http://www.channel4.com/programmes/would-you-save-a-stranger/catch-up#2871668

Did anyone else watch this last night?

I wonder whether the incidents of people being assaulted in public spaces and not helped by passers by is limited to big cities or whether its a more general thing.

Made me think quite a lot. I had to give evidence in a murder trial a year or so back, a man was kicked to death just down the road from where i live. i went out to see if i could help when i heard his cries for help but that was after the beating and after his assailants had left the scene. I cannot answer for definite whether or not i would have gone out whilst it was happening given that there were 3 of them.

I watched it, quite a moving program. Not sure I’d help unless I thought it was “serious” – seen dozens of fights between drunks on the train home, mostly they were between two mates or two groups of oiks and neither were really posing any danger to each other – a few jabs etc. If I saw someone kicking someone in the head I like to think I’d stop them but I’m not sure I would as I now think about my other half, my family etc. If we could be sure it was just people punching and kicking I’d give it a damn good go – but with the number of knives and guns on the streets and peoples willingness to use them I’m just not sure its worth it.

If it were a girl being picked on by a bloke I’d step in.
If it were an obviously uneven fight I’d step in.

I’d be more likely to attempt to talk the person out of it rather than wading in.

Have you ever tried fighting a drunk person while sober, its generally quite easy if you’re sober, their timing and balance is totally to pot 🙂

Years ago I intervened in a road rage incident that escalated into a fight – I ran over and separated them shouting for other passers by to help as well which they did.

I think it often takes on person to act and others will then join in to help.

I have also seen friends of mine stop fights in nightclubs. My friend was soberish and the guy who started the fight was drunk. My friend just put the assailant on the floor and held him there until the bouncers arrived.

This is all in Edinburgh

I’ve often wondered this myself, but thankfully never had to put my sense of duty to the test….

Having left my home country (South Africa)to come to the UK for a safer life and then finding out that yesterday, after just finishing watching the above program, that someone was stabbed and died in my local town (Reading) along with numerous violent attacks on people I know in the last year. I do sometimes wonder why the heck I’m here.
(feel free to foreigner bash all you want – have had 10 years of being told to just F off back home)

I’m in two minds on this, I have a mate that stepped in and now spends his life in a wheel chair, another that died when trying to save another’s life, and I have stepped in on people getting beaten up in the town centre at night, once I had called the police of course.

But thinking about it I would probably go spare if I knew someone I loved had risked their life…

About 15 years ago I went over to ask a woman if she was ok as there was a man shouting at her and waving his fist right in her face.
She was apparently, but I didn’t find this out until he’d broken my nose.

I intervened many years ago when I saw a couple of blokes hitting a girl outside a bar in Crete.

Turned out they were police in plain clothes. I got done for assault (even though I didnt) and got 14 days in prison!

Would I do it again? Yes

Have stopped someone being a bit too forceful with women on the tube (he was drunk and definitely not up for a ruck) and others in the same carriage came with me to deal with him. I’d have some worries stopping a gang of people kicking the crap out of someone in a deserted street.

i would rather die a helpfull hero, than a coward stood watching.

so yes….

Years ago I went to the aid of someone who had been jumped by half a dozen pissed up idiots, picked him up off the floor, offered him a cigarette, which he took, he then, without provocation turned on me and smashed me in the face with his sovereign ring covered fist.

well I havent seen the program but i just learnt that tinker belle lived around the corner :'(

It’s not always black and white – sometimes there can be a middle ground. You dont always have to get into a fight or risk your life to try and save someone. Other times you might be aware that you’re literally risking your life if you intervene so it’s a tough one to call.

I’ve intervened in fights yes, on occasion I’ve tried to break them up if I’ve seen someone is getting the short end of the stick. Almost invariably you end up involved in the melee. It helps if you’re a very forceful character – ie a very big scary looking man which I am not.

I’ve also stood by and done nothing whilst four huge bouncers literally kicked a mans head in while the police sat and watched. Doing anything would have simply ended with me swapping places with him and probably getting charged with affray and or assault.

A mate of mine some years ago, tried to stop three lads booting the hell out of a guy on the floor outside a nightclub.
Ended up losing most of his front teeth… 😥

It’s a difficult one really. Chances are, if some yobs are giving someone a beating, they probably enjoy a bit of a ruck and therefore would probably kick your ass quite easily if you interfered and weren’t a bit of a hard case yourself.
What’s the point of two people ending up in A&E?
On the other hand, if you were the poor bloke on the receiving end, you’d certainly appreciate some help and not onlookers walking on by.

There’s the whole issue with knives and guns too and the fact that you don’t know the reason behind the attack. (I know violence isn’t the answer, but there might be much more to the situation than first meets the eye.)
Is it wise to get involved? Who can say?

From a personal safety point of view it’ll never be wise to intervene. Invariably the people administering the beating will always be of the opinion that there is more to the situation than meets the eye and will resent any interference (even if they are beating someone purely for the sake of it).

Yeah, about 8 lads jumped another one in the market where we were shopping once. They knocked into the pram with my son it in as they were wrestling around. I pushed them away and as soon as I was sure my wife had got my son out of harms way I tried to get the lad out of it, they were proper laying into him. I threw half of them across the floor, grabbed the lad off the ground and pulled him away from the others. As I made my way to the door dragging him along, he elbowed me twice in the ribs hard so I let go of him and he ran back to the other lads who started kicking crap out of him again.

