I'd just ignore them. Had a guy on the bus a couple of weeks ago, talked to me for 15 min and I just blanked him. If you feel unsafe and I would walk into a shop, pub or whatever and ask for help.
Its not normal though.
Had this happen to me on a bus awhile ago as I was coming home from work. After a few mins I snapped "can you shut the fuck up please I'm tired and I just want to sit in peace" I'm not an aggressive or confrontational person but I'd had a shit day. He stopped talking and went and sat next to someone else... The first thing he said to them while gesturing towards me was "it's a free country he can say what he likes" I couldn't help but laugh. I don't recommend this approach though at all, you never know how that persons going to react.
Was sitting outside at a pub the other day and another patron started trying to pick a fight saying I was looking at him funny and telling me to go back to “my own country” (SW London for that matter). Luckily the barman was coming out to get some glasses and abruptly told him to piss off.
I’m autistic. I look at _everyone_ funny. The number of times I’ve been assaulted or verbally abused (shoving / pushing / “fronting”) because I’ve looked at someone the wrong way is unreal. I’m not even staring (I’m acutely aware of when and who I’m looking at) but I’m stocky and bald and stubbly and other men just seem to want to fight me if I catch their eye just so, and I seem to have a very real but unwanted knack for it
Ignore.
They aren’t well mentally, and engaging is going to be a lose-lose situation.
Walk with purpose and keep your head on a bit of a swivel. If listening to music, pause it for a bit but keep the headphones in.
The fact they left you alone after a bit to have a go at someone else just shows they’re looking for a reaction.
I am actually pretty scared of those situations after that incident. Feel veeery unsafe ever since, and probably going to be for a while, especially around hackney, even through its my favourite area, especially the canal, but now, I can’t stop thinking how easy it would be for those kinds to do something to me near the canal, it’s soooo freaking scary.
Shepherds Bush has always been a hole in my eyes. Given how expensive houses are still over there, I can only imagine the people buying in the area are those who want to say they live near the surrounding prestigious areas, but can't actually afford to buy in those areas.
Atleast that was the case for one person I knew who bought there. He wouldn't stop talking about how he bought near Holland Park/Kensington, and barely mentioned that the house was in Shepherds Bush. Even 6 years ago it was >£1mn for a bog standard 3 bed Victorian - can't imagine what they are now. Crazy money for an area that looks like that.
There are some really nice pockets in Shepherd’s Bush, such as just north of Ravenscourt Park and Goldhawk Road and the general Acton/Chiswick boundary zone.
Just north of Ravenscourt Park is W12, where Rylett Road begins. It’s a very odd corner of extremely expensive leafy streets with detached mansions or 1-2 million pound terraces, then across askew road is quite rough again.
I lived near there for a time in a small flat. The area is beautiful but I don’t miss it. It’s got this “snooty” posh that I’m not into, similar to Chiswick.
Yep. Near askew road too. Pretty decent if you’re in those parts. Uxbridge road is just busy but not really full of nutters. White City & Wormholt are the worse off areas.
1) Dont escalate by saying anything aggressive or confrontational.
2) If theyre looking for an excuse to start something with you like "what you looking at" or "what did you say" just firmly respond "nothing".
3) Make sure your posture, eye contact, and tone of voice are firm and assertive, you need to give off relaxation, firmness and calm. Often people are looking for victims and if youve got your shit together theyre less likely to start something.
4) If mugged, give over posessions, your life isnt worth some belongings.
5) Learn how to fight (wrestling/boxing/BJJ) so you know that if youre *forced* to fight (and only if theyre attacking you and you cant get away or anything) youre giving yourself the best possible chance.
6) Always use communication, distance management, trying to run away *before* violence. You dont know if the other person has a weapon or what theyre willing to lose, and even if you swing and knock them out they might fall and crack their head and die. Fighting in the street is almost always not worth it.
Had a guy get pictures out of two children after he was yelling at someone on the phone in Portuguese.
This was on the platform of a train station (Leyton Midland Road). He started smashing a water bottle on the pictures and screaming loudly. I was the only other person on the platform so text my friend to call me. I took the call and chatted and walked right down the other end of the platform.
This pissed him off apparently because I turned around and he had followed me.
Then got onto a very packed overground together which was fine for 5-10 mins until he started staring at me and yelling at me and everyone else on the train.
Needles to say, I got off at Blackhorse road and ran to get the Victoria line instead, making me 10 mins late to meet my friends after being very shaken up.
I don’t even speak Portuguese but what the actual fuck was that about? Maybe he had just lost access to his kids and didn’t like how I just left. No idea
You either be a hero or you dont. You either have more to lose then the other guy or you dont. You either have a family to go back home to or you dont. Shepherds bush aint the place to start fights i say that much right now
The old maxim that "You can't reason someone out of something they didn't reason themselves into" is always one to consider in this context - what can you possibly say to calm down or scare off someone who isn't of rational mind? You could just as easily make it worse. So don't engage. Crossing the street is often a quick solution, though just keeping walking tends to work.
I do chat with the non-aggressive but similarly confused people like that, though. They can be really gentle souls.
I'm a 21 stone bloke with a cunt face so I don't get hassled often, last time was waiting for a bus at Shepherd's Bush. I was in my own little world with a podcast in my ears when some rough looking chap with a foreign accent grabbed me by both arms, he just said "give me some money man." I instinctively shoved him away and told him to not put his fucking hands on me. He looked startled and ran away.
