Pedestrians on H Street at night
A reader writes in asking for advice after her boyfriend was shoved into the street by a group of teens. I am responding to her email off the blog, but I too am curious how others might suggest handling a situation like this.
Hey, I live just north of H street and read the blog all the time. I work on H and am subsequently constantly there, love the neighborhood and have no intention on leaving but I do have a question, maybe posted previously to your readers but I have not seen one of the same nature. I wanted to send a SOS for any pedestrians on the street to keep aware of their surroundings and be aware of bike crews.
My boyfriend was walking down H street, 11th and H Street and was pushed into the gutter by a group of teens on mountain bikes.
What do you think the appropriate action would have been made by him? If everyone, for future reference?
Thanks for the feedback.
Concerned H streeter.
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UPDATE
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Here's the advice I sent to the reader this morning:
I'd definitely suggest calling the police once the person is out of harm's way. Also, just to be careful not to do anything to escalate the situation immediately after something like that (anyone who is willing to push someone into the gutter/street is clearly willing to cause physical harm to others). I'd say if someone is shoved like this in the future and the kids don't immediately leave, it makes sense to go into the nearest business to minimize the chance of a further attack. Basically, get yourself safe, and then call the police. I would also suggest telling a bartender, or another employee at any business you go into what has happened so they can alert other businesses in case these guys just moved a block of so down the street.
24 comments:
prayer. clearly he has not been praying hard enough.
I don't think that I have "The Answer", but I supposed my values would dictate that I practice non-violence. In other words, I'd brush myself off and keep on walking, ignoring any further antagonism by the crew. I know there are a hundred ways to handle the situation, but mine would be to keep my head down, hope for a flash of grace, and keep on keepin' on.
call the police
It was intentional. Pick up your phone and call the cops. Ignoring thuggery isn't the answer.
please don't turn this website into popville with their "what do I dooooo?" posts
10:30,
It's not turning into Popville or any other blog/website. But sometimes a reader asks for advice on a situation that they are willing to share, and that I think is of legitimate interest to the larger community. It's not a new feature.
Cops aren't going to do shit. Carry a blade and slice away at the young thugs. Teach em a lesson. Aim for the throat.
Ok here are some answers
1) wear a motorcycle helmet at all times and maybe some hefty football shoulder pads
2) carry a small broom handle that you can jam into the bike spokes in the event this very specific situation arises again
3) go to the gym, get jacked, learn how to beat ass
4) get over it and keep your head on a swivel
there, advice given
If you can get out your phone quick enough, film all or any one of them or take a picture. Then call the cops.
Lol. That's how you get your phone jacked, silly. Have you ever been to H Street?
I think it really all depends on the situation, how sober/big/small/ your boyfriend is, how many kids, how big they were etc. It's a scary situation but I tend to side with those who say get up and hit someone in the fuckin' throat. These little wannabe badasses don't think anyone's ever going to push back. Push back against these little shitheads. Having said that, I wasn't there and it's easier to sit here and type this than to actually do what I say in the moment. But I think if some punk pushes me in the gutter he's gonna get some fierce, fierce blowback.
One more thing, I really feel for your boyfriend. He was obviously out enjoying the evening and I presume not looking for trouble and then gets surprise assaulted. Not cool at all. If he didn't do anything I wouldn't be too hard on him. That's a shocking event and I'm sure he was thinking of your safety as much as his own. Escalating in a situation like when you are majorly outnumbered is a dicey proposition. Sometimes a cool head is actually the better route. In any event, your post troubles me and I feel for your guy. Tough, tough spot to find yourself in.
