Would you interfere if you see the violence towards women in public?

[Stadler]

Relevant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jrchHAN_tY

I stay very much aware of my surroundings when pumping gas, and fuel pump nozzles have a surprisingly effective range. There's a real good chance that guy's getting a face full of 93 octane. I'd just as soon stay out of that sort of thing, myself, but if I'm the guy in the truck I don't think I could live with myself after that. I mean that guy didn't even reach for his phone.

We live in a weird society for this stuff though.  There's no room for error.   Without knowing what was said there, it's hard to judge.
Just listen to the commentary in that video. 

And there's this (though the guy is an absolute DUMBASS for picking of the weapon, IMO).   

[kirksnosehair]

Yeah, generally, as a rule, I avoid situations like this because I'm closer to being a senior citizen than I am to being a badass.  I ain't looking to get into any altercations.  Those days are long behind me.  I'm not the police, and I don't want to be the police.  I'll call 911 and maybe yell or create some kind of distraction to hopefully distract or at least pause whatever beating is going on, but in my experience dudes like this who are willing to beat on their women in public places usually think they're invincible because most of them are drunk cowardly bullies and losers.  They beat on their women to make themselves feel tough, but 99% of the time they're glass-jawed pussies who fold after a couple of punches.  I'm just not the guy who's going to deliver those punches.  I'll leave that for someone who's got something to prove.  I've been in all the fist-fights I need to be in.  Hard pass.  Call the cops, create a distraction, yeah, probably.  But that's as far as I'd go.

[El Barto]

And there's this (though the guy is an absolute DUMBASS for picking of the weapon, IMO).

As I've been saying for years, John Law is an unknown and unpredictable element. Best to avoid involvement with him at all costs. In this case the guy probably did the right thing, and this was the result. As for picking up the weapon, it probably didn't matter. He still had his pistol, and in all likelihood Johnny's shooting at any armed civilian still standing when he rolls up.

We live in a weird society for this stuff though.  There's no room for error.   Without knowing what was said there, it's hard to judge.
Just listen to the commentary in that video. 

I'm a work so I can't listen to the commentary. My hunch is that the guy said it was his drunken girlfriend just making a scene after a spat (also known as pulling a Dahmer). Fairly believable as plenty of us have had drunken girlfriends pull crazy shit like that. Either way, I'm probably inclined to let a professional sort it out and take responsibility. I'm not ignoring that and hoping she turns out to be alright. If nothing else I'm getting a license plate and following them.

[Lonk]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-staten-island-ferry-anti-gay-hate-crime-stabbing-20210628-pij2hg2bmvcl5jyjq45yixipim-story.html%3foutputType=amp

So trying to help a woman that was being harassed, ended up stabbed.

[Stadler]

I'm a work so I can't listen to the commentary. My hunch is that the guy said it was his drunken girlfriend just making a scene after a spat (also known as pulling a Dahmer). Fairly believable as plenty of us have had drunken girlfriends pull crazy shit like that. Either way, I'm probably inclined to let a professional sort it out and take responsibility. I'm not ignoring that and hoping she turns out to be alright. If nothing else I'm getting a license plate and following them.

Well, that's what I was pointing out; the commentary - the people in the video, not the comments section - were VERY judgemental towards the guy pumping his gas, but we don't know what was said.   I would still get a license plate, or even call the cops, but there's a point where you have to sort of make a decision.  I suppose you could argue that there's no good explanation for violence, but real life isn't that cut and dry, I don't think. 

[vtgrad]

I'm a work so I can't listen to the commentary. My hunch is that the guy said it was his drunken girlfriend just making a scene after a spat (also known as pulling a Dahmer). Fairly believable as plenty of us have had drunken girlfriends pull crazy shit like that. Either way, I'm probably inclined to let a professional sort it out and take responsibility. I'm not ignoring that and hoping she turns out to be alright. If nothing else I'm getting a license plate and following them.

Well, that's what I was pointing out; the commentary - the people in the video, not the comments section - were VERY judgemental towards the guy pumping his gas, but we don't know what was said.   I would still get a license plate, or even call the cops, but there's a point where you have to sort of make a decision.  I suppose you could argue that there's no good explanation for violence, but real life isn't that cut and dry, I don't think.