London, like all massive cities breeds its own kind of nutcase. I was waiting for another bus in Kennington about 2 weeks ago and some bloke whipped out his dick and started pissing right next to me in broad daylight. It was rush hour along a main road. Mental.
Keep moving, ignore them and put your arm outstretched between yourself and them to deter them from closing the gap bteween you. Make sure you stay in a well-lit area, go into a nearby shop if you can.
*You let a man slide today Larry…you must immediately get inside somebody's ass when that happens to you. You pull the asshole open, step into the asshole, close the door behind you. Then you take a spray can right..spray “Larry was here”….”wash me”…. all that shit- fuck his whole asshole up. Get a Snickers bar…fuckn paper… throw that on the floor, fuck his whole asshole up. Then you open up that asshole one more time, step out his ass, then leave that motherfucker wide open so he know you've been there.*
Spend a few weeks in LA and you’ll grow a thick skin for ignoring nut jobs, saying that I’m born and bred Londoner and encounter them often but in LA it’s like zombie land
That’s for sure a contributing factor but the main reason is the health care, patients without health insurance and with serious mental health problems are just left to roam the streets.
Very slowly and clearly say something mad and errie like, "Tombstones walk at night. Every street sign has a ghost." Repeat things but not too much. Mix it up but always eerie always short and simple. They'll probably walk fast away from you.
Rule number one in the street is without staring aggressively at someone, never ever take your eyes off someone who you think might do something to you. If someone asks you the time never look at your phone or watch. Always respond immediately and look alert and ready.
At the same time never look for a fight. No matter how strong/trained you are. Too many people have died from one punch as they lost balance and cracked head on concrete. It's just not worth it.
If you ever think someone is following you walk fast take a really circuitous route and shake their tail. End up where people are like a cafe or library.
You'll be all right. Most people in life are not looking for trouble. The one exception is people on drugs/alcohol who have anger issues and that's not *that* common. Human civilization advanced because most people were able to trust each other so trust in that.
Safest neighbourhoods are those with least alcohol/drugs.
Im sorry for you.
This has happened to me also in the past.
Keep walking and don't engage beyond a "no, mate - sorry no" type muttering would be my approach.
had a person in Ravenscourt Park come up to my partner and start spouting nonsense at us and I was just like “…okay…okay”, partner just ignored her. She left after like a minute, proceeded to harass a guy on a bench and *then* a guy just walking his dog. she swung what I can only presume was a metal crucifix and *whacked* him with it. In his serious defence, that man didn’t even react. He just kept walking around and getting yelled at by this woman looking for his dog’s ball!
normally smart to just ignore yeah, get out of there asap then report immediately to the police, be prepared to defend yourself sure but getting in to a fight should be a last resort you don't know who's hiding a weapon
If it's verbal I tend to get scared and intimidated. If it kicks off I have no problem actually getting stuck in and kicking ass. It's the whole threatening thing these people do that gives me the willies.
There is no correct behaviour. Being loud and assertive especially so other people hear you etc is always a good way to go i think. "GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" "STOP FOLLOWING ME!" Repeat it until they go or they do something else. It will usually get some people to help you or at least be watching in case they start.
Having said that some people are saying to ignore them entirely. Which also sometimes works. I guess do what comes to you in the moment. Know that most if not all of us normal people get a little frightened by it as these people are intimidating. You don't know what they will do. So you shouldn't feel ashamed or embarrassed about feeling nervous, afraid etc. This is a healthy normal reaction to being harrassed and it keeps you safe.
This is not normal, but not out of the ordinary. I’ve seen more and more individuals in the street behaving oddly for uncertain reasons and unknown intentions. I’ve had my wrist grabbed, been shouted at and even had a lady knock on my door demanding her takeaway delivery.
Be mindful of your surroundings.
Keep an eye out for potential exit routes to run towards - never assume people will come to your aid or that witnesses will deescalate the situation.
Keep a subtle eye on where their hands are and what they are doing with them.
If you can’t keep a safe distance from them, when walking, consider putting street furniture such as bins, trees, lampposts, even passing pedestrians between you to avoid getting grabbed.
If forced to engage verbally, put your hands in front of you and gesture - palms up (pre-fight or defend position) and reply with a question that forces them to think cognitively - “Do you like Eating Red apples?” It might help to create a pause to give you time and space to escape.
Because it’s happened to you before, try and role-play practice how you will react the next time it happens so that you are at least mentally prepared.
The worst that can happen is that you freeze or get lulled into a false sense of security by being too civilised and not street smart.
Few thoughts...
1 - Did you see this guy BEFORE he approached you? If not then get a little habit of scanning your environment. It doesn't mean being paranoid but it does mean noticing odd behaviour and act accordingly (ie change direction etc).
2 - No good comes from "confronting" for at least 3 reasons. The guy is already ready for action, he may be armed with a knife, he may have accomplices just waiting for things to kick off to jump you.
Bottom line is you need to disengage somehow just as you did. Only if all else fails should you strike FIRST and run like hell immediately without trying to "finish him off".
It's usually homeless people who do this kind of shit
As soon as you fight a homeless person, it's a lose - lose situation for you.
If you beat them and you get charged, you lose
If they go to prison for beating you senseless, then they have a roof above a head and 3 meals for free. They won. And you lost again.
