# Are public freakouts/altercations getting more common or is it just the proliferation of cameras? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337 "2021-09-25T20:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/1 "2021-09-25T20:12:15Z")
Unless you turn off all electronics, it’s just about impossible to avoid videos of fights, arguments, or public freak outs. Is our society getting more violent or are we just more aware of what’s going on due to cell phone cameras and social media? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/2 "2021-09-25T20:14:01Z")
My vote is more aware. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/3 "2021-09-25T20:17:48Z")
My vote as well. I see a lot of freak-outs online but no uptick of incidents I’ve personally observed. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/4 "2021-09-25T20:19:38Z")
I think people are actually (generally speaking) better behaved in public now than 20 or 30 years ago. I feel like I see a lot fewer incidents in person than I used to. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/5 "2021-09-25T20:33:57Z")
I don’t know about you, but I’m less likely to frequent places where public altercations occur than I was 20-30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/6 "2021-09-26T08:10:23Z")
Well, that, too. And there some “altercations” that are hyperviolent - we may be getting a slight uptick in those, but it’s hard to say because the really awful ones get such attention that it might be skewing my (our) perceptions. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/7 "2021-09-26T08:40:10Z")
I read online ( so it’s probably BS ) that there is/are/were groups that train people to cause those anti-mask incidents to harass employees at restaurants and stores. To be fair, they do seem to have a formula: The Mouth (who screams out the dogma), the Cameraman (who films it and says “don’t touch me” when the staff are three feet away from him), the Security Thug (all pumped up and ready to pounce like some ex-cop on Steroids) … all engaging some poor minimum wage restaurant worker or store worker. That said, the person who wrote that there were groups who trained them conveniently left out the name of the “who” the “they” were… a sure sign of BS. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/8 "2021-09-26T08:56:21Z")
While I sort of doubt the above on a certain level, my experience working in retail over the past year leads me to suspect that there are some people engage in worker/customer harassment over masks and social distancing for the “fun” of it. Yeah, it’s always fun… for the bully. Not so much for the people around him. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/9 "2021-09-26T09:04:00Z")
Exactly. There was ‘just enough truth’ to make a conspiracy theory. Also, yes… people who take time out of their day to do that are Aholes & Bullies. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/10 "2021-09-26T13:14:52Z")
On the one hand, I would say most of it is just the ubiquity of cameras meaning no incident goes unrecorded. At least not the incidents that last more than a few seconds. But on the other hand, among agencies that collect such stats, they are claiming a massive spike, particularly since covid. For example, [the FAA has registered an increase of 700%](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/09/flight-attendants-unruly-passengers) of unruly passenger cases significant enough to require further investigation. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/11 "2021-09-26T14:37:15Z")
That that would pass for fun in somebody’s empty life is depressing. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/12 "2021-09-27T01:23:39Z")
We are more aware due to more recordings. AND in some cases, that very awareness is giving some of our less stable cast members ideas. > [@Mijin](#): > > For example, [the FAA has registered an increase of 700%](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/09/flight-attendants-unruly-passengers) of unruly passenger cases significant enough to require further investigation. We were discussing this at the office the other day. A little over 20 years ago, in the aftermath of 9/11, the general vibe was that anyone trying to act up assholically in mid-air would have the 6 rows immediately fore and aft of them stomping vigorously on their soft tissues until final approach to the diversion airport. Today, it’s like “meh, let’s take a video of this dude trying to strangle the purser”. Not really an improvement. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/13 "2021-09-27T09:59:57Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > A little over 20 years ago, in the aftermath of 9/11, the general vibe was that anyone trying to act up assholically in mid-air would have the 6 rows immediately fore and aft of them stomping vigorously on their soft tissues until final approach to the diversion airport. > > Today, it’s like “meh, let’s take a video of this dude trying to strangle the purser”. Not really an improvement. Sorry but I disagree. I hadn’t watched videos of these incidents until now since looking at that FAA data. And, ISTM, that in the vast majority of videos the whole plane is united in telling the trouble-maker to STFU. Now, it’s true that no-one _tackles_ the drunk / jerk / Karen, but I think that’s _because_ of 9/11, not in spite of it. The repercussions for causing trouble on a plane are virtually unbounded, and getting involved in a push and shove could see you being lumped in as one of them. Personally, about the only things that could get me to physically intervene were if a guy was literally beating up a woman or child or trying to commit a serious sexual assault. Any less than that, and I would just alert the cabin crew and leave it at that. (if the cabin crew asked me for help, then it’s on for sure though) My bar is much lower for everyday life of course, but post-911 flying is a special animal. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-freakouts-altercations-getting-more-common-or-is-it-just-the-proliferation-of-cameras/951337/14 "2021-09-27T17:46:52Z")
I think more aware but I also think there are those that manufacture freakout just to be internet famous. Not only, “Hey watch me freak out.” but also others. I just saw one where the woman harassed her Uber driver then refused to get out of the car just so she could start filming when he lost his shit.