by Tdarcos » Thu May 12, 2022 12:54 pm
I liked your story. There are people who are on such hair triggers that anything can set them off, and if they're sociopathic they could be capable of anything, up to and including murder. Consider Joe Pesci's character Tommy in
Goodfellas; the "do you think I'm funny" scene is an example; Ray Liota's character Henry is afraid he insulted Tommy, and he might retaliate, until he figures out that it's a gag. But we know how mercurial Tommy's temper is; his severely injuring a bartender, and later killing him, for effectively nothing, proves that.
The law has a term to define certain speech as being unprotected by the First Amendment: "true threats," speech that threatens imminent lawless action. There is also the "fighting words" doctrine: speech that is likely to immediately trigger assaults. This guy had clearly crossed the line, and while I am not saying you should have, it is very likely if you had hit him just enough to stop him, so that you could leave, you would not have been prosecuted. In fact, once he grabbed you that is criminal assault - especially if he did it in front of witnesses - and you are allowed to use reasonable force to stop him. If you did just enough to knock him out, so he can't follow you, that's acceptable. Do not concern yourself about the fact you let him get your goat; nobody expects anyone to be a doormat. I will add that your decision not to assault him in response showed you have really significant restraint.
I'll say this much, hr'd better not do this again with someone stronger than him and not having real restraint; if he pushes it, in that fight he might end up in the hospital. Or the morgue.
You probably didn't think of it at that time, but the first time he put his hands on you, that's criminal assault. Try to make sure they would do it, say to the receptionist, "Call the police
now! Otherwise I'll have to hurt him to make him stop." That way you're in the right, his assault gets him taken downtown, or makes him come to his senses and breaks it off. If it stops him, and they can restrain him, you can leave. Otherwise, he leaves first - in handcuffs.
In Robert A. Heinlein's
Star Beast there is a scene where a diplomat acts rude toward someone being unreasonable to get an advantage. He tells his subordinate, "There's an old saying, 'Sometimes you have to step on the other person's toes until
they apologize.'"
Yeah, maybe I'm playing Monday Morning Quarterback on this, but sometimes threatening to, or actually calling the police, can do wonders to de-escalate a situation.
[quote=pinback post_id=128722 time=1652266020 user_id=5]
Here's the story (not the peeing story, which we will never hear), the interview one: https://pinback.net/moltobenny/snt/wie.html
[/quote]
I liked your story. There are people who are on such hair triggers that anything can set them off, and if they're sociopathic they could be capable of anything, up to and including murder. Consider Joe Pesci's character Tommy in [i]Goodfellas[/i]; the "do you think I'm funny" scene is an example; Ray Liota's character Henry is afraid he insulted Tommy, and he might retaliate, until he figures out that it's a gag. But we know how mercurial Tommy's temper is; his severely injuring a bartender, and later killing him, for effectively nothing, proves that.
The law has a term to define certain speech as being unprotected by the First Amendment: "true threats," speech that threatens imminent lawless action. There is also the "fighting words" doctrine: speech that is likely to immediately trigger assaults. This guy had clearly crossed the line, and while I am not saying you should have, it is very likely if you had hit him just enough to stop him, so that you could leave, you would not have been prosecuted. In fact, once he grabbed you that is criminal assault - especially if he did it in front of witnesses - and you are allowed to use reasonable force to stop him. If you did just enough to knock him out, so he can't follow you, that's acceptable. Do not concern yourself about the fact you let him get your goat; nobody expects anyone to be a doormat. I will add that your decision not to assault him in response showed you have really significant restraint.
I'll say this much, hr'd better not do this again with someone stronger than him and not having real restraint; if he pushes it, in that fight he might end up in the hospital. Or the morgue.
You probably didn't think of it at that time, but the first time he put his hands on you, that's criminal assault. Try to make sure they would do it, say to the receptionist, "Call the police [i]now![/i] Otherwise I'll have to hurt him to make him stop." That way you're in the right, his assault gets him taken downtown, or makes him come to his senses and breaks it off. If it stops him, and they can restrain him, you can leave. Otherwise, he leaves first - in handcuffs.
In Robert A. Heinlein's [i]Star Beast[/i] there is a scene where a diplomat acts rude toward someone being unreasonable to get an advantage. He tells his subordinate, "There's an old saying, 'Sometimes you have to step on the other person's toes until [i]they[/i] apologize.'"
Yeah, maybe I'm playing Monday Morning Quarterback on this, but sometimes threatening to, or actually calling the police, can do wonders to de-escalate a situation.