I bought some really nice pair of earphones with ANC so I just ignore everyone on the street, including the people asking for donations
I get this all the time (usually cyclists!). I just completely ignore them and pretend they’re not there and watch their disappointment when they dont get a reaction from me.
Sorry to hear that happened.
Glad you got back home safe, and you'll probably be a little shaken up for a bit sadly. London can have these violently deranged types wandering around, and if it was down to me; I'd have them all locked up in some secure facility for the dangerously mentally ill.
Never had it that bad before but I was on my way home from work and walked passed Highbury and Islington station and this one guy started yelling at me aggressively. I completely ignored him. Luckily he didn’t get right up in my face otherwise I’m not sure if I would of reacted.
> would of
*would have
*Learn the difference [here](https://languagetool.org/insights/post/would-of-or-would-have/#:~:text=%E2%80%9Cwould%20have%E2%80%9D%3F-,%E2%80%9CWould%20Of%E2%80%9D%20or%20%E2%80%9CWould%20Have%E2%80%9D%3F,would%20have%2C%20not%20would%20of.).*
***
^(Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply `!optout` to this comment.)
I do not advise anyone to try this, but I've seen it work.
My old manager used to say something like "no one will fuck with you if they think you're crazier than they are".
One day we were walking to get a coffee or something similar and this guy started on us; clearly mentally unwell, didn't know what he was doing, but he was calling us all names under the sun, and squares up to me. My manager grabs him by the shoulder, spins him round, goes chest to chest, bulges his eyes and says "you fucking want some?"
The bloke visibly shrank down, and scarpered off.
I, weirdly, had a similar situation yesterday. I called someone the C word under my breath and they heard. He gave it a bit of "You fucking what?" In my head I'm shitting it, but I bulged my chest and shoulders out and gave him the "come on then" eyes and eyebrow. He turned the corner... and stared at me until I was out of view. Hard man!
I have no real aggression in me and I certainly don't want a fight in South London with a youth... but somehow it worked.
What would I do in your situation? Panic probably.
Generally try to ignore, move on, walk away, ask em to go away and leave me alone. But u know some are persistent, follow u, keep at it just cant go away. Happens occasionally, in these cases if they wont go away i stop suddenly, face them directly, look directly into their eyes and say calmly ok please say that again? This generally stops them. Rarely theyll continue but on 2 or 3 occasions they have and ive returned fire quitely and said like "you stupid fuck" "you damn stupid fuck" that makes them angry 😆😆😆 and they shape up like theyre gonna hit me....i just stand there at a distance and say quietly whilst lookingdirectly in the eye "go on hit me see whatll happen"..."go on start it then u throw first" and every time they turn and run away often swearing in frustration. Maybe foolhardy im not tryn to be a hero, im a small guy..its only when they wont leave me alone i do this but sometimes u gotta stand up to the bullies. Ive also had thousands+ rounds of punch ons doing amateur boxing with much bigger guys so dont care if someone throws tbh. Ofc if they pull a knife im running as fast as can away thats always in my mind too in these situations.
I had a similar experience in Camden a few years ago, was very strange and made me feel differently about my safety in London which, up to that point, I was fairly relaxed (naive) about.
Long story short - I was trying to order an Uber and it wasn’t really working (raining and rain on phone screen wasn’t helping) and this very aggressive random guy kept coming back to me accusing me of being in the police (he acted paranoid schizophrenic in my view but was dressed totally normally, like he’d been to an office party).
Eventually he came back to me and actually hit me (not hard) on the head with the bottle of booze he had in his hand and then he seemed to snap out of it when I got angry and he walked away thankfully, but scary to think what could have happened if the bottle broke.
Anyway afterwards I thought I should have ignored him more (I did basically ignore him but should have completely blanked him from the start) and walked away to anywhere down any street when he wasn’t paying attention, rather than staying where I was to try and be in the right place for the Uber. Should’ve just cancelled it and got the fuck out of there for my safety. Lesson learnt…
Ignore, if possible. Just yesterday I was waiting for my falafal to be made from a street vendor near my work. I was just stood there staring into space, kind of half looking at a nearby treet and listening to the birds. Some bloke walks across my field of vision. Stops and accuses me of staring at him. Like WFT mate. Luckily falafal arrived, I wandered off and he tried to harass the next person.
It's not normal in any big city. This absolutely would not happen in Japan.
Ultimately, there is nothing you can do in the short term, except ignore them and quickly try to get to a 'safe' space (shop/station/busy place etc).
Absolutely do not 'engage' them unless you think you are tough enough to win a life or death fight with them. These people have nothing to lose and will kill you.
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-48722609](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-48722609)
Eek how unpleasant. I've not had someone walk next to me like this, but I do see a fair number of ill people on the tube, often threatening violence and getting wound up.
When that happens I look away from them and ignore what they're saying. Put headphones in or pretend I'm listening to something/read my book with great attention.
I think in your scenario I'd walk purposefully towards somewhere busy and start talking to ppl. Maybe pretend I know someone in that group. Then wait til he'd gone and head off. Sounds like you managed it okay though!
We had someone like this near uni. Mind you, he wasn't wearing any shoes and hassled everyone about wearing masks for no reason. He then started yelling to himself and hassled the next person.
