Alcohol, Stupidity, and a Broken Arm

The BBQ Pit
1

I’m typing this one-handed, not for the reason you’re thinking, but because my right arm is broken and it’s all my fault.

Last Sunday, I celebrated Easter by going to DC to visit the National Gallery. After I got my fill of art, I went to Dupont Circle to have dinner at Raku, one of my favorite Asian restaurants. Afterward, I decided to go to JR’s to have a pre-Metro snort on $1 vodka night.

Stupid decision #1

WHen I got there, the place was packed with people. I got my drink and found a spot in the corner. A really handsome guy next to me started chatting with me, and after a while, he asked if I could buy him a vodka. Immediately, the “this guy’s a hustler” bells went off, but because he was really cute I told him I’d get him one drink, but I had no interest in anything else.

Stupid decision #2

After the second vodka I bought him,(Stupid Decision #3) he asked me for money. I told him to piss off and walked away. The hustler followed me and started getting menacing. I couldn’t get a bartender to notice what was going on because they were busy. The guy tried for my wallet, we scuffled. THAT, the bartenders noticed. We got thrown out.

I walked away. The jerk came up behind me and punched me in the back of the head, knocking me down. I hit the sidewalk hard, with him trying to get my wallet. With my left hand, I wrenched him back, and I started shouting “Fire” as loud as I could to attract attention. The would-be mugger ran off.

Lesons Learned:
1)Stay out of gay bars. I ought to know by now that anyone who wants to talk to me must be up to no good.
2)Don’t chat to people I know can be dangerous, especially when I’m buzzed.
3) Stay away from hard alcohol. I’m a two beer max drinker, and am totally not used to drinking hard liquor, and I underestimated how drunk I was.
4)Working out has really paid off. I was able to wrestle a guy off me with only one useable arm.

I deserve a broken arm for being a freaking idiot. I’m grateful I’m left-handed, so I can still work, so I got off lighter than I should have.

2

I’m so sorry to read about what happened to you, goboy. And no, you didn’t deserve it. You did get off lucky, but you did nothing that made you “have it coming.” You met a jerk and that happens all the time. He took advantage, and that happens, too. I’m glad you are okay, though. How’s your head?

3

Aw, babe, I’m so sorry. :frowning:

Um, er, at least it wasn’t raining? :wink:

Esprix

4

Damn, hon, that sucks. Yes, you made some bad decisions, but that doesn’t mean you deserve a broken arm. I’m glad you weren’t hurt worse. Hope you get better soon.

5

Gee, and you better not own anything of value if you don’t want your house to get robbed.

Goboy, love, you have a right to expect to be safe. That (and not bashing protesters’ heads in in Quebec City) is why we have police. Please, please don’t ever think that you “deserved” a violent assault or “brought it on yourself”. That way lies madness.

Have you reported this to your local gay and lesbian anti-violence project?

6

I rarely felt safe in DC. You have my condolences, Goboy.

It is not your fault. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

7

That fucking blows. Guys like that deserve a shot to the pills. Well, at least you can still masturbate and type somewhat half-assedly. Who knows, you could get some pity sex. :smiley: Take care of yourself. At least you can beat the shit out of someone with your cast now.

8

goboy, that sucks! I’m sending good vibes your way…

Take care of yourself! (and add me to the “it wasn’t your fault” camp!)

9

Thanks for the kind thoughts, y’all. I went to the orthopedist yesterday, and he said that the break isn’t as severe as the ER folks had said, so I only have to wear my cast for two weeks, then I can go to a brace. My cast is fibreglass and is tinted a lovely shade of blue. Now if only there was a black leather option…

I didn’t go to the cops because, given the DC police reputation, they probably would have hurt me worse than my assailant did.

10

Well, whew, I’m relieved–you start out saying, “Alcohol, stupidity and a broken arm” and the next thing we know, you’re at the National Gallery. You got drunk at the National Gallery and the security guy threw you out and broke your arm.

No, wait, now you’re at an upscale Asian restaurant–where you got drunk and they threw you out and broke your arm.

No, that’s not it, now we get to it. You’re in a bar and you got drunk and they threw you out and you broke your arm.

No, still not quite right. Okay. You’re in a bar and you got drunk and they threw you out and the guy who hit on you in the bar and got thrown out with you tried to rob you there on the sidewalk and he knocked you down and you broke your arm.

Okay, got it.

I’m just glad it wasn’t the National Gallery.

:smiley:

11

What’s this stuff about not going back to a gay bar! Nonsense. We could all be mugged just about anywhere. And for no reason other than that some people can not function in the world, so they steal from other people. Contemptable.

Go back to $1.00 vodka night asap! But as you said, next time sick to the beer.

Sounds like you handled yourself well.

Oh yeah. It was not your fault!

12

Yep. it sucks. I don’t know about the advice to stay out of gay bars though. There are some bars that just are a bad idea to go into, some of them gay, some of them straight. Maybe all the gay bars in DC are a bad idea. There are some dive ass bars out here in SF that I would definetely stay out of gay or straight. Guess I don’t have anything new to really add. As someone who has been mugged, and broken their arm in the last year, I feel for you. It’s good that you were able to fight him off, that always helps with not feeling so helpless about the mugging.

13

Yikes. Sorry to hear about the broken wing. I guess this is why you’ll not be part of the mini-DC-dopefest Sunday. Bummer. I was hoping to meet you.

Maybe if you’re feeling better…

14

Good to hear, all things relative, that you are okay, gb.
Point of curiousity, I’ve known people that have been thrown out of bars before for fighting, or more exactly, having someone throw a punch at them, then once outside, they get jumped again. They sue the bar or file a complaint against the bar (in addition to filing a complaint against the jackass that jumped them.) IIRC, they are justified in doing so (they being the person jumped, trown out, then left to the aggressor.)

I know you said you didn’t file a complaint with the police, but…any thoughts?

15

Good to hear, all things relative, that you are okay, gb.
Point of curiousity, I’ve known people that have been thrown out of bars before for fighting, or more exactly, having someone throw a punch at them, then once outside, they get jumped again. They sue the bar or file a complaint against the bar (in addition to filing a complaint against the jackass that jumped them.) IIRC, they are justified in doing so (they being the person jumped, thrown out, then left to the aggressor.)

I know you said you didn’t file a complaint with the police, but…any thoughts?

16

Goboy,
I don’t see that you did anything wrong or were stupid at all. You were unlucky that that guy was a jerk.