Shocked about what just happened. It ended well. Just need to get it off my chest.

Post-Cynical · 1 year

Good on you for reacting quickly and well.

You hear horror stories about things like this happening where no one did anything. It's good to hear that there are people out there that would step up and help.

adrenaline_devine · 1 year

Wow, good job man! Doing something like that takes COURAGE, and I bet that old guy was SO happy you showed up! What happened to the attacker, do you know if the old guy had a good description of him for the police when he left? Also, do you know what started/provoked the attack?

WorthlessWisdom · 1 year

The idea to gather bystanders is a well good one.

Palewan · 1 year

I am glad you did this.

I had a very similar experience where one man was basically past the point of beating the other guy up in the middle of a very busy road in Boston and now was going to humiliate him and start to pull his pants off. I was shocked to see that about 50 bystanders were watching the scene doing nothing including people in cars. I put down my beer and walked out of the bar I was at and picked the assailant up in a bear hug turned around and pushed him away saying "You win. Walk away." Surprisingly he did without even turning to look at me. I helped the other guy up and he also walked away. I was shaking like crazy. I shook my head in disgust at all the other bystanders who did nothing.

When I got back in the bar it was a mixed reaction of you have balls of steel and you are fucking stupid and crazy. My sister was there and she was super pissed at me. She asked me what would I have done if they had pulled a knife on me. I responded that if the assailant had a knife I am sure he would have probably already pulled it, and to me it was a choice of being able to live with myself if a knife was pulled and I watched someone murder someone else without doing anything.

People like you renew my faith in humanity to an extent but seeing all the people who did nothing makes me very sad.

mootherofpearl · 1 year

way to think through what you should do! You really handled yourself well. It's pretty normal that you are reacting to the stress now. you kept it together while it was happening and now your body needs to get the stress out.

zacharymichael · 1 year

Thank you. People like you give me confidence that there are still good people in this world.

lphoenix · 1 year

Awesome! Better to fall apart later rather than during--it's just adrenaline. It's interesting that the attacker didn't expect any of the onlookers to intervene. Shows where we've come.

monkeytrunks · 1 year

You sir are a "TRUE HUMAN BEING!" Thank-You so much for what you have done for humanity!

kbilly · 1 year

But the truth is, I'm not a particullarly good person, and I'm not to be thanked or praised... I don't feel like I did anything. It was an automatic pilot, if that makes any sense.

You may make shitty choices and do shitty things, as you feel you don't deserve any praise here. But when it comes down to it, you at least know when the shit hits the fan you are inherently good. Be proud of that.

KeyboardChemistry · 1 year

This is why it is so important to educate people about the Bystander Effect. Even when you know about it, it still takes genuine courage to act.

Well done, sir.

nosecohn · 1 year

How did you ask the young man to help you? Do you remember the words and tone you used? How did he signal that he was willing to help? There's so much talk about the bystander effect that I'm curious how it was negated in this one case.

biddily · 1 year

To let you know you're not alone...

2 years back I was in a grocery shopping lot when I saw a man trying to rip the purse off a woman holding a baby with so much force she dropped the 6 month old. I screamed getting the attention of the 6 other people in the lot and started running towards the guy. The other people turned to see and started running as well. The guy freaked and jumped in his car and took off. A was shaking for hours after that. The cop I spoke with said something about adrenalin.

About a year ago I was walking down the street when I saw a guy in a car cut off another car which swerved hitting a telephone pole - which landed right on the car. Wires snapped flying everywhere... I ran to the nearest house and told them to call the cops then ran to the car to make sure the guy was okay. He was getting out, trying to walk with a broken leg, arm, and concussion... made him stop and sit - then banged on another door to get some ice... shaking quite profusely after that event as well.

(also a girl)

/I once stood on the side lines with 300 people watching 12 guys severely injure another 3. Shit was serious. Picked a guy up, flipped him over and body slammed to the ground head first breaking his neck. 6 guys getting one guy down kicking the crap out of him. People were trying to stop it, and they just moved down the street a bit and started again. The cops showed up fairly quickly, but we were all rubbish at describing what happened and who the drunk bastards actually were. I've always regretted not stepping in - but I was too scared to act. Too many people involved and I was afraid of getting hurt, or killed. We were on a bridge and could have easily been thrown off.

jsunchu8710 · 1 year

probably that is the feeling one gets after genuinely helping others, would love to feel like that some time, your post might have just changed the way i would react to those kind of situations..

