Per this story I’m amazed no one stepped up to help her. According to her everyone but one small woman stayed hunkered down ignoring her being attacked. Realistically, if the events described below unfolded would you intervene? If you had a gun would you use it to shoot the attacking robbers?
I don’t want superhero answers I want real answers based on taking on physical risk to yourself. If you stepped in you would quite possibly be injured, potentially critically, by these thugs.
The women is screaming as they go after her… what would you really do if you had no weapon? What would you really do if you had a gun? I’m trying to do “what ifs” myself, but thinking about it from my armchair I honestly would have no problems shooting all the attackers dead if I had a gun.
I would hit the emergency button and call the conductor. I would be reluctant to physically intervene unless it was extremely clear what was happening, who was involved, and who were the attackers/defenders – in most cases that’s not very clear.
I ride the DC Metro every day, and this doesn’t surprise me that much, unfortunately. A few years ago I was on a busy train in the morning with a bunch of commuters, and there was a young men at one end of the train moaning in pain. It took me a minute to realize that he was really in pain and not just making strange noises for some other reason. I said “do you need a doctor” and he said “…don’t know… my leg…”. So I called with the emergency button and the driver called for an ambulance.
I can’t possibly imagine a positive outcome from attempting to shoot three people dead in a crowded subway car for… I’m not sure what the goal was here. Phone theft? Random harassment? Of course, I wouldn’t have a gun anyway so it’s a moot point.
I don’t ride the subway so I wouldn’t have guessed an option like the emergency call button. I could see myself verbally intervening or perhaps calling 911 but not killing people with a gun given the account in the OP.
The real challenge would be providing assistance while unarmed. You’d have to provide a big enough dis-insentive to the attackers to keep from becoming another of their victims.
In that particular scenario, when the punches started flying, I feel like I would have physically intervened. In a different scenario with large male assailants, to be honest it’s likely I would not physically intervene but hopefully use the emergency button.
I’m going to tell my own tangentially related story about dealing with juvenile delinquents on the DC metro. After having a few drinks at birthday party in Columbia Heights (which really isn’t close to being the worst part of DC) I went down to the metro station. There was no one else on the platform so I sat on one of the benches with earphones in. Then 5 rowdy teenagers, male and female, sort of surrounded me, one sitting next to me one standing behind me. Apparently they got a bunch of condoms from someplace (probably some sort of sex ed program) and offered me one telling me something like “I heard these make sex better.” Maintaining my cool I replied “to my knowledge sex is better without one.” Then one of them dropped an open condom (thankfully unused) on my hair which I brushed off. One of the girls at least was sort of like “come on guys…”
My next decision was probably a very stupid one, undoubtedly influenced by alcohol (I wasn’t drunk, but probably overconfident), but afterwards the train came and I followed them into the same car and sat across from them. They were obviously trying to intimidate and mess with me and I wanted to show them I wasn’t scared I guess. After getting on the train I asked them if they had any weapons on them, like guns or knives, the thought process being at the time that I would probably want to disengage immediately if the answer was yes. Then one of the boys thankfully says to another “yo I think he’s a cop or something” or something along those lines. He asks me if I had a badge under my sweater. I didn’t answer. They all get off on the next stop and I feel like a badass, but I soon realize that could have gone wrong in so many different ways. Though I would probably handle the situation very differently next time, I felt like it was a sort of moral victory for me.
I’ve previously asked my wife: If a child was in danger, say from a kidnapper for instance, and I had to put myself in critical danger to attempt to stop it, say they’re armed and I’m not, do I have permission to intervene even if my death is a significant possibility (note: I have 2 young children). She gave me unequivocal permission. I would think the same would apply here.
I have to admit the fact it was two teenage girls as opposed to the three big dudes I was imagining changes the equation significantly for me. My thought really wouldn’t be about about my physical safety, but what I could do without getting in trouble myself.
I’m wondering if some of the other male passengers had the same problem.
Push the emergency call button. Start filming with my phone so the police have footage of the crime.
I wouldn’t try to physically intervene by myself. Not with 3 of them. Perhaps if there were a couple other guys close by that were willing to jump in too. But I’d have to feel pretty confidant they were really prepared to fight. I wouldn’t want to find myself alone taking on three dudes and getting my ass kicked.
A gun isn’t an option. Not in todays world. A warning shot in the air might startle the thugs and break up the fight, but then I’d be facing several years in prison. Recklessly firing a weapon, menacing etc.
No thanks. Prosecutors love going after someone that fires warning shots into the air. A ass whupping would be over quicker and less painful than prison.
If you were to intervene. You’ve got a few precious seconds to inflict as much damage as possible. Do whatever it takes. Grab a guy from behind and shove him face first into the wall as hard as you can. Kick him in the back of the knee. Stomp his feet, do whatever is possible for those few seconds and hope that’s enough to shock them and they take off. If they regroup and focus on you… I hope your insurance is paid up. you’ll need it.
three against one. That’s pretty impossible odds to survive unless the guys panic and take off. Real street toughs can take a lot of punishment and keep right on fighting.
Man, if I’d have been there with a gun I’d have made three corpses in two seconds. Regrettably, although lethal at great distances with a long gun, I’m shite with a pistol so I really can’t tell you who’d be dead, but at least three people. If I had a machete there’d be at least a dozen copses because (I am so sorry, but it’s been a long day and I just can’t help myself) once you chop you just can’t stop.
Aw hell, the truth is, I’m a colossal pussy and a coward. I’d probably hit the emergency button (now that I know there is one), call 911 and stroll up while the operator has me on hold and advise the toughs that “someone” has called the cops and they’d best clear off. If they turn on me, I cry like the spineless, suburbanite bitch I am.
Girls makes it worse. It’s a no win situation. If you fight them off then you’re a monster that beats ups women. You might even be facing charges. If you just try to intervene without hitting them, they’ll take advantage of that and beat up into a pulp.
I would like to think that I’d shoot them. Ten years ago I probably would have shot them (I was a wicked good shot). But probably not now. Unfortunately, I’d be worried that I’d be in big legal (then civil) trouble because ***my ***life wasn’t in danger. And words like “vigilante justice” would get thrown around the media and the courtroom.
Anyway, these days I wouldn’t be armed with anything beyond what’s in my handbag. (Then again, a lighter and some hairspray?)
I don’t think I’d *physically *intervene. Again, I’d like to think I would, but I’m a middle-aged woman. I would be there screaming for someone to help her and hitting that emergency button, though.
ETA: Street fights are nasty no matter what, but girls are particularly vicious when they fight.
I would like to say yes but to be honest I’m not sure. I just don’t know the laws in DC well enough to know what I would be allowed to do and what would get me a “nice job but our judge may not think so”. I would do something but if it would rise to the level of intervention depends on your definition. I would NOT use deadly force until I was personally in threat of my life and possibly not even then. Its one of the reasons I avoid DC and New York - the courts are too much of a crap shoot.
Move it to the T here in Da Burgh and and all bets are off. Here I would be willing to get involved; I know the risks here.
you’ll need it.