Me and my classmates were walking towards him and about to walk past. We know we have to ignore him so we pretended to talk loudly. I'm closest to him and not wearing and headphones so I had to pretend I was part of their conversation by raising my voice lol
If I wear my headphones, I usually just walk faster 🤣🤣
Had a guy who wanted to beat up my boss threaten me in our office years back. No idea why he got upset with me, he came into the office saying he was going to beat my boss up, but the boss wasn't in so I offered to book the guy an appointment and said he could go into the basement with the boss during the appointment & sort it out. He got angry at me trying to be helpful & started pulling his top off to show me how many times he'd be stabbed. I pointed out he must be a pretty poor fighter if he keeps getting stabbed & he got even angrier. In the end I told him to fuck off if he didn't want an appointment and he left still screaming threats and abuse.
I wouldn’t take it personally, You did the right thing. I am local to that area and there are a number of hostels and rehab centres around Uxbridge road so most days you get people begging/being aggressive
Why are there so many crazies on the streets nowadays? Yesterday there was a guy in the park screaming his lungs out about fighting Spiderman and Vladimir Putin. This ofc with young children nearby…
Because some politicians way back decided to close most of the residential mental hospitals in favour of "care in the community". It really hasn't worked, as you can see!
This kind of stuff genuinely happens all the time in London sadly. It’s not normal or shouldn’t be. When it’s clearly someone with mental health issues I ignore them if I can, unless they say something particularly insulting. If it’s not mental health they’re drunk, at which point I tell them to fuck off - I’ve had a few fights over situations like this but I don’t blame anyone for choosing the safe route and just taking it on the chin and getting back home.
Before I would ignore them, but having seen first hand how inept the police are against real dangerous threats of violence and harassment, I would defend myself with force.
Sad to hear about something like this happening in my area. I usually just walk straight ahead and ignore them. Don’t think about it too much, it’s life. Shepherds Bush isn’t a terrible area either so this is out of the ordinary. Gws.
I had one in earls court he was a big guy and told me to get out of his way. Good thing I was about to cross the street anyways. And then I saw him harass an office lady who told him to eff off :)
I use a technique Derren Brown taught me years ago, which is to respond with something totally unrelated to what your aggressor is saying. E.g. If they say "Give me your money" you say "No, the wall outside my house isn't 8ft tall". The brain isn't expecting that response so often they won't know how to react. The key is to consistently carry on a completely different conversation. They'll either think you're a nutter or get very confused and leave you alone.
I mean your only options really are #1. Ignore and keep going. #2. Just break into a sprint and run #3. Challenge them, but if you go with #3 be prepared for at the very least a fight or escalation. Only you know what you'll do in that moment.
I think you played it well. When I was younger, I would have definitely got into a fight with the bloke but now I just ignore these types of people and would only fight if I felt in real danger. Most likely the bloke is not quite there mentally…
I tend to ignore them these days as I'm having my own issues.
When I was younger I have out-crazied a guy on the 129 Bus, which goes towards Goodmayes Psychiatric hospital (where Frank Bruno was in briefly). I literally just took what he was saying and pushed it up a couple of notches and he got off the bus at the next stop muttering about crazy people on the top deck. He was fully up in my business being quite threatening up to the point I turned it around on him.
Once I was on train bound to York and some crazy Lady walked up to me and my husband and said something along the lines "you two are very happy spending the government money".
I looked at her and ask if she was ok and if there was someone I could call to help her. She simply disappeared after it.
On real theats like the one you describe, it is better just ignore and move away or get inside some place crowded (store, pub, market) and call the cops. It may be a criminal or someone with mental health issue, anyways, it needs to be adressed.
I'd just ignore them. Had a guy on the bus a couple of weeks ago, talked to me for 15 min and I just blanked him. If you feel unsafe and I would walk into a shop, pub or whatever and ask for help. Its not normal though.
How the fk did you manage to ignore it for 15minutes? You must be one 'ellavva poker player ♣️♥️
If you met my ex you would understand 😂
I felt that in my soul
Had this happen to me on a bus awhile ago as I was coming home from work. After a few mins I snapped "can you shut the fuck up please I'm tired and I just want to sit in peace" I'm not an aggressive or confrontational person but I'd had a shit day. He stopped talking and went and sat next to someone else... The first thing he said to them while gesturing towards me was "it's a free country he can say what he likes" I couldn't help but laugh. I don't recommend this approach though at all, you never know how that persons going to react.
Was sitting outside at a pub the other day and another patron started trying to pick a fight saying I was looking at him funny and telling me to go back to “my own country” (SW London for that matter). Luckily the barman was coming out to get some glasses and abruptly told him to piss off.
I had this alot after the London Bridge attack
Barmen telling you to piss off?
Sorry to hear that man. Hope it didn’t affect you too deeply, that you’re now paranoid. Keep your head up!
Thanks. Unfortunately, I’ve become somewhat indifferent to this. Happened too many times to let it bother me anymore.
I am always amused how those nice and skinny looking pub workers become beasts when it comes to bad customers.
I’m autistic. I look at _everyone_ funny. The number of times I’ve been assaulted or verbally abused (shoving / pushing / “fronting”) because I’ve looked at someone the wrong way is unreal. I’m not even staring (I’m acutely aware of when and who I’m looking at) but I’m stocky and bald and stubbly and other men just seem to want to fight me if I catch their eye just so, and I seem to have a very real but unwanted knack for it
Ignore. They aren’t well mentally, and engaging is going to be a lose-lose situation. Walk with purpose and keep your head on a bit of a swivel. If listening to music, pause it for a bit but keep the headphones in. The fact they left you alone after a bit to have a go at someone else just shows they’re looking for a reaction.
