Mark Darrah
10th October 2002, 11:10
Hi folks,
I just wanted to tell the story of an incident that occurred a couple of weeks ago, when I was on Long Island, attending my wife's high school reunion. It's funny how situations can pop up on you suddenly.
We had attended the party on Saturday night, and I was nursing a bit of a hangover as we drove from the Garden City hotel to a brunch that some of her school chums were attending the next morning. We needed to make a phone call, but our cell wasn't working, so I pulled over near a pay phone. This was in a place called Hempstead, which has apparently turned into a less-than-great neighborhood over the years since my wife lived on Long Island. I crossed the street to the pay phone, looking casually around, seeing nothing that would cause alarm.
As I was dialing the phone, I had the beginnings of a sense that something was not right. I turned, putting my back to the wall as best I could, considering the short tether of the phone cord. There was no booth, just a phone on the side of a buidling. At the same moment, I heard a voice calling, "Hey, Amigo! Amigo!" followed by a string of Spanish which I didnt understand. Said feeling of "not right" intensified immediately. I made myself look as unapproachable as possible, which considering I am fairly big and fairly ugly, is quite unapproachable. Nevertheless, this fellow proceeded to walk right up to me, standing very close, well within my personal space. I scowled at him as the phone was ringing, sending a clear message of GO AWAY! I could see where this was going, so when he stuck out his hand and offered a clearly false smile, I snarled that I was busy and he should piss off. Taking his hand would have been a huge mistake, since 1) inappropriate friendliness is a sure mark of someone who means you harm; 2)his intentions were radiating from him in waves; 3) I was against the wall with one hand on the phone, giving him my other would leave me defenseless if he pulled something from behind his back (I couldn't see his other hand). After I refused to take his hand, he smiled and said "I'm gonna have to ask you a little favor......" as he slid around to the side of me. At this point, I slammed the phone down, and wheeled on him, ready to fight for my life, bgellowing F--- OFF! But since this type are cowards, he practically crapped his pants at the sight of someone who wouldn't be an easy target, and a knife clattered to the sidewalk from behind his back, as he backed away, telling me to be cool. I kicked the knife away, then heard a few cars coming down the street. Rather than fight, I thought it best to get the hell out of there. So when the cars were relatively close I darted across the street, so the cars would pass between me and him, and he couldn't follow. I hopped into our Blazer, firing it up and making tracks. My oblivious wife looks up from her copy of Entertainment Weekly, asking me what my Mom had said. Then she noticed my demeanor, and asked what happened. She had not seen any of what had happened.
Anyway, my story isn't that exciting, but I think it is a fair example of how our training can save us from bad situations, even if it doesn't require fighting.
If anyone has similar stories, please share them.
Be well,
I just wanted to tell the story of an incident that occurred a couple of weeks ago, when I was on Long Island, attending my wife's high school reunion. It's funny how situations can pop up on you suddenly.
We had attended the party on Saturday night, and I was nursing a bit of a hangover as we drove from the Garden City hotel to a brunch that some of her school chums were attending the next morning. We needed to make a phone call, but our cell wasn't working, so I pulled over near a pay phone. This was in a place called Hempstead, which has apparently turned into a less-than-great neighborhood over the years since my wife lived on Long Island. I crossed the street to the pay phone, looking casually around, seeing nothing that would cause alarm.
As I was dialing the phone, I had the beginnings of a sense that something was not right. I turned, putting my back to the wall as best I could, considering the short tether of the phone cord. There was no booth, just a phone on the side of a buidling. At the same moment, I heard a voice calling, "Hey, Amigo! Amigo!" followed by a string of Spanish which I didnt understand. Said feeling of "not right" intensified immediately. I made myself look as unapproachable as possible, which considering I am fairly big and fairly ugly, is quite unapproachable. Nevertheless, this fellow proceeded to walk right up to me, standing very close, well within my personal space. I scowled at him as the phone was ringing, sending a clear message of GO AWAY! I could see where this was going, so when he stuck out his hand and offered a clearly false smile, I snarled that I was busy and he should piss off. Taking his hand would have been a huge mistake, since 1) inappropriate friendliness is a sure mark of someone who means you harm; 2)his intentions were radiating from him in waves; 3) I was against the wall with one hand on the phone, giving him my other would leave me defenseless if he pulled something from behind his back (I couldn't see his other hand). After I refused to take his hand, he smiled and said "I'm gonna have to ask you a little favor......" as he slid around to the side of me. At this point, I slammed the phone down, and wheeled on him, ready to fight for my life, bgellowing F--- OFF! But since this type are cowards, he practically crapped his pants at the sight of someone who wouldn't be an easy target, and a knife clattered to the sidewalk from behind his back, as he backed away, telling me to be cool. I kicked the knife away, then heard a few cars coming down the street. Rather than fight, I thought it best to get the hell out of there. So when the cars were relatively close I darted across the street, so the cars would pass between me and him, and he couldn't follow. I hopped into our Blazer, firing it up and making tracks. My oblivious wife looks up from her copy of Entertainment Weekly, asking me what my Mom had said. Then she noticed my demeanor, and asked what happened. She had not seen any of what had happened.
Anyway, my story isn't that exciting, but I think it is a fair example of how our training can save us from bad situations, even if it doesn't require fighting.
If anyone has similar stories, please share them.
Be well,