Have-A-Go Heroes

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Fri, 2002-02-01 00:21

Have-A-Go Heroes

Who saw this programme last night? It was fascinating. There were the three old women who fought off an armed robber in France. Clips of the general public's reaction to a mock-up fight in the street. The drunk who walked into a off license with some sort of weapon and ended up having about six bottles smashed over his head by the two women who worked there. That was actually quite funny to watch. And various other incidents.

However, the programme took a sour note at the end. A family man, walking home from a nightclub saw a group of girls beating up another girl. He tried to stop them and was walloped by a bloke standing nearby. He went down and the guy and his brother kicked him to death.

This was heartbreaking. He had a beautiful young son who obviously adored his dad. We saw the family a year after the event. The kid was about three-years-old and saying to his mum, "I love you mummy," and kissing her. The guy's wife went on to say that he often says he wants daddy to come home. She tries to explain that he can't and tells the young lad he's one of the stars in the sky. The boy spends ages nightly staring up into the stars. A real tear jerker.

The poor bloke was only trying to stop someone from getting hurt. Dreadful.

So what do we do? Are we supposed to be have-a-go heroes?
Or do we just mind our own business?

I had-a-go once, although I'd hardly say I was a hero. Far from it.

As a mate and myself pulled up outside a nightclub in a cab, we noticed two blokes beating up a girl. While I was paying the taxi driver, my mate jumped in with an, "Oi oi oi, leave it out," kind of thing.

One of these blokes was pretty big but stupid looking, and the other was a tough-looking fellow, a hod-carrier type. I was watching them argue and out of the corner of my eye noticed the big one glance at me, notice I didn't seem to be paying any attention and he made a move towards my mate.

I hit him and he went down like a sack of @!#$. So just for good measure I whacked his mate. And he went down as well. Two lucky punches. Obviously, for all their "hard" looks both these guys had glass jaws.

But then what do you think happened?

You've guessed it.

The girl attacked me.

Sat, 2002-02-02 11:45

stuart

Lighten up dude. This is the internet. This is not the real world...

Fri, 2002-02-01 07:13

justyn_thyme

This stuff usually works best in movies. In real life, I say stay clear, unless it has to do with a terrorist about to blow up an airplane you happen to be on at the time. My dad always told me: never get into an arguement with someone who has been drinking, especially if that someone is you, kid.

Fri, 2002-02-01 09:45

Karl Wiggins

You may well be right, James. However, there was another hero on the night the family was kicked to death. A guy actually stepped in to stop the two brothers (who thankfully are both serving life prison sentences now) who were kicking the original have-a-go hero on the floor. This fellow actually kicked out at them. But, he waited and watched for several minutes first before he decided to intervene. He now suffers horrible guilt in that he's haunted by the fact that if he'd taken action earlier that man could still be alive, and that family could still be complete. It's a tough one.

Fri, 2002-02-01 10:34

1legspider

..a long time ago, couple of friends and me intervened when we saw this guy slapping around his girlfriend late at night in soho.. the girl came to his defense with 'he only hits me cos he loves me' I think it is always right to intervene in these cases if one feels one can make a difference.. however the intervention has to be drastic to minimise risk to yourself.. you have to weigh up whether the situation merits this.. or stay and be a witness. Which is better then walking away..

Fri, 2002-02-01 12:19

Vicky

Or alternitively, you could quietly call the police (or several large mates) from your mobile phone

Fri, 2002-02-01 13:15

stuart

I was in La Rueda in Clapham just before Christmas with a couple of friends. It was about 1.30 in the morning and everybody was hammered. As I stood at the bar stylishly surveying the room, my two friends suddenly shot past me, grabbed some guy and dragged him backwards. It turns out that this bloke had just headbutted a girl. The lights came on, the music stopped and the bouncers ran over. The girl disappeared and guess what? We got thrown out for causing trouble! Spanish bastards.

Fri, 2002-02-01 14:36

John Scovell

I once helped a policeman who was being attacked. I jumped on the attacked from behind and pulled him down. The policman then handcuffed him and called for backup. I think if you see someone being attacked you have a clear duty to at least call the police. Whether you should actually have a go is only a decision you can make at the time. I remember when I was 16 I was attacked at a bus stop by someone who turned out to be on the run from an approve centre. He was nutting me on my nose. Blood was pouring donw and covering my coat. A women was standing at the bus stop and a big guy with a german shephead dog walked past. I screamed out'Can you phone the police' They just looked at me and walked away. Luckly for me a police car, come past and the guy was arrested. I feel real contemp for the couple who just ignoiredme. All they had to do was walkd into a phonebox and dial 999. They could see how frightend I was and the bloood. They were cowards, the big guy, he was not so big. How they could just walk away from 16 year out screaming at them to phone the poice is beyong me. I swore I would never do that. I have seen number of people attacked sinch then and I have always phoned the police. Often people have been arrested as aresult.

Fri, 2002-02-01 16:42

1legspider

Stuart, I suggest you have a real problem with context.. I wonder if you would have said 'black bastards'. I don't think its ok to say offensive things on a PUBLIC forum.. where the context may not be readily appreciated by others.. Confine such comments to your immediate circle.. why take a chance and upset complete strangers for no reason? Does it satisfy you to do so?

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