Submitted by am_pomegranate t3_yfotwd in philadelphia
goosebusiness t1_iu4ibzi wrote
I've been verbally harassed on public transit before and what I would've appreciated most is some type of acknowledgment from other people. Everyone ignoring me or avoiding eye contact with me made the harassment feel even more humiliating. I'm not suggesting one should put themselves in harm's way but even making eye contact with the kids, asking them if they're ok, gesturing them to come over to you, or even speaking to them after the attack might be a helpful thing to do.
DayDreamer2040 t1_iu4zumy wrote
This. I was born and raised in a third world country, and the one thing you learn above everything else in places like that is the power of community. If you ever see someone harassing an innocent bystander, the whole crowd comes to their defense. I'm surprised at the general apathy in this country. It always starts with one though, all it takes is one person to verbally defend the victim, the crowd will spring into action after that.
I'm sorry you felt alone and abandoned. I hope you don't ever feel like that again.
IKillZombies4Cash t1_iu536gz wrote
In this country there is a solid non-zero chance the lunatic has a gun.
[deleted] t1_iu5bdwa wrote
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nrobi t1_iu5o5ay wrote
A shootout on a crowded subway car is not a win for anyone.
BenjTheMaestro t1_iu6rei8 wrote
It does sound like a dope Clint Eastwood movie though
ConglomerateCousin t1_iu5dbxa wrote
I wouldn’t say it’s okay 100%, but probably above 50%. Would you be willing to bet with those odds? I would not
ForkBombGoBoom t1_iu5eswu wrote
I'd be the one making it a certainty if I was there xD
I'd step in against the crazies, they are usually drug addicts or mentally ill, and I expect most junkies have already sold guns for drugs. It's the teenagers I worry about in this city. They'd have more guns than me and they don't think about their futures.
patrick9921 t1_iu68m25 wrote
So who wins a gun fight? Is it good guy with gun, or does number of guns trump that? Does good guy with gun that turns into bad guy with gun beat the current good guy with a gun? Would good guy turned bad guy trump a permanent bad guy with a gun or is it a tie because in the moment they are both bad? Does caliber win over all else? Just asking because i want to be clear before i get in a gunfight that i have the upper hand. Dont want to chance my life to random bullets aimed at me.
jicket t1_iu5qzxh wrote
Define "wins".
ominousQuacking t1_iu5mc6t wrote
yeah but if the perp is dropped after you're already dead, you're already dead. also, cross fire.
philadelphia-ModTeam t1_iub2cx8 wrote
Rule 6: This comment was removed for advocating, threatening, or promoting actions likely to lead to violence or physical harm.
Keinichn t1_iu58jji wrote
> I'm surprised at the general apathy in this country
It's what happens when you're raised from birth on individualism and looking out for only yourself. It's cultural. There's no "it takes a village" here. It's "if you can't do it yourself, help isn't free."
colefly t1_iu62fy9 wrote
>There's no "it takes a village"
Also because there is "that guy may be packing enough heat to take out a village"
LL_is_a_Cool_J t1_iu76dnu wrote
There's been no "individualism" taught in this nation for decades.
What are you even talking about?
Maybe you don't remember the last president who believes "you didn't build that" telling people that they were scum for thinking they should be sucessful on their own.
People for at least a couple generations now have been told they cannot do anything on their own, that they need others and especially the government to help them.
You are deranged if you truly believe that is why people sit around watching crime happen.
ominousQuacking t1_iu5modc wrote
i hope you're right. i've been warned about the bystander effect time and time again and often feel like i'm the only person who acts, and i only act because my initial apathetic response reminds me of that time i heard of the bystander effect.
realityhofosho t1_iu5b0rk wrote
What a beautiful response. Thank you for writing it.
goosebusiness t1_iu5einq wrote
You are a very sweet person. Thank you for such kind words!
LL_is_a_Cool_J t1_iu75wfn wrote
Look at the comments below yours, indoctrination and propagandizing are why all you see here are pussies.
"Ohh, someone beating the fuck out of that woman might have a gun so I'm just going to watch and record it on my phone while I avoid eye contact"
"Ohh, there's a 50%+ chance they have a gun..."
"Ohh, not my fight..."
You're in a subway, 6 people bumrushing a deranged fuck in an enclosed space have little to worry about as far as a gun or knife or whatever goes. But they have been trained by the media and government to become pussies so they can vote for Big Brother to keep them safe.
The last time I was in the Philippines I saw a guy try to grab a woman's bag and within 3 seconds three guys and one woman had the guy on the ground giving him the works. Even if he had had a gun, he'd never had been able to brandish it.
The people in the US are just pussies with excuses, they watch too much tv, listen to too much news telling them to ignore violence against their fellow man.
Ultimating_is_fun t1_iu537t1 wrote
>the crowd will spring into action after that
Action is the one thing I'm looking to avoid.
realityhofosho t1_iu5c2ea wrote
Action is often the thing that the offender is trying to avoid as well. At least group action. They may crave the attention of a one-on one confrontation, but our caveman instincts can often sublimate the need for attention when confronted by an antagonistic group. Studies have shown time and again that the worst bullies back down completely when the bullied has even half an ally. Apathy is our greatest temptacion, and collaboration our greatest collective weapon.