Totally bizarre. He’d have come out of it with a couple of cuts to the face if he’d have left with me but they did him over good style after that and he was a right mess, ambulance case.

Then a couple of fat blokes who’d stood back watching the whole thing came and told me they were just about to wade in when they saw me sorting out it. Yeah right.

Kinda unrelated, but years ago didn’t some guy on here help some old guy out, who was in a bit of a state. The old guy ended up dying, and left a large amount of money to man that helped him? Or was that another forum?

Probably yes because Im stupid, its an instinct thing, years back I saw a woman being assaulted by her drunk boyfriend, she was dragged by her hair screaming across the road then he laid into her with fists and feet -truly sickening to see I ran over to intervene, he went berserk and comes swinging at me but luckily quickly ends up on the floor next thing I know she’s screaming at me “dont hurt him dont hurt him”!! which I wasn’t particularly – then the couple walk of hand in hand!!
I swore I’d never do it again, then two years ago very similar incident but in broad daylight and yet again like an idiot I intervene, the girl who had just took a fist beating drives off alone – twenty minutes later she returns looking for the boyfriend who has by now left the scene to.
I mean wtf? the thing is on the one hand I’d like to think if it was my sister soemone would stop it, but on the other you could end up stabbed or with a stilleto heel through your head, you have to weigh it up, I think its wrong to walk by if you can help without putting yourself in undue danger, even if you only call the police or act as a witness

Was in this situation myself a few years back. Bunch of drunk neds on a bus with their girlfriends. One of them starts talking to a French dude, then as happens when everyone’s drunk a bit of chat turns into a fight. Cue 4 or 5 against 1. Was letting them get on with it until the Frenchie went down and started taking kicks, so I made a decision and stepped in to try and throw him off the bus. It was a bit of a rammy but eventually dragged him off. The bus was about half full of people but despite me asking for help nobody lifted a finger, not even the driver. They had a wee go at me afterwards but nothing too serious. Left me in a raging mood all night though just coz of the apathy.

P.S. I should mention I’m 6foot1, 13 stone, and had a skinhead at the time which may have helped.

male/female.
one on the floor.
group against one.
age difference.
race difference.
yeh i’d always step in where possible..

too many variables BUT in most cases id be there

once came across a mate who was in a very one sided fight , thought nothing of it , straight in there and throwing people all over the shop till i got to the one holding my mate down. Threw him through some roadwork barriers into a hole.

few days later , walking home from a friends a hear fast foot steps behind me and i get kicked in the back , fall to floor and see im surrouned by a group, manage to make my way to a wall where the guy id chucked into the roadworks went to headbutt me, i ducked and he nutted the wall. He started going nuts before a guy in an old transit stopped and waded in and dragged me off to his van.

What goes around comes around !

Other times ive seen it best not to get involved like when there was a guy walking down the highstreet threatening another guy with a kitchen knife. I kept my distance and phoned the cops but wasnt getting involved…

Its fun to grow up in my town !

Have done so many a times and been lucky.

Closest call was when two muggers tried to rob a teenager and when I stepped in one of the feckers pulled out a knife but I held his arm and pulled him down and then kicked the other guy winding him.

I was lucky they decided to jump on their scooters and sped off. They stabbed 2 other people that night just for their wallets.

My Dad drove 200 miles that night and slapped my face for doing that and said I could have been killed. Then drove 200 miles back home.

Looking back not so sure I would but I have done again on subway train in Sydney where a big guy was threatening school kids.

Be safe first then get loads of people to help while someone calls the police is the best way.

I’ve stepped in plenty of times but then I’ve had 10 years of training in various martial arts so can handle myself in most situations.

My old instructor always told us that if we were in a group fight situation to evaluate the group before you attack, pick the quietest member and put them down in such a way that the others see you can do some damage. It might not sound nice but it’s worked for me.

It’s like Ton says, I’d rather step up and potentially take a beating than stand back and do nothing. I’d hope that someone would do the same for me.

Yes. I would especially when someone is so seriously beaten his/her life could be in serious danger.

Also if you are surrounded by a group always make sure your back is to a wall. Alternatively, run as fast as you can to split up the group rather than being surrounded.

Couldn’t answer in general like to think I would, not sure I would in reality. It’s too easy to answer like a hero sat in front of a computer.

saw some school kid getting a beating from some older kids in the park a few years back. i walked casually toward them as if to carry on walking past but turned and kicked one of the bigger kids in the head, he went flying off and the others stopped punching the smaller one on the floor.

then then started on me. a few kicks came flying but managed to clump one direct in the face causing him to fall backwards. his friend then went to his aid, blood pissing from his nose.

then made off with the little kid who was being beaten in the first place.

another time, one girl on the tube being harrassed by a group of five , um, how do i say this without having the STW PC squad on my case?, ethnic youths. mate and i went over to the girl. said “you alright love?” and sat down next to her. we took her off at the next station. she was so pleased she offered to buy us each a drink. which we accepted.

I was getting on my bike after a night out and heard running – two guys in wedding tux outfits were chasing a less posh looking man in jeans legging it up the street. They yelled ‘Stop Thief!’, which I reckon is one of the most compelling phrases in the English language. I ran out into his path to try to trip him and he ran through me, mowing me down and only stumbling a bit. I was walking funny for ages with a bruised hip. They never did catch him. I assume it was him that was the baddie, not them – hard to tell though. I reckon I’d probably step in once punches start flying. I’m rubbish at arguing people down though, so I’d probably have to wait for the violence…