GodHatesChristians · 1 year

You handled it awesomely.

I thought about how I would respond to the McDonald's beating. At first, I thought I might have elbowed the attackers in the face. Later, I decided I would have just bought two sodas, and then slushed them in the faces to shock them into stopping. Also, if they decided to come at me, they would no longer have reliable traction.

tinymarae · 1 year

From your username it sounds like you are a Michael Schumacher fan. Are you?

turtfan · 1 year

Thank you - not only for helping the older man but in advising other people on how to deal with similar situations. If I'd had the nerve to act, I doubt I would have had the clarity of mind to ask for the aid of others.

ksalley · 1 year

Something like this has the same physical impact on your body as a crash. Adrenaline makes you feel shaky! Go girl you did a good thing im an awful situation. Now sit down put your feet up and may e cry or yell :)

herbtacular · 1 year

Do you know what events led up to the fight?

donkboy · 1 year

It's like your little grinchy heart realized the true meaning of Christmas is your helping your fellow man and has grow 2 sizes.

imballin · 1 year

But the truth is, I'm not a particullarly good person

hey dude, capital-F Fuck that attitude. a good person is someone who does good things. you did a very good thing. you're a good person.

NEWSBOT3 · 1 year

good job miss! (madam?), i wish i had more than an upvote to give you!

FavoriteFlatPillow · 1 year

I think it's really admirable what you did. I always consider these situations and think, "What if I'm wrong?" Just stepping into a situation without knowing who's in the wrong. Is siding with the one that's "losing" always the right one? I know there are not many justifiable reasons for violence but maybe something seriously infuriating occurred. Regardless you stopped the fight and that's a great thing.

Fuck_You_Im_Scottish · 1 year

Good work on doing the right thing. You stepped up and acted in a situation where most people would have merely observed.

That said, I can't help but notice something disconcerting about this thread. You've repeatedly stated that "you're not a good person" and that "you didn't do anything." Forgive me if I'm making too much of an assumption, but it sounds like you have some issues with self-respect and self-acceptance. You've spent more time in this thread denigrating yourself and your actions than you've spent doing anything else. That's sad really because you seem like you are a good person. At the very least, you have in you the capacity for courage and compassion that most people lack. It's a shame that you don't appear able to see that.

My armchair psychologist recommendation would be to just relax on all of the self-deprecating comments. Being humble is fine, but you're kind of shitting on yourself. It's okay to feel proud about how you handled this situation. And it's always okay to love yourself and recognize your own worth. Maybe these might be things you could take some time to consider, and maybe even talk to someone about. Talking is always good, especially with trained professionals. They can help you make important strides in how you feel about yourself and your life.

kidNurse · 1 year

but reading your lovely comments feels so strange. I don't feel like I did anything. It was an automatic pilot, if that makes any sense. ... I think it's the adrenalins fault, but it feels like I wasn't really there... I don't know, maybe someone can explain this better, everything feels very strange...

Holy F-K, you are a superhero and didn't know it

raziphel · 1 year

you made my day. :D

[deleted] · 1 year

Nice! I hope you get to see the old guy another day.

wheeldog · 1 year

I know what you mean by feeling surreal. I've stepped in to many such situations and each time it's auto-pilot. Good on ya for being a decent person. The Hall of Justice is right this way, here's yer cape. Just joshin' ya... It does get easier the more times you help out a person in need. But it's always surreal when violence is involved.

Thizzlebot · 1 year

And this is why spider-man is way more inspirational than any "real" person.

Spider-man has inspired me to break up 3 different fights. [true story]

GreenBrain · 1 year

Similar thing happened to me. A group of 24ish men started to beat a twelve year old. So I got in the ring-leaders face and told him to back off. Immediately a group of young-mothers got involved and the bullies left. I guess nobody wants to be first. Kudos to you.

frankwdux · 1 year

Good for you, I wondered that as well for the longest time until last Christmas I was at a bar back home when i hear some drunk guy sitting in his truck arguing with his friend outside trying to drive drunk. I hear the drunk say "i don't have anything to live for". so i hop into the passenger seat and tell him "if your gonna die were gonna die together". the look of sheer panic told me he wast ready so i took his keys and tossed them to his friend telling him "hey bro, save your buddies life" and walked away. It had me shacking so bad and that was even after I'd been drinking for a couple hours.