Ultimating_is_fun t1_iu5gd5p wrote
>collaboration our greatest collective weapon
I believe an actual weapon is stronger, so Ima continue to just chill. I won't step in unless the dickhead starts getting physically aggressive.
realityhofosho t1_iu6cn7h wrote
And that’s exactly what we’ve been trained to believe. “Do what the man with the gun says.” But research now says differently. Group-think (or even a bunch of kids armed with staplers and hole-punchers to throw at an assailant, can be just as powerful a deterrent to a shooting (or any other kind) of abuse or violence.
conshyd t1_iu6xkli wrote
We are first world coddled sissies
hankhayes t1_iu523ea wrote
This country used to contain men with the hearts of lions. They would not cower in groups in corners while children and women were being threatened and molested.
My, how things have changed.
19120 t1_iu531es wrote
The crazy people carrying now. I step in to help and now he start shooting at everyone on the train. Country got a gun problem
[deleted] t1_iu54g53 wrote
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LL_is_a_Cool_J t1_iu76p3n wrote
Six people rushing a guy at the end of a subway car and knocking their ass to the ground isn't shooting anyone even if they do have a gun.
The Hoplophobia in this nation is fucking sad.
19120 t1_iu8nj9b wrote
Dumbass comment. He’s just gonna stand there and do nothing when he sees 6 people rushing at him? He’s gonna shoot them
LL_is_a_Cool_J t1_iu9b7y0 wrote
Bullshit, you think some crackhead is some sort of fast draw expert?
You watch too much Netflix.
Some dude yelling at some innocent woman isn't going to draw and fire within the 2 seconds it would take three of the closest people to bumrush him while three more come following.
You're just afraid of the dark, nothing more, and need to justify your cowardice with what you think is real life from John Wick movies.
19120 t1_iu9i9t8 wrote
Ain’t bother reading that BS bro. go speak to someone who cares. 👍🏾
LL_is_a_Cool_J t1_iu9kym1 wrote
You read it and you just don't want to admit I'm right.
Ilmara t1_iu5d034 wrote
Are these the same men who supported Jim Crow laws, were homophobic to the extreme, and wanted women stuck in the kitchen and pregnant with no voting rights?
hankhayes t1_iu5so2h wrote
Hmmm, they may have believed in the man in the moon, and sea monsters, and UFOs, I don't know, but how would all this be relevant?
Are you saying that men who would come to the defense of children and the weak instead of cowering en masse in a corner are somehow "homophobic?"
Here we may have a good example of toxic femininity.
CerBerUs-9 t1_iu5a1s1 wrote
I hope you are very young and foolish, otherwise you're delusional. People have always looked the other way.
hankhayes t1_iu6n6id wrote
Some people.
caesar____augustus t1_iu620j3 wrote
> They would not cower in groups in corners while children and women were being threatened and molested.
You realize that slavery existed in British North America/the United States for over 200 years, right?
hankhayes t1_iu6ewa3 wrote
You realize that slavery has existed in the world throughout all time, right? Relevance?
caesar____augustus t1_iu6fhl2 wrote
You said
>This country used to contain men with the hearts of lions. They would not cower in groups in corners while children and women were being threatened and molested.
when in reality this has been happening since before this country was even founded. The chattel slave system is only one example.
hankhayes t1_iu6nbca wrote
Again, relevance?
caesar____augustus t1_iu6nts6 wrote
It was already explained to you friend. This isn't Tucker Carlson, I'm not going to do your critical thinking for you.
hankhayes t1_iu6vie0 wrote
"This has been happening..." What has been hapening?
IMissMW2Lobbies t1_iu53f21 wrote
men are just following the equality movement now, women are just as strong as men
botgrinder t1_iu58a5s wrote
As a larger tattooed person I always make sure to intervene when I see something like this on the train, usually just to try and talk the person down but sometimes you need to provide a physical barrier.
realityhofosho t1_iu5bd5r wrote
Can't understand the downvotes. As a 5'0 non-tattooed woman, I pray for the likes of your support in such situations. Your physical presence alone (in the absence of actual action) is often the deciding factor in such scenarios. Should it be that way? No. IS it that way? Yes. Thank you for your service.
loudmouth_kenzo t1_iu5s4ye wrote
I’m a large dude with a mean mug, I’ve stepped in a few times, it’s not easy and sometimes the response isn’t what you want but I’m not letting someone get mugged / assaulted right the fuck in front of me.
[deleted] t1_iu5vo89 wrote
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Eyesopen52 t1_iu5g6qm wrote
Good on you! More people like you would be helpful. But also please be careful. There are so many guns now everywhere thanks to the GOP/NRA pushing for them. We live in a scary world now. I wish we could act like the person above stated and EVERYONE would respond all at the same time but the guns have scared everyone off. Sad world we live in now.
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