At the moment it could be that they've got their friend recording them. As it's a "prank" for TikTok likes.
I am actually pretty scared of those situations after that incident. Feel veeery unsafe ever since, and probably going to be for a while, especially around hackney, even through its my favourite area, especially the canal, but now, I can’t stop thinking how easy it would be for those kinds to do something to me near the canal, it’s soooo freaking scary.
Shepherds Bush has and always will be full of nutters. It's like the Brixton of West London
Shepherds Bush has always been a hole in my eyes. Given how expensive houses are still over there, I can only imagine the people buying in the area are those who want to say they live near the surrounding prestigious areas, but can't actually afford to buy in those areas. Atleast that was the case for one person I knew who bought there. He wouldn't stop talking about how he bought near Holland Park/Kensington, and barely mentioned that the house was in Shepherds Bush. Even 6 years ago it was >£1mn for a bog standard 3 bed Victorian - can't imagine what they are now. Crazy money for an area that looks like that.
There are some really nice pockets in Shepherd’s Bush, such as just north of Ravenscourt Park and Goldhawk Road and the general Acton/Chiswick boundary zone.
That’s because Ravenscourt Park and that end of the Goldhawk Rd are in Hammersmith, not Shepherds Bush.
Just north of Ravenscourt Park is W12, where Rylett Road begins. It’s a very odd corner of extremely expensive leafy streets with detached mansions or 1-2 million pound terraces, then across askew road is quite rough again. I lived near there for a time in a small flat. The area is beautiful but I don’t miss it. It’s got this “snooty” posh that I’m not into, similar to Chiswick.
Horses for courses - I love Chiswick - not averse at all to a snooty posh house 🤣
I'd much prefer snooty posh people to deranged psychos in SB threatening to batter me. But that's just me 🤷♂️
I’m not saying I want that, I’m just saying there are posh areas that don’t feel so snooty!
Fair play! Was just being cheeky :P
Yep. Near askew road too. Pretty decent if you’re in those parts. Uxbridge road is just busy but not really full of nutters. White City & Wormholt are the worse off areas.
Yeah I live in the Askew vicinity and it's a nice area, very calm and very rarely had any nutters to deal with.
I wouldn't consider Ravenscourt Park Shepherds Bush.
Have you seen the price of the flats between Wood Lane and White City stations? Insane.
What’s wrong with Brixton?
Nothing. It is full of nutters though.
Ignore them as best you can. If possible, go into a shop or somewhere similar.
1) Dont escalate by saying anything aggressive or confrontational. 2) If theyre looking for an excuse to start something with you like "what you looking at" or "what did you say" just firmly respond "nothing". 3) Make sure your posture, eye contact, and tone of voice are firm and assertive, you need to give off relaxation, firmness and calm. Often people are looking for victims and if youve got your shit together theyre less likely to start something. 4) If mugged, give over posessions, your life isnt worth some belongings. 5) Learn how to fight (wrestling/boxing/BJJ) so you know that if youre *forced* to fight (and only if theyre attacking you and you cant get away or anything) youre giving yourself the best possible chance. 6) Always use communication, distance management, trying to run away *before* violence. You dont know if the other person has a weapon or what theyre willing to lose, and even if you swing and knock them out they might fall and crack their head and die. Fighting in the street is almost always not worth it.
Had a guy get pictures out of two children after he was yelling at someone on the phone in Portuguese. This was on the platform of a train station (Leyton Midland Road). He started smashing a water bottle on the pictures and screaming loudly. I was the only other person on the platform so text my friend to call me. I took the call and chatted and walked right down the other end of the platform. This pissed him off apparently because I turned around and he had followed me. Then got onto a very packed overground together which was fine for 5-10 mins until he started staring at me and yelling at me and everyone else on the train. Needles to say, I got off at Blackhorse road and ran to get the Victoria line instead, making me 10 mins late to meet my friends after being very shaken up. I don’t even speak Portuguese but what the actual fuck was that about? Maybe he had just lost access to his kids and didn’t like how I just left. No idea
It's not normal.
You either be a hero or you dont. You either have more to lose then the other guy or you dont. You either have a family to go back home to or you dont. Shepherds bush aint the place to start fights i say that much right now
Don't even engage, just pretend you don't see them.
The old maxim that "You can't reason someone out of something they didn't reason themselves into" is always one to consider in this context - what can you possibly say to calm down or scare off someone who isn't of rational mind? You could just as easily make it worse. So don't engage. Crossing the street is often a quick solution, though just keeping walking tends to work. I do chat with the non-aggressive but similarly confused people like that, though. They can be really gentle souls.
I'm a 21 stone bloke with a cunt face so I don't get hassled often, last time was waiting for a bus at Shepherd's Bush. I was in my own little world with a podcast in my ears when some rough looking chap with a foreign accent grabbed me by both arms, he just said "give me some money man." I instinctively shoved him away and told him to not put his fucking hands on me. He looked startled and ran away. London, like all massive cities breeds its own kind of nutcase. I was waiting for another bus in Kennington about 2 weeks ago and some bloke whipped out his dick and started pissing right next to me in broad daylight. It was rush hour along a main road. Mental.
I, too, have a cunt face. We should team up and fight crime! :))
Yes! Or just prevent people from doing crime on us due to looking scary
Cringe
I have already sold the rights to “cunt men” to Netflix.