License plate number and a short follow does sound like a good idea... but I see that scenario perhaps devolving into the follower (me) being approached at a stop light by the "big man" that's decided to carry the screaming girl back to his car.  At that point, I'm forced into some type of action without the possible aid of a security camera.  Hindsight being 20/20, I don't know if I'd think that many moves in the future whilst pumping gas, but I think that the place to stop it is in the parking lot of the gas station (soak him with the gas as Barto suggested).  I'm not suggesting that the truck driver go He-Man on the other guy and move the girl behind him (I'd personally refrain from touching her in that situation), but if a real threat is perceived by the truck driver, I don't think that they should drive off into the night.

Of course, you're then trying to mediate the situation in a parking lot, at night, whilst hoping that someone is calling it in.  There isn't any clear path to that one that I see in my mind's eye; but I personally would want to avoid the stop light scenario unless absolutely necessary.  I absolutely agree that what's going on can't be ignored.

On a golf trip to the Augusta area a few years ago, my group and I were eating in a fairly nice sushi bar after the round and celebrating a bit; a larger group of persons were sitting at the Hibachi bar in the middle of the building... looked like a large family having a nice meal.  Out of nowhere, two of the men (late 20's early 30's I'd say) get up from the table and start the silly pushing back and forth stuff... the kids are starting to cry and one of the girls gets up to get between them.  She gets pushed out of the way, quite roughly, and the smaller of the two guys puts the other one in a head lock and drags him through the lobby and out the door (I think this is admirable.. finish the fight in the parking lot away from everyone else).  I get up and go over to the table to ask the girl and her family if they are OK and if anything can be done to help.  She says that it's her new boyfriend and her ex-husband (father of the kids) and that this happens all the time.  She was shaken up quite badly though, much more so than I would think for something that happens all the time... maybe it was the hard shove.  The bar staff took to her and her family and I went back to my table.  My brother asked me why I went to their table and what I would have done if one or both of the guys came back in... I said that I didn't think that far ahead and my purpose was to let that family know that someone cared enough to just ask if she was OK.  No one in that family stood up to stop it, even after she was shoved to the ground.

My point?  Be a man and finish your fight in the parking lot.    By the way, myself and one other from my group went outside to see what was happening... the smaller guy was beating the larger guys ass in the parking lot.  One of the few times I've seen a shoving match actually become a fight.

And Tempus... hero level my friend.  The fact that you'll say "I wasn't being a hero I was reacting" is exactly what would make you a hero.  Same with Bart, Gary, Nuno, and anyone else that would intervene on any level.  We've lost the community aspect of our communities... I would guarantee you that our fathers and grandfathers would have intervened in these situations when someone needs help.

[El Barto]

And Tempus... hero level my friend.  The fact that you'll say "I wasn't being a hero I was reacting" is exactly what would make you a hero.  Same with Bart, Gary, Nuno, and anyone else that would intervene on any level.  We've lost the community aspect of our communities... I would guarantee you that our fathers and grandfathers would have intervened in these situations when someone needs help.

Funny you mention dads and grandfathers. My old man would have taken a cautious approach, probably getting a license plate and tailing him until Johnny could take over. My grandfather would have dreaded getting involved, and waited until it was unavoidable, but with the confidence that he could handle the situation when/if the time came. He was a retired marine and after 30 years was content to just do whatever my grandmother told him to do. I only saw him loose his temper once, but he was a gunnery sargent and drill instructor, and when he said "THAT'S ENOUGH" you damn well believed him.   

Honestly, I'd love to see how he would have handled the guy carrying the girl back to his truck.

[Stadler]

And Tempus... hero level my friend.  The fact that you'll say "I wasn't being a hero I was reacting" is exactly what would make you a hero.  Same with Bart, Gary, Nuno, and anyone else that would intervene on any level.  We've lost the community aspect of our communities... I would guarantee you that our fathers and grandfathers would have intervened in these situations when someone needs help.

Funny you mention dads and grandfathers. My old man would have taken a cautious approach, probably getting a license plate and tailing him until Johnny could take over. My grandfather would have dreaded getting involved, and waited until it was unavoidable, but with the confidence that he could handle the situation when/if the time came. He was a retired marine and after 30 years was content to just do whatever my grandmother told him to do. I only saw him loose his temper once, but he was a gunnery sargent and drill instructor, and when he said "THAT'S ENOUGH" you damn well believed him.   

Honestly, I'd love to see how he would have handled the guy carrying the girl back to his truck.

Well, with the understanding that my dad is from another era (he's older, he's 82, and grew up in the late 50's and early 60's) and with no intent to impress or anything like that, the simple fact is, he would not have let that man walk back to his car.  I don't know the form that would have taken, but that guy was not getting back to his car with a woman over his shoulder if that was my dad pumping gas.