I must look like a target.

brianlux

That's the only thing I can come up with.  First the "knock out game" attack a couple years ago and now today a guy comes at me with a club. 

I went into a local thrift store and as I leave and am heading toward my car this guys yells at me, "Why are you following me, faggot?"  I told him I wasn't following him and then he really starts coming at me.  So I run and hide in some bushes (me against a crazy dude with a big club?  No thanks!)  After a while the guy goes into the store again so I run back to my car and jump in  to make my getaway but the dude sees me and come up to my car and hits the window as hard as he can with his club.  Once again, the amazing Prius window holds and does not break.  I back up and almost hit him so he picks up his skateboard and bashes my vehicle with it.  Zoom- I'm outta there.

I must look like a target.  That's the only thing I can come up with.  In any case, this kind of shit is really fucking with my head. 

SmallestOceans

Wait he had a club? Like a Fred Flintstone club?

brianlux

.

hedonist

Oh B, I know how the last incident fucked with you; so sorry more madness came your way.

YOU are not a target - it's on those assholes, not you.

Give yourself (if you can) a break, and some rest.  Good energy and thoughts from here.

brianlux

hedonist said:

Oh B, I know how the last incident fucked with you; so sorry more madness came your way.

YOU are not a target - it's on those assholes, not you.

Give yourself (if you can) a break, and some rest.  Good energy and thoughts from here.

Thank you so much Hedo.  Sleep will not come easy, but your words do help very much. 

hedonist

It breaks my heart that some are so broken, they have to lash out at others.  Not an excuse by any means, but a part of me gets that pain.  Not in its aggression, but in its root.

Fuck the unfairness of life, and how just living peacefully is no shield against...the non-peaceful.

Try the 4-7-8?  Breathe in for four seconds, hold it for seven, let it out for eight.

Rinse, repeat, and repeat until the timing fades and you say hello to the land of Nod.

brianlux

hedonist said:

It breaks my heart that some are so broken, they have to lash out at others.  Not an excuse by any means, but a part of me gets that pain.  Not in its aggression, but in its root.

Fuck the unfairness of life, and how just living peacefully is no shield against...the non-peaceful.

Try the 4-7-8?  Breathe in for four seconds, hold it for seven, let it out for eight.

Rinse, repeat, and repeat until the timing fades and you say hello to the land of Nod.

Well said, Hedo.  As Walt Whitman once said, "give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy".  I too feel badly for messed up people.  It took a few years, but I eventually began to feel some pity for the kid who tried to knock me out a few years ago.  No doubt he grew up under terrible conditions.

Thanks for the 4-7-8 suggestion.  Will do!

camsjam

That sounds scary.  Glad you're okay. When I was getting gas years ago in LA a homeless man hanging by the pumps started yelling I was a stuckup rich bitch who thought I looked so cool in my expensive sunglasses and kept on until I finished and left. Funny thing is at that point in my life I didnt own glasses over 10 bucks or so. Was driving an Oldsmobile I bought from my grandmother.  For awhile I wondered what it was about me that made him so angry but Hedos right..there's some people that are just angry. It's really disturbing when it's a random attack though. It's  an impersonal anger turned on you as a person. But you can't take it personally.  Peaceful dreams....

brianlux

camsjam said:

That sounds scary.  Glad you're okay. When I was getting gas years ago in LA a homeless man hanging by the pumps started yelling I was a stuckup rich bitch who thought I looked so cool in my expensive sunglasses and kept on until I finished and left. Funny thing is at that point in my life I didnt own glasses over 10 bucks or so. Was driving an Oldsmobile I bought from my grandmother.  For awhile I wondered what it was about me that made him so angry but Hedos right..there's some people that are just angry. It's really disturbing when it's a random attack though. It's  an impersonal anger turned on you as a person. But you can't take it personally.  Peaceful dreams....

Thank you cams!  Much appreciated.

I'm glad you incident didn't turn out worse.  Glad you were OK!

Thoughts_Arrive

Brian, I've had people pick on me in public a few times and this same thought has and still does go through my head "I must look like a target". It's most often happened on public transport. The carriage would be full of people but I get targeted.
I'm lining up to buy a drink at a nightclub and out of everyone in the que, this guy comes up to me to try egg me on.
I'm lining up to buy merch at a Tool concert and this guy starts being a smart ass to me and accusing me of pushing in when I was there before he even arrived, the list goes on. At a pub years ago, I was setting up the pool table and out of everyone in the pub some guy off his face starts yelling at me that "you think you're fucking good with that jacket" then comes at me with a pool cue. Lucky my classmates from TAFE (not sure what you call them in the USA, it's where you study for certificates and diplomas) entered the pub just in time. I didn't even once look at the guy, I was at the pool table and he was in the distance sitting at a table drinking beer.
Are you tall? I'm 6'2" and people always tell me "it's because you're tall that they target you". I don't think it's that.

Meltdown99

Your not a target.  Just curious?  You never mentioned whether you called the police?  

Meltdown99

Meltdown99 said:

Your not a target.  Just curious?  You never mentioned whether you called the police?  

If you didn't file a police report, you should, this club welding fellow should be investigated by the police...

rgambs

Ever consider carrying a blackjack?

markymark550

Sorry that happened to you and glad you're ok. Wtf is wrong with people though? I just don't understand people starting altercations for no real reason.

Meltdown99

rgambs said:

Ever consider carrying a blackjack?

Too lazy to look it up...what is a blackjack?

