I related a story elsewhere about my most recent experience (just before Covid) in response to this, since it was on a DC metro car and struck me as somewhat similar. A man was behaving in erratically, was fairly aggressive and making threats. A couple of nearby cars had completely emptied out at the previous station; it was pretty clear…
I related a story elsewhere about my most recent experience (just before Covid) in response to this, since it was on a DC metro car and struck me as somewhat similar. A man was behaving in erratically, was fairly aggressive and making threats. A couple of nearby cars had completely emptied out at the previous station; it was pretty clear why. He was playing with a knife in the pocket of his jacket; I caught a clear glimpse of it the second time he walked past me.
I'm large, very strong, and have a fair amount of experience fighting. If I have to subdue someone who is armed, the best possible circumstances are to have the initiative and engage before the weapon has been deployed. But violence is ugly, chaotic, and extremely risky. I chose to remain standing in one of the doorways and keep an eye on him while avoiding direct eye contact. If I acted, the best case was spending the rest of my night with the police and the tears that come with hurting someone (even if I felt it was necessary); the worst case is I get stabbed to death on a DC Metro car.
When the metro car stopped at the last station, they locked us on the train with him for several minutes while the police prepared to rush him. That was the worst part of the situation - he could see the police gathering, so which way would he break? Would the knife stay in his pocket? Would he attack someone else or me? Would he turn it on himself? In the end, he was quickly surrounded and subdued by the police, in perhaps what was one of the best possible outcomes for that situation. And luckily for me, my evening ended only on the cusp of violence this time.
In hindsight, my decision turned out fine. On a different day, maybe my decision is different. Maybe he brandishes his weapon a little more openly, maybe his threats are different, maybe he's touching people instead of just talking, maybe I'm there with someone else - my wife, a friends' kids, an elderly relative - and I decide I have to act. Maybe I'm killed or have to live with killing someone & I'm sent to prison when a jury doesn't agree with my judgement. Maybe if the variables swing a little differently on his side, he opts to attack or kill me or someone else. Maybe I'd be writing now about my shame - I saw a knife, knew I could act, and chose to watch and wait.
In between the ideological nonviolent purity of many on the left and the gun-as-magical-talisman on the right, those who deal with or have dealt with violence know that every choice is fraught with its own dangers and possible terrible outcomes. Every society has had its way to dealing with violence; dealing with demons. It's really weird that for all of our refusal to acknowledge the unseen, in the US we address it with truly magical thinking.
I related a story elsewhere about my most recent experience (just before Covid) in response to this, since it was on a DC metro car and struck me as somewhat similar. A man was behaving in erratically, was fairly aggressive and making threats. A couple of nearby cars had completely emptied out at the previous station; it was pretty clear why. He was playing with a knife in the pocket of his jacket; I caught a clear glimpse of it the second time he walked past me.
I'm large, very strong, and have a fair amount of experience fighting. If I have to subdue someone who is armed, the best possible circumstances are to have the initiative and engage before the weapon has been deployed. But violence is ugly, chaotic, and extremely risky. I chose to remain standing in one of the doorways and keep an eye on him while avoiding direct eye contact. If I acted, the best case was spending the rest of my night with the police and the tears that come with hurting someone (even if I felt it was necessary); the worst case is I get stabbed to death on a DC Metro car.
When the metro car stopped at the last station, they locked us on the train with him for several minutes while the police prepared to rush him. That was the worst part of the situation - he could see the police gathering, so which way would he break? Would the knife stay in his pocket? Would he attack someone else or me? Would he turn it on himself? In the end, he was quickly surrounded and subdued by the police, in perhaps what was one of the best possible outcomes for that situation. And luckily for me, my evening ended only on the cusp of violence this time.
In hindsight, my decision turned out fine. On a different day, maybe my decision is different. Maybe he brandishes his weapon a little more openly, maybe his threats are different, maybe he's touching people instead of just talking, maybe I'm there with someone else - my wife, a friends' kids, an elderly relative - and I decide I have to act. Maybe I'm killed or have to live with killing someone & I'm sent to prison when a jury doesn't agree with my judgement. Maybe if the variables swing a little differently on his side, he opts to attack or kill me or someone else. Maybe I'd be writing now about my shame - I saw a knife, knew I could act, and chose to watch and wait.
In between the ideological nonviolent purity of many on the left and the gun-as-magical-talisman on the right, those who deal with or have dealt with violence know that every choice is fraught with its own dangers and possible terrible outcomes. Every society has had its way to dealing with violence; dealing with demons. It's really weird that for all of our refusal to acknowledge the unseen, in the US we address it with truly magical thinking.