radioBirdman · 1 year

I totally admire what you did and have done similar a few times back when I was single, but I'm somewhat ashamed to say that being a step-dad of a 8 year old and the dad of a 7 week old baby (and a husband / breadwinner) means I avoid potentially dangerous situations like that because I'd be hopeless as a parent & husband if I got jabbed with a needle full of HIV. Same reason I no longer pick up hitchkikers. I'd club the fucker in the back of the head before he had a chance to harm me though (assuming I happens to be carrying a claw hammer of course). Still, nice freaken work. You ARE a good person :)

MH2 · 1 year

how many ppl feel a little sexist for assuming it was a guy up until the second edit. no need to up to show u agree, just pointing it out

kronso · 1 year

"EDIT TO CLARIFY: I'm a girl..."

That's why they were shocked. Because you had more guts than any of the "men" there.

Good job.

rblack91 · 1 year

If anyone ever happens to be in the old man's position, the best thing to do is single out a person in a crowd and ask them to help. It all but eliminates the bystander effect. If they don't help, just keep trying to get attention. YELL! at the top of your lungs, and keep singling people out (use descriptions like "You in the yellow shirt!" etc)

It sounds stupid, and it's mostly common sense, but it can save your life.

HatMatrix · 1 year

I was outside of a coffee shop and a two men got into a fight (one older man and one middle-aged). There were 3 guys that came out of a near by store and were watching it escalate. The older man took out a knife and a girl who worked at the coffee shop came running out and separated them giving the other time to run away.

ThrustVectoring · 1 year

Disregard bystander effect, acquire karma.

rainfaint · 1 year

Most of us will never be in the situation you were in. And of those of us who find ourselves in that situation, most of us will not act with the same bravery you did. You are, and will forever be, a guy who found himself witness to a bad situation, did the right thing, and did it well. Glad to share a planet with you.

zaferk · 1 year

I'm a girl

You wanna go out?

glassuser · 1 year

You vigilante! You should have stood back and let the police do their job!

Just kidding, good for you. It makes me happy to see people taking personal responsibility for their wellbeing and the wellbeing of their neighbors.

scalarjack · 1 year

I know you feel like you didn't do something good, but you did. You may have been going on automatic pilot in the moment, but the good thing you did was well before this incident. It was when you visualized that you would help someone in a situation like this, and how you would help. That you would create a plan to help, that is a true moment of goodness.

A visualized plan for a crisis is vital to acting and not freezing in this kind of situation.

Stroger · 1 year

Who you think you are is irrelevant. It how you act in the moment that defines you and you just did a great blessed thing. Peace.

goschumi1986 · 1 year

I saw a big dude smack a little dude outside the bar one night, and I just kind of stared the situation down while the big dude yelled at the little dude. I don't know what the situation was, so I figured I'd just make it obvious that I was watching, and that I'd step in if the big dude started hitting the little dude again. I still don't know if I handled that correctly. I didn't wanna step in and get my ass kicked and then find out the little dude was in the wrong all along.

HerpinAndDerpin · 1 year

Hey man, Great job! I also hear terrible stories like that, when nobody does anything. I really appreciate what you did, and i'm sure you not only impacted us readers, just imagine what that old man is going to say to his significant other, his kids, his friends. All the people around that seen you do this, garunteed you opened there minds. Like I said, Good job man, I know you said 'im not a particularily a good person' but little changes step by step can make a HUGE difference. Cheers mang :)

The_Justicer · 1 year

Truly good people don't generally describe themselves as such. You are probably a good person. Don't turn down the praise, you earned it.

GabrielMSharp · 1 year

I don't think many of us are 'good' people. It's way too simple a term.

But what you did was great, smart and inspiring. Thanks on behalf of everyone in need who wasn't graced by your actions.

ravia · 1 year

Kudos, dude. That's great. I think the old guy surely appreciates it. But you get my fucking total admiration for your "EDIT TO ADD". Why? Because it was a good thing you did. But does it make you great? No. Does it make you infinitely superior to others? No. Is there some timid guy who might not intervene so much? Probably. Is he infinitely inferior to you? No. Do you now speak Russian or some other foreign language you didn't know before? No. Would I feel safer on the street at night with you around? Maybe. If it was like four big guys, I don't know! Would I do the same for you? Probably. Am I giving you reddit gold? No. And you didn't ask for it. And you don't deserve it. And you know it. I hope you can take that in the spirit intended.

