing it) to slow it down. Wait about 10-15 seconds to allow it settle down, then try again.
  4. Turn the cap all the way to open it fully
 
dragulagu said:
QFT, then automatically moving it in front of you making it a sprinkle fountain to everyone/everything around you :sweatsmile:

Hmmm, always got the habit of tapping the top first of a can first before opening wondering if it works with bottles as well, seems science is on both sides of the yes/no on that one.

And off course there exists a wiki for this:
  1. Feel for the "pressure" on the container. If it feels hard, it tells you how much dissolved carbon dioxide is trapped in there
  2. Get a good grip of the bottle body.
  3. Turn the bottle cap slowly. Watch and monitor the amount of "fizz" that rises to the top.
    • If it rises too fast and a lot of hissing noises, turn the cap the other way (as if you're closing it) to slow it down. Wait about 10-15 seconds to allow it settle down, then try again.
  4. Turn the cap all the way to open it fully
Click to expand...

Hahaha, exactly! Everything was wet after that. ><" lol

Thank you for the tips! I hope I remember them next time the same thing happens.
 
dragulagu said:
QFT, then automatically moving it in front of you making it a sprinkle fountain to everyone/everything around you :sweatsmile:

Hmmm, always got the habit of tapping the top first of a can first before opening wondering if it works with bottles as well, seems science is on both sides of the yes/no on that one.

And off course there exists a wiki for this:
  1. Feel for the "pressure" on the container. If it feels hard, it tells you how much dissolved carbon dioxide is trapped in there
  2. Get a good grip of the bottle body.
  3. Turn the bottle cap slowly. Watch and monitor the amount of "fizz" that rises to the top.
    • If it rises too fast and a lot of hissing noises, turn the cap the other way (as if you're closing it) to slow it down. Wait about 10-15 seconds to allow it settle down, then try again.
  4. Turn the cap all the way to open it fully
Click to expand...

This doesn't work for cans, unfortunately.

This is one of the reasons I don't drink pop. I always get the fizzy can and it explodes all over me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top