Ok, people should definitely feel free to continue adding their thoughts, but I went ahead and pasted the response I wrote this morning into the original post. Here it is again for those who checking in on the comments don't want to scroll back up to re-read the actual post:
I'd definitely suggest calling the police once the person is out of harm's way. Also, just to be careful not to do anything to escalate the situation immediately after something like that (anyone who is willing to push someone into the gutter/street is clearly willing to cause physical harm to others). I'd say if someone is shoved like this in the future and the kids don't immediately leave, it makes sense to go into the nearest business to minimize the chance of a further attack. Basically, get yourself safe, and then call the police. I would also suggest telling a bartender, or another employee at any business you go into what has happened so they can alert other businesses in case these guys just moved a block of so down the street.
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In response to the suggestion to shoot a video or take a picture, I'd avoid this because it risks both escalating the situation, and getting your phone stolen.
call the police quickly once your safe. a group of teens on bikes shouldn't be difficult to track down.
reporting it on this blog benefits all of us. who gives a fuck if it's like Petworth Prince? all of us need to be aware of criminal/terrorist threats in our neighborhood and city.
avoid fighting if you can especially if you don't have any fighting skills.
get some fighting skills. you don't need to lift weights to hit hard. do lots of cardio and learn how to punch.
"There are three types of people in this world: sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. Now, some people prefer to believe that evil doesn’t exist in the world…those are the sheep. And then you got predators who use violence to prey on the weak. They’re the wolves. And then there are those who have been blessed with the gift of aggression, and the overpowering need to protect the flock. These men are the rare breed that live to confront the wolf. They are the sheepdogs."
prayer
Anon 3:30pm wrote: "There are three types of people in this world: sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. Now, some people prefer to believe that evil doesn’t exist in the world…those are the sheep. And then you got predators who use violence to prey on the weak. They’re the wolves. And then there are those who have been blessed with the gift of aggression, and the overpowering need to protect the flock. These men are the rare breed that live to confront the wolf. They are the sheepdogs."
How do ducks fit into this parable? Also, lemurs. I want to be a lemur.
FYI - It's no longer that difficult to get a concealed carry permit in DC.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/28/judges-ruling-allows-concealed-carry-for-dc-gun-ow/
pretty sure a duck or a lemur would not want to get in the way of a fight between wolves and sheepdogs
join hands and sing kumbaya and come to a realization that all lives matter.
First of all, you just need to start looking at people when they are coming towards you whether on foot or on a bike. You can't stare at the ground or try to avoid eye contact. If you sense someone coming up behind you turn around and LOOK. Stand tall and look people directly in the eye when they are entering or going to enter your personal space. (note: do smile or nod when you make eye contact, this lets the other normal people know you are not a psychopath or trying to start shit yourself). This simple action will generally prevent the kind of incident described and other cases of bored teenagers looking for targets. Because if someone does try to randomly push you or do something else crazy you will see it coming and be able to react to defend yourself.
Legally speaking, if someone try's to hit you can strike them in self defense. However, that's not a license to beat the crap out of some 14 year old kid if they shove you. You may only legally use the force necessary to reasonably defend yourself. Also, you have the option of performing a citizens arrest if they commit a crime above a certain threshold. Read the law relevant law here:
http://dccode.org/simple/sections/23-582.html
Note that assault is one of those crimes. A citizens arrest is done by announcing they are under arrest and restraining them until the police arrive, again using only the necessary force required.
@ 3:38 Millions of refugees are trying to get into Europe and the US simply because they are not able to defend themselves. People on the hill are robbed and assaulted every night and some of my neighbors are already fleeing. I don't merely want to "make eye contact" and get home safe that one time. I want to know how can we stop the violence and not have to be afraid every time I leave my home.
@Anon9:14 You've lost the script. What the hell are you even talking about?
Really tired of reading these types of stories on a consistent basis.
This is not a problem that can't be solved. It can, but we have to stop electing leaders who will protect anyone with their same skin color. We need to elect people who believe crime is crime, regardless of whether they are black like them. Stop electing black racists, who protect their own and breed cronyism, and start electing folks who actually care about delivering justice to the hardworking citizens of DC.
Laws are biased against criminals. You heard it here first.
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