Annafalk

markymark550 said:

Sorry that happened to you and glad you're ok. Wtf is wrong with people though? I just don't understand people starting altercations for no real reason.

lastexitlondon

Brian you are a great human. Remember that .
Stay strong my friend

MayDay10

I have a good friend like that.  I always joke with him that he gives off a pheromone that attracts bullies and mean dogs

Meltdown99

Look at the positive Brian, he came at you with a club ... we know the weapon of choice in the US is not a club.  I think I'd stand a better chance against club carrying maniac, than a gun carrying maniac.  Just take care of your self out in public...keep your head on a swivel.

Annafalk

Have you been moving in neighborhoods where people have more problems?

darwinstheory

•Guy calls you a "faggot"
•Guy has a club (of whatever sort)
•Guy chases you when you were pulling away

I don't think you are the one with issues Brian. Sounds like this clown was either on something or just a really fucked up individual. Hopefully you were able to have a police officer spend some 1 on 1 time with him.

Wma31394

People are fucking wack these days..call the cops.

dankind

The cops would just shoot the club-wielding guy; I don’t think Brian wants that on his conscience. 

brianlux

Thoughts_Arrive said:

Brian, I've had people pick on me in public a few times and this same thought has and still does go through my head "I must look like a target". It's most often happened on public transport. The carriage would be full of people but I get targeted.
I'm lining up to buy a drink at a nightclub and out of everyone in the que, this guy comes up to me to try egg me on.
I'm lining up to buy merch at a Tool concert and this guy starts being a smart ass to me and accusing me of pushing in when I was there before he even arrived, the list goes on. At a pub years ago, I was setting up the pool table and out of everyone in the pub some guy off his face starts yelling at me that "you think you're fucking good with that jacket" then comes at me with a pool cue. Lucky my classmates from TAFE (not sure what you call them in the USA, it's where you study for certificates and diplomas) entered the pub just in time. I didn't even once look at the guy, I was at the pool table and he was in the distance sitting at a table drinking beer.
Are you tall? I'm 6'2" and people always tell me "it's because you're tall that they target you". I don't think it's that.

I'm sorry to hear about that, Thoughts.  You're a good guy.  You didn't deserve any of that crap!

I'm fairly average- just a hair over 5' 10".  I've always been bullied.  It must be the way I look or carry myself.  I just don't get it.

Meltdown99 said:

Your not a target.  Just curious?  You never mentioned whether you called the police?  

I didn't have a phone so I yelled to the store employee to call the cops.  They didn't.  I went home and filed a report with the sherrif's department right away.

rgambs said:

Ever consider carrying a blackjack?

I'm thinking about getting pepper spray.

Thank you Anna, Marky,  Meltdown, lastexitlion.  Your thoughts are kind and appreciated!

darwinstheory said:

•Guy calls you a "faggot"
•Guy has a club (of whatever sort)
•Guy chases you when you were pulling away

I don't think you are the one with issues Brian. Sounds like this clown was either on something or just a really fucked up individual. Hopefully you were able to have a police officer spend some 1 on 1 time with him.

Thanks, darwinstheory.  I feel like a target but I hope its just bad timing.  I've been attacked twice and threatened a few times and got bullied and punched a lot in school.  I must keep vigilant.

It's places like this and people like you good folks who help me to not be a total misanthrope and hate humanity.  Even if we don't always agree on some topics, you're good people and I appreciate you all!

brianlux

dankind said:

The cops would just shoot the club-wielding guy; I don’t think Brian wants that on his conscience. 

Yeah, I don't want him shot dead but I do hope he gets some help.  I did file a report with the county shrrif's office.  I don't want him running loose out there clubbing anyone. He's obviously a very disturbed (and unfortunately a dangerous) person and needs some help big-time. I don't think our sheriffs would shoot him. I think they would take him to a guarded health facility.  Sadly, there's not good option for a guy like this and now his craziness has added to my own fears and anxiety.  I just want to hide.

mca47

That's fn crazy!

SmallestOceans

Hey Brian, hope you're hanging in there man. I think it's been a tough couple of days for a lot of people, so you're not alone. It's kind of tough to get a visual or profile of this guy but you have to think that he might have been mentally ill. You can't assume that you look like a target, just wrong place wrong time. Thrift stores can be sketchy places sometimes so I would avoid them if at all possible. I live 20 minutes from the Parkland, Fla shooting that happened two days ago,  saw a drunk driver hit a guy on a bike last night, guy overdosed and died possibly at a local show couple nights ago. It's a mad world, people are nuts. These crazy attacks happen all over the place but we're still alive. I would definitely think about getting a good pocket knife just incase. We all gotta try and stay in the light the best we can.

WhatYouTaughtMe

Damn Brian. I'm sorry that happened to you. Maybe you should start carrying pepper spray? 

ed243421

Stay safe!!!

brianlux

SmallestOceans said:

Hey Brian, hope you're hanging in there man. I think it's been a tough couple of days for a lot of people, so you're not alone. It's kind of tough to get a visual or profile of this guy but you have to think that he might have been mentally ill. You can't assume that you look like a target, just wrong place wrong time. Thrift stores can be sketchy places sometimes so I would avoid them if at all possible. I live 20 minutes from the Parkland, Fla shooting that happened two days ago,  saw a drunk driver hit a guy on a bike last night, guy overdosed and died possibly at a local show couple nights ago. It's a mad world, people are nuts. These crazy attacks happen all over the place but we're still alive. I would definitely think about getting a good pocket knife just incase. We all gotta try and stay in the light the best we can.

ed243421 said:

Stay safe!!!

Thank you both!

WhatYouTaughtMe said:

Damn Brian. I'm sorry that happened to you. Maybe you should start carrying pepper spray? 

Thanks, my friend.  Yeah, I'm sure thinking about it.  Maybe take some self defense lessons as well.  I need to get the "victim" mentality out of my head. 

tempo_n_groove

rgambs said:

Ever consider carrying a blackjack?

FELONY!  Do Not carry one!!!