I was scared for my life (scary customer)

[RavenStarr]

If he shows up again. Let him know that his bullying will not be tolerated. If he lays a hand on anyone again. He will go to jail.

I bet he wouldn't try it on someone bigger than him.

[Jay 2K Winger]

If he shows up again. Let him know that his bullying will not be tolerated.

If he shows up again, let him know that HE'S BANNED. After you've told him that his bullying won't be tolerated.

[XCashier]

I bet he wouldn't try it on someone bigger than him.

Or a man.

Honestly, I feel sorry for his wife and kids. God knows how he is around them if he thinks this sort of behavior towards a stranger is acceptable.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

There was a show I saw that had security camera footage from a pizza shop lobby. A woman came in, bypassed the long line and tried to order a pizza. One of the customers told her to wait in line like the rest of the people. Woman left and came back with a guy that had to be about 6'-6" and 300# of pure muscle. The boyfriend proceeded to beat the living crap out of the guy who "mouthed off" to his girlfriend.

Turns out the boyfriend had just been released from jail for assault. The cops picked him up pretty quickly and he will be doing many more years in prison now but I'm not sure how much that will console the person he beat up. Guy had a broken jaw, missing teeth, a broken eye socket and broken ribs.

I'm pretty sure I saw that clip...was it the one where most or all of the other patrons stood around doing nothing? Sad...

[Seshat]

The phenomenon is called 'bystander effect', also known as 'Genovese syndrome'.

It's a combination of people not knowing what to do, not being sure of what they're seeing, being afraid of being hurt if they do get involved, and assuming someone else will handle it.

I've actually been the victim of bystander effect myself - as in, I was one of the bystanders who did nothing. To be fair to myself, I was quite literally on my way to the doctor for help with depression...

I was waiting to cross the road to go to the doctor's office, when suddenly a man came out of a truck (lorry?), ran to the driver's side door of the car in front and started ranting. The driver of the car turned into the side road, still followed by the ranting man, and passing me to do so. (I was still waiting at the time.)

It was only when the ranting man tried to open the guy's door that I realised someone might be in actual danger. The ranting guy left after that, and I suddenly felt like I could actually move again.

I went up to the victim, and told him where the police station was. (Directly ahead, on the right, just past the railroad tracks. As in, less than a minute's drive.) And I stopped at the station on the way home, myself, in case he had reported it and they wanted a witness statement.

But during the actual attack, it felt like I couldn't move, couldn't figure out what was going on, and couldn't do anything.
(No, I didn't have a mobile phone - and I didn't think of going into the nearest shop and asking them to call emergency until after it was over.)

[BeenThereDoneThat]

The phenomenon is called 'bystander effect', also known as 'Genovese syndrome'.

It's a combination of people not knowing what to do, not being sure of what they're seeing, being afraid of being hurt if they do get involved, and assuming someone else will handle it.

I guess you don't really know how you will handle a situation until you're part of it. Just seems like some people will jump into any fight, but then again, those people are usually idiots

The Kitty Genovese story is such a sad one...

[Seshat]

I handle medical emergencies or stuff like broken plumbing both quickly and appropriately - I've done so many times in the past.

But it turns out that assault puts me into momentary shock and bystander effect.

If there's a next time, maybe I'll handle it better. I won't know until it happens.

[Cerys]

I suppose it throws people into fight/flight mode. If it's fight, they'll wade in - but if it's flight, their rational side tells them that there's no reason for them to run, so they just end up frozen to the spot.