Posted by: Nasri
I Was Flashed At - 03/15/09 09:12 AM
And by a 'guy', too.
A couple years ago, i was on my way home one day and i had just climbed to the top deck of a double-decked bus. The whole deck was empty except for just one guy who was sitting about 3 rows from the back, beside the right hand windows. By habit, i went right to the back of the deck, and sat on the left of the isle. Though i didn't make any eye contact, i noticed that the stranger was observing me. Let me first say that i am not easily intimidated by strangers regardless of size/age etc. But just the vibe i was getting from this guy just made me feel exceedingly uncomfortable. I brushed it off - For a while.
Just a couple minutes into the ride, from the corner of my eye, i spot him turning to glance at me a few times. I pretended not to notice and kept lookin out the window. His glances turned into deliberately turning his head towards me, looking straight at me, and facing the front again. He was trying to get my attention. I kept looking out the window, and pulled my MP3 player out.
At this point i was already wary of this stranger, and thoughts were just flying around in my mind. Was he gonna mug me? Was he gonna pull a knife out and threaten me? Whatever he was thinking of doing, i knew for sure it wasn't good. More thoughts poured into my mind.
What do i do if he tries to [insert your favourite dangerous aggressive crime here] me? I sized him up. I was sure i could take him if he was unarmed. He was bigger than me (I'm small, see. Only 5 ft 4), but he was obviously a couch potato, and at that time i was a national kickboxer with 8 years of experience in other martial arts as well. If he was armed with a knife, i decided i would just give in to his demands until he got off the bus where i'd be able to chase him and at least take him down in a lock until the cops came. I ruled out all possibilities that he had a gun, because in my country, if anyone other than the police so much as fires a gun twards a citizen, it's the gallows for them, and mugging at gunpoint in my country is just something almost totally unheard of. But after all that thinking.. After all that deducing and calculation and reasoning, he did something totally unexpected.
He unzipped his jeans, pulled out his birdy, and started w*nking off - All while staring right at me.
I was so unprepared for it, my heart pounded even harder just because it was totally unexpected. He got frustrated when i ignored him, and he moved one row nearer to me. He was now in the row right in front of mine, only on the right side of the isle, still keepin it up (Bad joke, i know). I kept ignoring him. Heart thumping even harder.
The last straw came when he came and sat right next to me. (Yes, still yankin.)
I got off my seat, back against the window, arms up with my palms facing him. That's when i first realised a horrible mistake - i had allowed myself to be cornered. And a tiny corner it was. He was blocking my only exit.I found my voice and said "Stop it." And the idiot smiled! "Stop." i said again.
That's when he tried to touch me.
By instinct, i threw the hardest right punch i could at his nose. He was flung all the way back against the other window. I dashed straight for the stairs, and got off the bus (by some miracle, it just so happened to be my stop. I swear i was so grateful)
On hindsight, i realise quite a couple of my mistakes.
- I didn't get off the bus when i sensed trouble
- I didn't position myself for an easier escape
Honest to goodness, i may be a good fighter, but i've always done whatever i can to avoid any physical conflict in public. And looking back, i am slightly disappointed that i didn't decide to get off the bus. Why didn't i? I don't know. For some reason, it never crossed my mind. Maybe i panicked. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was just the fact that it was totally unexpected and it took me by surprise. Whatever it is, i do acknowledge that a better choice of action would've been to get off the bus at the first sign of imminent threat.
Has anyone ever experienced a similar predicament? Please share your thoughts here. I have much to learn.
Take Care and God Bless.
p/s : Of course, when i look back, or when i tell anyone my story, it's funny sh*t. lol. But i tell you the nerves were really tinglin when it happened.
I posted this on my blog.
A couple years ago, i was on my way home one day and i had just climbed to the top deck of a double-decked bus. The whole deck was empty except for just one guy who was sitting about 3 rows from the back, beside the right hand windows. By habit, i went right to the back of the deck, and sat on the left of the isle. Though i didn't make any eye contact, i noticed that the stranger was observing me. Let me first say that i am not easily intimidated by strangers regardless of size/age etc. But just the vibe i was getting from this guy just made me feel exceedingly uncomfortable. I brushed it off - For a while.
Just a couple minutes into the ride, from the corner of my eye, i spot him turning to glance at me a few times. I pretended not to notice and kept lookin out the window. His glances turned into deliberately turning his head towards me, looking straight at me, and facing the front again. He was trying to get my attention. I kept looking out the window, and pulled my MP3 player out.
At this point i was already wary of this stranger, and thoughts were just flying around in my mind. Was he gonna mug me? Was he gonna pull a knife out and threaten me? Whatever he was thinking of doing, i knew for sure it wasn't good. More thoughts poured into my mind.
What do i do if he tries to [insert your favourite dangerous aggressive crime here] me? I sized him up. I was sure i could take him if he was unarmed. He was bigger than me (I'm small, see. Only 5 ft 4), but he was obviously a couch potato, and at that time i was a national kickboxer with 8 years of experience in other martial arts as well. If he was armed with a knife, i decided i would just give in to his demands until he got off the bus where i'd be able to chase him and at least take him down in a lock until the cops came. I ruled out all possibilities that he had a gun, because in my country, if anyone other than the police so much as fires a gun twards a citizen, it's the gallows for them, and mugging at gunpoint in my country is just something almost totally unheard of. But after all that thinking.. After all that deducing and calculation and reasoning, he did something totally unexpected.
He unzipped his jeans, pulled out his birdy, and started w*nking off - All while staring right at me.
I was so unprepared for it, my heart pounded even harder just because it was totally unexpected. He got frustrated when i ignored him, and he moved one row nearer to me. He was now in the row right in front of mine, only on the right side of the isle, still keepin it up (Bad joke, i know). I kept ignoring him. Heart thumping even harder.
The last straw came when he came and sat right next to me. (Yes, still yankin.)
I got off my seat, back against the window, arms up with my palms facing him. That's when i first realised a horrible mistake - i had allowed myself to be cornered. And a tiny corner it was. He was blocking my only exit.I found my voice and said "Stop it." And the idiot smiled! "Stop." i said again.
That's when he tried to touch me.
By instinct, i threw the hardest right punch i could at his nose. He was flung all the way back against the other window. I dashed straight for the stairs, and got off the bus (by some miracle, it just so happened to be my stop. I swear i was so grateful)
On hindsight, i realise quite a couple of my mistakes.
- I didn't get off the bus when i sensed trouble
- I didn't position myself for an easier escape
Honest to goodness, i may be a good fighter, but i've always done whatever i can to avoid any physical conflict in public. And looking back, i am slightly disappointed that i didn't decide to get off the bus. Why didn't i? I don't know. For some reason, it never crossed my mind. Maybe i panicked. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was just the fact that it was totally unexpected and it took me by surprise. Whatever it is, i do acknowledge that a better choice of action would've been to get off the bus at the first sign of imminent threat.
Has anyone ever experienced a similar predicament? Please share your thoughts here. I have much to learn.
Take Care and God Bless.
p/s : Of course, when i look back, or when i tell anyone my story, it's funny sh*t. lol. But i tell you the nerves were really tinglin when it happened.
I posted this on my blog.