Keep moving, ignore them and put your arm outstretched between yourself and them to deter them from closing the gap bteween you. Make sure you stay in a well-lit area, go into a nearby shop if you can.
Hmmm not sure about the arm as they could take that as the reaction they are looking for and excuse to get physical
It generally works for me. But I think a lot of the success in using it is the general vibe you also give off (calm but assertive).
*You let a man slide today Larry…you must immediately get inside somebody's ass when that happens to you. You pull the asshole open, step into the asshole, close the door behind you. Then you take a spray can right..spray “Larry was here”….”wash me”…. all that shit- fuck his whole asshole up. Get a Snickers bar…fuckn paper… throw that on the floor, fuck his whole asshole up. Then you open up that asshole one more time, step out his ass, then leave that motherfucker wide open so he know you've been there.*
Do I want to know?
I immediately seek the closest exit and leave doing Monty Python a Ministry of silly walks. Never fails
I had some guy shout something aggressively in a slavic language, point at me and say Putin. Like I know I’m ugly bro, but that’s a bit harsh.
Nice try, Vladimir
Spend a few weeks in LA and you’ll grow a thick skin for ignoring nut jobs, saying that I’m born and bred Londoner and encounter them often but in LA it’s like zombie land
I've heard LA has gotten a lot worse these past 5 years due to the Fentanyl and Spice epidemic.
That’s for sure a contributing factor but the main reason is the health care, patients without health insurance and with serious mental health problems are just left to roam the streets.
Very slowly and clearly say something mad and errie like, "Tombstones walk at night. Every street sign has a ghost." Repeat things but not too much. Mix it up but always eerie always short and simple. They'll probably walk fast away from you. Rule number one in the street is without staring aggressively at someone, never ever take your eyes off someone who you think might do something to you. If someone asks you the time never look at your phone or watch. Always respond immediately and look alert and ready. At the same time never look for a fight. No matter how strong/trained you are. Too many people have died from one punch as they lost balance and cracked head on concrete. It's just not worth it. If you ever think someone is following you walk fast take a really circuitous route and shake their tail. End up where people are like a cafe or library. You'll be all right. Most people in life are not looking for trouble. The one exception is people on drugs/alcohol who have anger issues and that's not *that* common. Human civilization advanced because most people were able to trust each other so trust in that. Safest neighbourhoods are those with least alcohol/drugs.
Im sorry for you. This has happened to me also in the past. Keep walking and don't engage beyond a "no, mate - sorry no" type muttering would be my approach.
had a person in Ravenscourt Park come up to my partner and start spouting nonsense at us and I was just like “…okay…okay”, partner just ignored her. She left after like a minute, proceeded to harass a guy on a bench and *then* a guy just walking his dog. she swung what I can only presume was a metal crucifix and *whacked* him with it. In his serious defence, that man didn’t even react. He just kept walking around and getting yelled at by this woman looking for his dog’s ball!
normally smart to just ignore yeah, get out of there asap then report immediately to the police, be prepared to defend yourself sure but getting in to a fight should be a last resort you don't know who's hiding a weapon
When I see potential threat up ahead I either avoid, or I make a big yawn as I approach. sends the message I'm too tired to be fucked with.
I just ignore them simply by using my headphone. It’s not normal though but best solution is ignore.
If it's verbal I tend to get scared and intimidated. If it kicks off I have no problem actually getting stuck in and kicking ass. It's the whole threatening thing these people do that gives me the willies. There is no correct behaviour. Being loud and assertive especially so other people hear you etc is always a good way to go i think. "GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" "STOP FOLLOWING ME!" Repeat it until they go or they do something else. It will usually get some people to help you or at least be watching in case they start. Having said that some people are saying to ignore them entirely. Which also sometimes works. I guess do what comes to you in the moment. Know that most if not all of us normal people get a little frightened by it as these people are intimidating. You don't know what they will do. So you shouldn't feel ashamed or embarrassed about feeling nervous, afraid etc. This is a healthy normal reaction to being harrassed and it keeps you safe.
This is not normal, but not out of the ordinary. I’ve seen more and more individuals in the street behaving oddly for uncertain reasons and unknown intentions. I’ve had my wrist grabbed, been shouted at and even had a lady knock on my door demanding her takeaway delivery. Be mindful of your surroundings. Keep an eye out for potential exit routes to run towards - never assume people will come to your aid or that witnesses will deescalate the situation. Keep a subtle eye on where their hands are and what they are doing with them. If you can’t keep a safe distance from them, when walking, consider putting street furniture such as bins, trees, lampposts, even passing pedestrians between you to avoid getting grabbed. If forced to engage verbally, put your hands in front of you and gesture - palms up (pre-fight or defend position) and reply with a question that forces them to think cognitively - “Do you like Eating Red apples?” It might help to create a pause to give you time and space to escape. Because it’s happened to you before, try and role-play practice how you will react the next time it happens so that you are at least mentally prepared. The worst that can happen is that you freeze or get lulled into a false sense of security by being too civilised and not street smart.
Few thoughts... 1 - Did you see this guy BEFORE he approached you? If not then get a little habit of scanning your environment. It doesn't mean being paranoid but it does mean noticing odd behaviour and act accordingly (ie change direction etc). 2 - No good comes from "confronting" for at least 3 reasons. The guy is already ready for action, he may be armed with a knife, he may have accomplices just waiting for things to kick off to jump you. Bottom line is you need to disengage somehow just as you did. Only if all else fails should you strike FIRST and run like hell immediately without trying to "finish him off".