Goodness happens on many, many levels. A single action doesn't make you "all good" or "all bad". From what I've seen, much of what makes people more like "bad" is overly attaching too much to this sort of thing and thinking they've mastered goodness itself. Dude, look around at the world. You want to know why goodness limps around all the time, instead of growing, flowering, developing, spawning more goodness? That's why! So...like I said, if you really don't think that makes you particularly good, then maybe, just maybe, that's one good thing about you. And I bet there are others, but they will remain emergent in the variegated, multiple truths of our complex beings, and no single act.

Nighulas_Flarty · 1 year

You done good. :)

gregtron · 1 year

You don't have to be a good person to do good things, and neither being a good person nor doing good things relies on you thinking you are a good person. You deserve all the praise Reddit's giving you.

bokassa · 1 year

Good on you! Might I ask where in the world this transpired?

nosecohn · 1 year

Everything during and now after feels so surreal. I think it's the adrenalins fault, but it feels like I wasn't really there

For what it's worth, whenever I get a big adrenalin hit that's not accompanied by any physical exertion to "burn it off," I feel really strange for quite a long time. I have to go do some sprints or some push-ups or something to feel normal again.

80toy · 1 year

Props. I don't know you at all, but a person's character is defined in situations like these.

I'm not to be thanked or praised

I don't feel like I did anything

Also, real men (i'm assuming your a dude, but i guess you could be one bad ass chick) say this. They just do it without hoping for praise.

FakePlasticShrimp · 1 year

If I seen an old man getting punched and not fighting back, I'd be straight there pushing away the person hitting him, given the context being that he could of potentionally raped the guys daughter, I wouldn't hit him for the old man. I would hit him if he stomping on his head or something though.

I was about to get angry and say why didn't you just bomb in there and separate them... then I seen you're a girl, and I wouldn't want my sister to do anything like that. It sickens me that other men could watch something like that, and still think of themselves as men who have dicks. Fucking pussies.

blakfeld · 1 year

Good for you man, I hope if that ever comes up in my life I have the courage to do the same.

meatfish · 1 year

So what If it was the kid's wallet that was being stolen by the old man? You just assisted a good old fashioned burgling. He thanked you for the spraypaint he was about to huff.

anon1821 · 1 year

You did the right thing

EndLegend · 1 year

Respect bro, give yourself a highfive for me. With more people like you this world would be a far better place. I commend you for not reacting with violence as I would have.

windynights · 1 year

Worth my visit here tonight! You might not think yourself worthy of praise. I beg to differ.

sezzme · 1 year

EDIT: Realized-it-was-dumb hero-fantasy idea hereby deleted. Sorry about that.

We return now to the OP's regularly-scheduled thread. Nothing to see here....

Tbone139 · 1 year

I'm not to be thanked or praised.

You are more than the sum of all of your life's actions. You may have done what you did out of instinct, but those instincts wouldn't have kicked if you didn't feel empathy for the old man. To prove my point, you wouldn't have done squat if the attacker was just wailing on a garbage can instead of a person. In that moment, you were an amazing person, and you deserve to feel good about it. On behalf of that old man and victims everywhere, thank you so much!

[deleted] · 1 year

kudos

teemark · 1 year

I think the fact that you did it "on autopilot" says that you are perhaps a better person than you care to believe. Regardless, kudos to you for helping a victim of abuse, and possibly making the aggressor think twice before victimizing someone else.

cirrhosisofthe_river · 1 year

Whether you are a "good" person or not is irrelevant. You did a good thing!

Frankocean2 · 1 year

" I'm not a particullarly good person".

Yes, yes you are. This is what comes down to, not words, not good thoughts in your hear sayind "Oh I am a good person!, I think about it and yeah, I am".

You just walked the walk.

DramaLLama090 · 1 year

I don't know... just wanted to et this off my chest, but nobody's picking up the phone...

CONFUSED HERE

drbr0wn · 1 year

Good job.

frankieh456 · 1 year

Reminds me of "The Rum Diary." Miss you Hunter...

ihateyourface · 1 year

Uh, you left the part out where you ninja kicked the guy beating the old man up in the face.

maradonuts · 1 year

avenge kitty genovese

ddunnpsyd · 1 year

Well done friend. I hope I can do the same as well for someone someday. I will keep this story in the back of my mind, should something occur.

