Interfere in a physical altercation?

billybobjoebobwilly
 June 25, 2007, 09:27 AM posted in General Discussion
Well, I got on the bus today as I often do and as I was getting on I heard an argument between two older women and a young man.  They were talking in Shanghai dialect so I couldn't quite understand what was going on..  It seems the young man did something when he passed the women and they were complaining about it (my guess from the way the women were pointing at their legs or feet).  Anyway, the argument got hot and the women started called the boy some nasty name (I think it was 250 in Shanghai Hua), 250 is something bad to say to someone.  So, the young man (maybe about 20 years old) hauled off and with all his force kicked this rather frail looking old woman in the chest.  I was shocked at both the strength he kicked her (full force front kick with the bottom of the foot) and how well she stood up against it.  Pretty tough old bird.  
 
But what also caught my interest is no one on the bus, male or female tried to stop this young man from attacking the women physically.
 
Question.  Has anyone else experienced this in China and would you get in the middle of this (as a LaoWai)?  Perhaps this might make a good topic for an advanced lesson.
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franch
 June 25, 2007, 09:48 AM

Well, we have already been taught about stopping a thief ("I see a thief" -elementary) : "站住 !! 别跑 !! 大家帮忙抓住小偷 !!!" so you could use them patterns if you feel like becoming a 老外英雄 : "打住 !! 别捣 !! 大家帮忙阻止暴徒哦 !!!"

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aeflow
 June 25, 2007, 04:21 PM

This was discussed on some other Chinese-related forums some time ago, with a good deal of controversy. As I recall, many people strongly advised not to get involved, on the grounds that the two people fighting might *both* turn on you, including the person you imagined you were defending. If you're particularly unlucky, passersby might misinterpret the situation as a foreigner attacking Chinese and join in. However, others disagreed. However, others disagreed. Maybe it's a cynical viewpoint, but you'd have to be careful in a situation where you might be perceived to be in the wrong, and where your lack of language skills will hinder you in trying to explain yourself.

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TaiPan
 June 25, 2007, 11:17 PM

Brutal, Franch. My two cents, not the best advice though: Take him down, choke him the f*** out. Let him sleep on it. Then take off before you get caught up in having to explain yourself in a second language. Not the best advice, I admit. But for me, having been the guy who acts and the guy who doesn't in my life, the risks are better than having to live with that "what should I have done?" feeling that haunts you for weeks after seeing these disgusting situations happen. j.