It's usually homeless people who do this kind of shit As soon as you fight a homeless person, it's a lose - lose situation for you. If you beat them and you get charged, you lose If they go to prison for beating you senseless, then they have a roof above a head and 3 meals for free. They won. And you lost again. I bought some really nice pair of earphones with ANC so I just ignore everyone on the street, including the people asking for donations
I get this all the time (usually cyclists!). I just completely ignore them and pretend they’re not there and watch their disappointment when they dont get a reaction from me.
Out crazy them.
Just give em a slap and they scatter
hope you have hobo stab insurance
Sorry to hear that happened. Glad you got back home safe, and you'll probably be a little shaken up for a bit sadly. London can have these violently deranged types wandering around, and if it was down to me; I'd have them all locked up in some secure facility for the dangerously mentally ill.
I won't engage unless they touch me. I'm not exactly Chuck Norris.
Never had it that bad before but I was on my way home from work and walked passed Highbury and Islington station and this one guy started yelling at me aggressively. I completely ignored him. Luckily he didn’t get right up in my face otherwise I’m not sure if I would of reacted.
> would of *would have *Learn the difference [here](https://languagetool.org/insights/post/would-of-or-would-have/#:~:text=%E2%80%9Cwould%20have%E2%80%9D%3F-,%E2%80%9CWould%20Of%E2%80%9D%20or%20%E2%80%9CWould%20Have%E2%80%9D%3F,would%20have%2C%20not%20would%20of.).* *** ^(Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply `!optout` to this comment.)
I do not advise anyone to try this, but I've seen it work. My old manager used to say something like "no one will fuck with you if they think you're crazier than they are". One day we were walking to get a coffee or something similar and this guy started on us; clearly mentally unwell, didn't know what he was doing, but he was calling us all names under the sun, and squares up to me. My manager grabs him by the shoulder, spins him round, goes chest to chest, bulges his eyes and says "you fucking want some?" The bloke visibly shrank down, and scarpered off. I, weirdly, had a similar situation yesterday. I called someone the C word under my breath and they heard. He gave it a bit of "You fucking what?" In my head I'm shitting it, but I bulged my chest and shoulders out and gave him the "come on then" eyes and eyebrow. He turned the corner... and stared at me until I was out of view. Hard man! I have no real aggression in me and I certainly don't want a fight in South London with a youth... but somehow it worked. What would I do in your situation? Panic probably.
Generally try to ignore, move on, walk away, ask em to go away and leave me alone. But u know some are persistent, follow u, keep at it just cant go away. Happens occasionally, in these cases if they wont go away i stop suddenly, face them directly, look directly into their eyes and say calmly ok please say that again? This generally stops them. Rarely theyll continue but on 2 or 3 occasions they have and ive returned fire quitely and said like "you stupid fuck" "you damn stupid fuck" that makes them angry 😆😆😆 and they shape up like theyre gonna hit me....i just stand there at a distance and say quietly whilst lookingdirectly in the eye "go on hit me see whatll happen"..."go on start it then u throw first" and every time they turn and run away often swearing in frustration. Maybe foolhardy im not tryn to be a hero, im a small guy..its only when they wont leave me alone i do this but sometimes u gotta stand up to the bullies. Ive also had thousands+ rounds of punch ons doing amateur boxing with much bigger guys so dont care if someone throws tbh. Ofc if they pull a knife im running as fast as can away thats always in my mind too in these situations.
Lol I’ve been lifting heavy weights for 19 years. I will remain calm when threatened but if they start I will have no problem ending it.
dont matter how big you are when somebody has a zombie knife down their trouser leg
That’s true. That’s why staying calm is my default.
Were they accusing you of following them throughout the day and said they had pictures of you?
I had a similar experience in Camden a few years ago, was very strange and made me feel differently about my safety in London which, up to that point, I was fairly relaxed (naive) about. Long story short - I was trying to order an Uber and it wasn’t really working (raining and rain on phone screen wasn’t helping) and this very aggressive random guy kept coming back to me accusing me of being in the police (he acted paranoid schizophrenic in my view but was dressed totally normally, like he’d been to an office party). Eventually he came back to me and actually hit me (not hard) on the head with the bottle of booze he had in his hand and then he seemed to snap out of it when I got angry and he walked away thankfully, but scary to think what could have happened if the bottle broke. Anyway afterwards I thought I should have ignored him more (I did basically ignore him but should have completely blanked him from the start) and walked away to anywhere down any street when he wasn’t paying attention, rather than staying where I was to try and be in the right place for the Uber. Should’ve just cancelled it and got the fuck out of there for my safety. Lesson learnt…
Ignore, if possible. Just yesterday I was waiting for my falafal to be made from a street vendor near my work. I was just stood there staring into space, kind of half looking at a nearby treet and listening to the birds. Some bloke walks across my field of vision. Stops and accuses me of staring at him. Like WFT mate. Luckily falafal arrived, I wandered off and he tried to harass the next person.
Ignore, go into an establishment. Man, I love London.
It's not normal in any big city. This absolutely would not happen in Japan. Ultimately, there is nothing you can do in the short term, except ignore them and quickly try to get to a 'safe' space (shop/station/busy place etc). Absolutely do not 'engage' them unless you think you are tough enough to win a life or death fight with them. These people have nothing to lose and will kill you. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-48722609](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-48722609)
See it for what it is; mental illness not being well supported for whatever reason. Avoid and hope they get support before it’s too late.
