What Would You Have Done?

I was just in a situation today and I'm wondering if I overreacted or not...

I was with my three kids at the park along with my mom (their grandma). The kids were playing and we were having a great time. There was a rowdy bunch playing basketball, at least 13 guys who seemed to be about 16/17. Well, the ball went on to the playground and one of the guys asked if I could give him the ball... I've posted about this before- I hate sports, I know nothing about sports, and I always get hit in the head..... So this guy is asking a lot from me... I was about to tell him some back story about me and sports but I held back. Also, him and I were about the same distance from the ball. I wasn't right next to it or anything.. I had to walk to it, and then, I kicked the ball. He gave me an angry look... then muttered under his breath, "Bitch" but still loud enough for me to hear.... Apparently I missed the memo, but I guess you're not supposed to kick basketballs? Again, I'm not into sports.

So I replied back, "Why don't you get your own ball next time, you lazy fuck..." Then all of his friends started talking "smack" lol..and I ended up saying, "Have fun in prison, that's your future." Then they threatened to throw their ball at me and my kids..yeah. That was it, I called the police. I used to go to this park when I was little and lots of kids would be there. Now it seems only people go play basketball there and think they own the park. I'm asking myself if I should have just been passive, let the comment roll off my back, and be the bigger (wo)man. I like standing up when I see an in-justice though... This thug shouldn't be harassing people, so I felt I should say something. I guess I could have spoken to him more calmly and lectured him (I was at least 10 yrs older), but I guess I stooped to his level in a language he would understand... A park is supposed to be a place where kids can have fun and feel safe, they've ruined this..

So what would you have done?

 

He started shit, obviously, with his comment - but you escalated it, and not in a very meaningful or constructive way - it's hard to be complaining about his considerably more mild language, when you seem to be guilty of considerably more.

As for threatening to throw a basketball at you, well, come on now...... they're kids. Immature, but shows the level this was all on.

As far as the cops, well that's a sure way to make everyone's lives worse.... I don't see that they did anything worthy of prison, or even of a police encounter. In a perfect world, the cop would say son, go home and don't leave until tomorrow, and that would be it, but in our world, they could easily shoot a kid..... or even one of your family.... that's how they handle things. I generally don't agree with involving police, in the context we live in.


Bottom line is, it's people's right to be assholes; his, and yours. It's not your right to be violent. I don't think there's any very satisfying way to conclude that situation, without resorting to violence.

If you're asking for advice on violence, teach them how to play with a wooden baseball bat :beatnik: (.....don't really).

 

I do think they need a police encounter... a la scared straight.... And starting fights with people now as a young adult, I don't think prison is a far fetched future for him/them as an adult...
Threatening to throw things at a grandmother, mom, a baby, and two toddlers is not cool.... and yes, I was scared, there were 13 guys.... I don't think these kinds of thugs should be in a park where young children are.

 

Also, I wasn't asking really for people to analyze what I did.. I was curious what others would have done

 

Sat on the bench and said "I can't reach it from here, man."

 

popped a cap in his ass

 

Also, I'm not proud of how I handled it, that's why I'm analyzing the situation myself... it just makes me angry when people are rude or disrespectful.. If I would have said, "let me talk to you for a minute" and told him he shouldn't be calling people names, I think he would have laughed in my face and continued playing basketball. The whole incident ruined my day, and is making me feel sick to my stomach.

 

not enough information really. i tend to be pretty friendly to most people, so unless i had a good reason not to i probably would have just tossed the guy's ball back to him. of course, if he started making a habit of expecting me to pick up after him, that would have changed things.

now, in an ideal world i would have gone and cut off the basketball poles at their base. basketball is not a particularly fun sport in the first place, and for some inexplicable reason, it seems to either attract shitty people, or create them. so even though i like sports, i would love to get rid of this particular sport. but that's not what i would have done, at least partially because if i was in the park with my mom and 3 kids, i probably wouldn't have brought along any sort of cutting device capable of sawing through a large metal pole.

 

lol... I imagined myself doing this in the middle of the night, or at least taking the nets

 

Well, that sucks. I am sorry you went through all of that. I am not sure what I would have done...but I hate rude people, confrontations, etc...and go out of my way to avoid them, if I can.

 

A Chief once told me "It's not a fight tell you react"
I usually think about what the fight will do, meaning will it help anyone.
But stooping to their level did nothing for anyone.

 

If I heard bitch under breath...I may have under breathed bastard.

 

Well, I hope it maybe at least did something... like given him something to think about... "That chick sees my future in prison, maybe I should start acting differently... "

 

axle grease the court if you want to be nasty
dish soap the court if you want to be funny

 

ha ha... don't give me any ideas... I'm almost 30 now.... I would if I was 16...

 

No need to escalate things that fast.

"...I've got my yellow cat, and my wooden baseball bat, and my shiny silver gat...."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkJEiuYUiSg


And again, about what I would have done, I would have not called the police. Police encounters don't set people strait, they send people to prison for decades for silly things like what happens to be in their pocket as they speak to the gestapo - or, they get people shot, including wholly innocent people. If you want him scared strait, it would literally be in his best interest to beat him the fuck up, instead of calling the cops. Him, you, or anyone else could end up dead. Keep cops away from your friends, and away from your enemies.

 

that's a great idea. I have a lot of axle grease, but unfortunately I have no basketball-playing enemies.

 

I was thinking carpet cement would be better... Kind'a like human fly paper..

 

i Would have picked up the ball to save myself embarrassment and walked it over and handed to him.

 

Kinda like breathing mustard and a tick sucking your ear