Warning - racial and homophobic insults quoted below.
Two nights ago at work, I had a physical altercation with an anti-vacciner. I was walking out to the fuel station with some change for the register, and one of my employees mentioned a guy was going around putting up stickers/signs everywhere. I saw one as I went out the door, it said, “This sticker is easily removeable. mRNA vaccines are not.” Or something like that.
As I was crossing the lot, I saw him put up one on one of the cart corrals. Defacing property and all that. I said to him, “Don’t do that.” His response was to turn rude - “Suck my cock.” He said it so softly I almost didn’t hear it, and had to think to make sure I actually heard what he said. Naturally, he’s gone from a nuissance to a problem. I told him he needed to leave the premises. I think I might even have said, “sir”- habitual practice at work. He responded with something like, “I’m done anyway.”
As he was walking by me, he decided he hadn’t been a big enough asshole, so he turned, said something else I didn’t catch because he grabbed my badge from my lapel on my vest and tried to throw it away. Except it’s on a retracting lanyard, so instead he pulls it as he turns to walk away.
I reach out and grab his wrist trying to get the badge, which of course wasn’t the smartest move, and so now he turns and for a second I’m looking at a potential full on fight. I’ve got his wrist in one hand, a plastic food bin with change in it in my other hand, and he’s turning on me with a bit of rage in his eyes.
I didn’t panic, but I definitely was evaluating my own fragility and the appropriate level of physical response required. Then he didn’t throw a punch, but he shoulder butted my chest and walked away, dropping my badge on the ground.
I didn’t follow, I didn’t yell anything, I just watched and called on my radio for backup. Should have done that earlier, but I’m too naive. Well, that annoys him, so he comes back over to taunt me more, something about my masculinity, and then tries to bat the change bucket out of my hand. When that doesn’t work, he rips my mask off my face. What a big baby, throwing a temper tantrum.
Anyway, he walks away as my manager approaches, and I fill him in. He says he saw it. We watch to see where he goes, and he starts walking across the street to the nextdoor store, so we’re watching, and then he comes back because we’re actually standing next to his car. At that point my manager calls the police. We don’t need more violence.
He yells ugly racist and homophobic insults - calls us “kikes” and “faggots”. As he’s driving away, he yells out the window “nigger lovers!” All around racist idiot and asshole. I know, there’s a lot of redundancy in that sentence.
Anyway, shortly thereafter I go to lunch and my manager goes out and removes all the stickers. The one over the cart corral said, “Real men don’t wear masks.” I saw it earlier. Reading his email write up, he says the signs had a white rose logo affiliated with some neo-nazi / white supremacist groups. Joy.
We’re being a bit cautious at work to see if he returns. I’m okay, just a mild injury to my chest where his shoulder slammed my phone into my ribs. I’m not really that scared of him coming back, though if he does it is call the police time.
I also am considering the unlikely but not impossible situation where I run into him elsewhere, he recognizes me, and approaches me again. I will definitely consider that as hostile intent and defend myself accordingly.
I’m mostly just angry that this is the level of discourse that passes for debate over “rights” or vaccines or whatever. Stick up signs on company property, and when chastised by the company for defacing their property, throw a tantrum and assault the employees.
So, anybody want to move to Texas?