Gordon talking about being jumped reminds me of the one time I got punched. It was no where near as bad as with me landing up lying on the ground getting kicked, but could easily have gone that way. I do remember many of the emotions where rather similar.
It was somewhere round the latter half of 96. I was going to my engineers final last drinks and dinner thing since we we're all near graduating. It was in a place called Cantina Tequila in an are of Johannesburg called Brixton (oddly enough also a roughish area). I was with a small petite girl I was seeing at the time called Kim and I was driving. Because I did not know the area that well, I had the map on my lap and was glancing at it every now and then.
As a result of this I ended up going down a one way road the wrong way. I just never saw the sign and it was dark. As I proceeded down his road at somewhere between 20mph and 30mph a car approached me in the middle of the road. Roads in South Africa are quite wide and he had plenty of space to get passed me. Then I saw him yelling and screaming at me. It then dawned on me somewhere between the profanities that I was the wrong way in a one way road.
So I did what any normal person would do and turned off the road. I then drove to the restaurant, and started to park the car. A white car pulls up in front of me, parks and tall (6 foot something) lanky guy gets out, still swearing at me. His wife (I assume) and toddler stay in the car. He approaches my car, and I wind my window half down and start trying to apologise and explain. He carries on searing approaches me and punches me through the half open window. In the face. It wasn't the biggest punch anyone has ever got, more due to the window than anything else.
My date starts screaming at him, and fortunately my engine is still running. I slam it back into first, drop the hand break and accelerate off. I turn left, right left, any road any corner, till I am away. I drive around for about 5 minutes and head back to the restaurant. Inside are about 80 friends of mine, 75 of them male and my best mate, who, upon hearing the story buys me a double whiskey which I down immediately.
The punch hurt. The indignation stayed with me for weeks. I hadn't done anything to deserve the punch. I was going slowly down a road the wrong way, it was a unintentionally and many people do it. How dare he hit me for that. Who the fuck did he think he was. That left me very angry.
I always wondered about the wife and the kid. If he is going to pick on scrawny little 21 year olds (that would be me), I'm sure beating on his wife and kid would be no big deal.
I always wished he had returned to the bar later on to find me. As I knew my classmates would have as one stood in front of me and told him he would have had to come through them first. The fact I knew that I had 75 people who would do this took the edge of the anger a bit.
In the brief second between him punching me, and me slamming the car into first I did consider trying to make it into the bar to get my mates. However I had a date in the car and he was much bigger than me and it's doubtful I would have made it. And in SA he could be carrying a gun. It just wasn't worth it.
I have never punched anyone in seriousness. I have never initiated a fight. I'd like to keep it that way.
1. Gordon
Funny ain’t it - it’s not the physical pain that hurts.
2. Destructor
You’ve only been punched ONCE?!? EVER?!? That’s crazy! Didn’t you like, get into fights at school or anything?
Yeah, my adrenaline goes through the ROOF when I think I may have to defend myself against someone. I get all shaky if nothing happens.
I thought cars in SA had little flame-throwers you could activate in the event of a car-jacking?
3. Adrian
Only been punched once, properly. Got into scuffles at school, nothing that one would consider a proper fight.
My adrenaline does go thought the roof when I have been in situations that could almost become a fight. And I get the shakes.
I’m ignoring the flame thrower comment.
4. razorhead
some people are just tossers.
5. razorhead
sorry, not you — the other geezer is a tosser
6. Adrian
No stress Razor, I figured as much.
7. Simon
Its funny how physical size automatically imparts upon you the ability to avoid situations like this - on one or two occasions I have had situations where folks look like they want to pick a fight or have a serious word with me, but as I get out of the car or stand up they back off.
Console yourself with the following: small minds resort to violence because they do not have the tools to resolve their grievences and hang-ups properly, big minds irrespective of size inherently know they have the upper hand.
8. Sausage
Boy oh boy do I remember that night! Poor you. However you were brave and took it like a man and you were my hero :) It was also a damn good excuse to get some good loving later that evening!
9. Aira
Adrian,
I read about the time you got road raged on another internet site and was wondering if you were interested in talking about it with regards to a television show we are making?
If you’re interested, please get in touch and I will tell you more.
I hope to hear from you soon,
Regards,
Aira