Would you save a stranger?

[THE DADGA]

ha, years ago when we were kids we used to pretend to beat one of the lads up on the footpath on the side of the road to see if any one would stop and chase us (as you do) can only recall a man and his wife pullin over and gettin out of the car...not much altruism in the people round banbridge

[The Iceman]

This is a hard one to call and as many have said will be situational.

Back in the day fights were fair, it was one on one, no weapons and no kicks to the head on the ground.  Now weapons are often produced and anything goes.

If there was a one on one fight going on I would let them to it.  I think if it turned ugly I would first engage with the aggressor and then physically step in if he didn't listen.  If there was multiple fellas beating up on one or two I would physically intervene with the nearest fence post, stick or bin, or shopping trolley or whatever was to hand to break it up and give the boys a chance to get away.

If I had the family with me I would make sure they were out of harms way first.

I've been a few ugly scrapes in my time and always carry a kubotan on my keys as a result - would only use it if a few lads came at me.  My woman has one on her keys too for when she is out walking by herself.  Call me paranoid but I'd say I'm not the only lad on the board who has hurl in the boot and hasn't hit a ball in years......

[pintsofguinness]

You might have just saved a weirdo from a good kicking.

I know you shouldn't judge but I did get the impression he was just as big a thug as the boy who done it.

More fool you for helping a sc**bag then IMHO...

I didn't think he was a sc**bag until later, my first thought was there's a human being getting his head repeatedly kicked and stamped on....

so if you did think he was a sc**bag aswell,would you still of jumped in?

Yes.

Paul Quinn or one of his ilk?

If I knew the fella, knew he was a sc**bag I probably wouldn't.
But yesterday I didn't know, still don't, just suspect.

[SLIGONIAN]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK543f0_UKc&feature=fvw

I did not think it would a kenny rogers song

Awful tough call this subject, i think like others i just dont know until im in it.

[leenie]

nope....too afraid, would ring the peelers or try to get help...

a few yrs ago outside a pub i worked in a fella was beatin up a girl, my boss went out and the girl he was trying to help then turned on him and the fella pulled a knife... pure knackers.. but ya never know in these situations.... we thought it was a set-up 4 someone to help and get mugged but when my boss backed away they started on each other again, guards eventually came!

[Main Street]

It looks like it was a case of minimum intervention saved a guy from a hammering. Pints did well, acted without prejudice, escaped without a scratch but with a sense of honour somewhat reinvigorated.

One time I intervened between a man beating up a woman, late one Sat night in the Dublin suburbs with
no one else about,  a few slaps and the odd punch thrown, more noise and screams than actual violence.
I went up and told him to stop and advised the woman to move away. The guy said, 'but you don't know what she just did'.
I looked at the woman then looked back at him and said sympathetically, 'maybe I don't  but sort it out tomorrow'. You might think, if a guy is crazed enough to beat a woman he would be crazed enough to leap on anybody but thinking about it now,  most any man who does that is a coward and will back down easy enough.