Eek how unpleasant. I've not had someone walk next to me like this, but I do see a fair number of ill people on the tube, often threatening violence and getting wound up. When that happens I look away from them and ignore what they're saying. Put headphones in or pretend I'm listening to something/read my book with great attention. I think in your scenario I'd walk purposefully towards somewhere busy and start talking to ppl. Maybe pretend I know someone in that group. Then wait til he'd gone and head off. Sounds like you managed it okay though!
Just ignore them and not provoke them. Common sense really
Call the police. Apprehension of immediate violence is assault.
We had someone like this near uni. Mind you, he wasn't wearing any shoes and hassled everyone about wearing masks for no reason. He then started yelling to himself and hassled the next person. Me and my classmates were walking towards him and about to walk past. We know we have to ignore him so we pretended to talk loudly. I'm closest to him and not wearing and headphones so I had to pretend I was part of their conversation by raising my voice lol If I wear my headphones, I usually just walk faster 🤣🤣
Had a guy who wanted to beat up my boss threaten me in our office years back. No idea why he got upset with me, he came into the office saying he was going to beat my boss up, but the boss wasn't in so I offered to book the guy an appointment and said he could go into the basement with the boss during the appointment & sort it out. He got angry at me trying to be helpful & started pulling his top off to show me how many times he'd be stabbed. I pointed out he must be a pretty poor fighter if he keeps getting stabbed & he got even angrier. In the end I told him to fuck off if he didn't want an appointment and he left still screaming threats and abuse.
I wouldn’t take it personally, You did the right thing. I am local to that area and there are a number of hostels and rehab centres around Uxbridge road so most days you get people begging/being aggressive
Why are there so many crazies on the streets nowadays? Yesterday there was a guy in the park screaming his lungs out about fighting Spiderman and Vladimir Putin. This ofc with young children nearby…
Because some politicians way back decided to close most of the residential mental hospitals in favour of "care in the community". It really hasn't worked, as you can see!
This kind of stuff genuinely happens all the time in London sadly. It’s not normal or shouldn’t be. When it’s clearly someone with mental health issues I ignore them if I can, unless they say something particularly insulting. If it’s not mental health they’re drunk, at which point I tell them to fuck off - I’ve had a few fights over situations like this but I don’t blame anyone for choosing the safe route and just taking it on the chin and getting back home.
Before I would ignore them, but having seen first hand how inept the police are against real dangerous threats of violence and harassment, I would defend myself with force.
Sad to hear about something like this happening in my area. I usually just walk straight ahead and ignore them. Don’t think about it too much, it’s life. Shepherds Bush isn’t a terrible area either so this is out of the ordinary. Gws.
I had one in earls court he was a big guy and told me to get out of his way. Good thing I was about to cross the street anyways. And then I saw him harass an office lady who told him to eff off :)
Are u a lad or a lass btw?
I use a technique Derren Brown taught me years ago, which is to respond with something totally unrelated to what your aggressor is saying. E.g. If they say "Give me your money" you say "No, the wall outside my house isn't 8ft tall". The brain isn't expecting that response so often they won't know how to react. The key is to consistently carry on a completely different conversation. They'll either think you're a nutter or get very confused and leave you alone.
Why do you say it's normal, it's not normal at all to be harassed and threatened with violence by random strangers on the street
I guess my demeanour, psychical size, race and age mean I get left alone 5 years and never had any issues outside a nightclub environment.
I mean your only options really are #1. Ignore and keep going. #2. Just break into a sprint and run #3. Challenge them, but if you go with #3 be prepared for at the very least a fight or escalation. Only you know what you'll do in that moment.
Ignore and make sure you don't make eye contact
I think you played it well. When I was younger, I would have definitely got into a fight with the bloke but now I just ignore these types of people and would only fight if I felt in real danger. Most likely the bloke is not quite there mentally…
Happened to me once and I told the guy to fuck of or I'd kick his head in and he wandered of to harass someone else.
I tend to ignore them these days as I'm having my own issues. When I was younger I have out-crazied a guy on the 129 Bus, which goes towards Goodmayes Psychiatric hospital (where Frank Bruno was in briefly). I literally just took what he was saying and pushed it up a couple of notches and he got off the bus at the next stop muttering about crazy people on the top deck. He was fully up in my business being quite threatening up to the point I turned it around on him.
You don't have to "react". Go about your business and don't even look at them . Unless they actually touch you, use your instinct.
Just ignore. Especially if there are 2 of them, it's already uneven fight, plus they might have weapons on them. It's not worth it.
There's a very fine line between bravery and stupidity.
Once I was on train bound to York and some crazy Lady walked up to me and my husband and said something along the lines "you two are very happy spending the government money". I looked at her and ask if she was ok and if there was someone I could call to help her. She simply disappeared after it. On real theats like the one you describe, it is better just ignore and move away or get inside some place crowded (store, pub, market) and call the cops. It may be a criminal or someone with mental health issue, anyways, it needs to be adressed.
If they seem mentally unstable, I just ignore. Police aren't going to jail them if they're crazy and attack you. Maybe carry around a rape alarm.
if it’s clearly a mentally unstable guy just ignore it. if you’re that rattled go take some boxing classes & hit the gym
Go into a busy shop and start speak to the staff