# Bus stop bullies, impressionable kids, and the appropriate use of violence. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 17, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-stop-bullies-impressionable-kids-and-the-appropriate-use-of-violence/704903 "2014-11-17T22:07:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-stop-bullies-impressionable-kids-and-the-appropriate-use-of-violence/704903/41 "2014-11-20T18:50:38Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > So what do you give him the next time Andre is there extorting another victim? Edmund is extremely unlikely to be there if that happens again. And we don’t know that it’ll happen again. I cannot prove that an act of kindness to a person who doesn’t deserve it will help that person change, but it’s possible. It’s worth trying, particularly in front of your kid, in hopes of modeling the sort of behavior you want your kid to favor. > [@](#): > > It is not about the gloves and hat and it never was. He’s not demanding anything out of need to keep his head and hands warm. It’s about Andre demeaning his victim. THAT is the point. THAT is the bully’s goal. If you give in to him, he will keep coming back for more. Unless you’re a rich bald guy in a wheelchair played by Patrick Stewart in the movies, you can’t know Andre’s motives. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-stop-bullies-impressionable-kids-and-the-appropriate-use-of-violence/704903/42 "2014-11-20T18:57:56Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Calling 911 is pointless. There’s just no way the cops are going to arrive in time to do anything useful, unless there’s already one with sight anyway. One major point in the favor of calling 911 is that it teaches Paul that the police should be called (if possible) if violence is imminent. Even if the police can’t stop it before it happens, if someone is assaulted, the police can take evidence and eventually track down the criminal. > [@](#): > > And standing by idly while the robbery happens, and only then giving DeShawn his gloves, teaches Paul only to let the bad guys win. Fair enough – I’m swayed by the idea of pre-emptively giving the bully the extra hat and gloves. But I don’t see any downside to calling 911, if it’s feasible. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-stop-bullies-impressionable-kids-and-the-appropriate-use-of-violence/704903/43 "2014-11-20T19:07:53Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > One major point in the favor of calling 911 is that it teaches Paul that the police should be called (if possible) if violence is imminent. Even if the police can’t stop it before it happens, if someone is assaulted, the police can take evidence and eventually track down the criminal. > > Fair enough – I’m swayed by the idea of pre-emptively giving the bully the extra hat and gloves. But I don’t see any downside to calling 911, if it’s feasible. I just can’t see anything useful coming out of it. By the time Edmund calls 911 and has a conversation with the operator–and long before whatever cop is summoned gets there–Andre will have taken DeShawn’s property, possibly bloodied his nose, and sauntered off. 911 MIGHT help if the robbery were taking place on an in-transit bus, but I still think DeShawn is just going to walk off before the police get there. I can’t see the cops racing to stop an unarmed, small-potatoes robbery like this. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-stop-bullies-impressionable-kids-and-the-appropriate-use-of-violence/704903/44 "2014-11-20T19:10:05Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I just can’t see anything useful coming out of it. By the time Edmund calls 911 and has a conversation with the operator–and long before whatever cop is summoned gets there–Andre will have taken DeShawn’s property, possibly bloodied his nose, and sauntered off. 911 MIGHT help if the robbery were taking place on an in-transit bus, but I still think DeShawn is just going to walk off before the police get there. I can’t see the cops racing to stop an unarmed, small-potatoes robbery like this. They don’t have to stop it for it to be useful. A big idiot bully who rides the bus frequently won’t be that hard to find, especially if the police are called early. Paul should learn (among other things) that it’s good to report crime to the police to make it easier for justice to be served. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-stop-bullies-impressionable-kids-and-the-appropriate-use-of-violence/704903/45 "2014-11-20T19:15:50Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > They don’t have to stop it for it to be useful. A big idiot bully who rides the bus frequently won’t be that hard to find, especially if the police are called early. Paul should learn (among other things) that it’s good to report crime to the police to make it easier for justice to be served. Right, right, the long view. There’s a virtue to that, I suppose. Rhymers are very short-sighted. Though we don’t know that Andre rides the bus _frequently_. Edmund obviously doesn’t know that, for reasons left as an exercise for the class. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-stop-bullies-impressionable-kids-and-the-appropriate-use-of-violence/704903/46 "2014-11-20T19:16:27Z")
Further – I’m not suggesting that he call 911 and then stand by and do nothing. If Andre starts to assault DeShwan, Edmund should step in and stop the assault. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-stop-bullies-impressionable-kids-and-the-appropriate-use-of-violence/704903.md?page=2)