Rain12913 · 1 year

Well done.

The bystander effect that contributes to the complacency that is often the case in situations like this can be neutralized if individuals are removed from "the crowd" and singled out. For example, pointing directly at somebody and assigning them with a specific task to do during an emergency situation is far more affective than yelling "somebody call 911." What you did was perfect, you isolated that young man and pulled him along to help with you.

ialsolovebees · 1 year

Oh quit telling yourself you're not a good person.

You're certainly not a bad person, that mantle was taken up by the attacker.

A good person, however fearful they may have been, would have done exactly what you did. Good on you, and may all of your lady-boners from here on out be firm and long-lasting.

imawesomeyay · 1 year

Stop being so humble. You did a wonderful thing. Nothing pisses me off more than people taking advantage of older people. Being an overly empathetic person, it seriously breaks my heart thinking that someone could possibly hurt my mom or dad one day when I'm not there to help them. You saved a man that couldn't protect himself, and you deserve all the praise you get. I'm seriously tearing up right now. I don't even know you but I'm proud of you. Signed, Also a girl.

phi_is_all · 1 year

I understand the auto pilot thing. Doing the right thing just happens when it's right in front of us. Soon we will see it happening with politics and money in the country and throughout the world. We don't have an instinct or outlet to care about money and distant problems like what happened to you. If a problem comes up in front of us we can fix it. We all want BP, Bank CEO's, Crazy ass world leaders to burn in hell. But there isn't anything we can do about it.. Those lucky few execs/powers that be at the moment have the keys to a backroom that we don't know about and can't get into. But now we have reddit & /b/. I view it as like a rope bridge for the way to fixing problems by bringing the community and the world together. One day this rope bridge can and will become a bridge connecting people like the world has never seen.

YoungRL · 1 year

You DID do something, you ARE good person, and you ARE to be thanked and praised. Thank you for what you did!!

[deleted] · 1 year

DID HE DIED

LordXenuActual · 1 year

Actions speak louder than words, and reactions speak louder than actions. Your reaction to a man getting attacked possibly saved him. It's good to be humble, but don't deny credit where it's due. You're a good person. In fact, you're already a better person than the people that just watched because you had the will to do what was necessary.

You assessed the situation and ended it quickly and safely. So you're not just a good person now, you're a good person who can act accordingly under pressure.

So have some upvotes! You deserve more than upvotes in my opinion, though.

As for the shaking, it's the downside to adrenaline. Give it an hour or so and it will go away. If your teeth are chattering and you feel a sort of cold, that is also the adrenaline.

You've done a beautiful thing: you protected somebody who couldn't protect themselves. That's something some people in modern society only see fictional, larger-than-life characters doing on a movie screen.

jinchoung · 1 year

Holy fuck... AND YOU'RE A GIRL!

pat on back wonder woman. You gots good karma and juju comin' your way.

TheMadTwatter · 1 year

i cant believe people dont do anything in that situation. i dont understand how its possible to just watch. sometimes people make me so angry

petit_mal · 1 year

yes! good for you. remember the bystander effect, and don't let it get to you. you don't have to be a great leader or a super hero; just do the right thing.

kankle_king · 1 year

EDIT TO CLARIFY: I'm a girl...

jello_aka_aron · 1 year

I would say that if you're 'auto pilot' has you helping someone in need, you probably puts you pretty squarely in the Good Person category on some level. Well done!

lobido · 1 year

Any idea what the motivation for the incident was?

celticagent · 1 year

You say you're not a good person, yet your automatic response (without thinking) was to help this man, even putting yourself at risk? I'd say you are a hero!

getfuckingreal · 1 year

"God created man [and woman], but Samuel Colt made them equal"

whatisnanda · 1 year

Babe, you did GREAT! I am proud!

Arcon1337 · 1 year

You're a hero. Remember that.

kermityfrog · 1 year

I can imagine it would have been even more difficult to help 15 years ago before everyone had cell phones. Now you know that you could call 911 before stepping in to assist. Back then you'd have to make a decision whether to step in or run for a payphone.

GreatBigPig · 1 year

No matter the response of others, you know that you did the right thing. Your memory of bravery will be with you for ever.

the2ndblahmonster · 1 year

You are a girl I would marry.

momster · 1 year

Being a girl makes it even more profound. Good job. You inspire us all.

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