23 January 2007
Real World: How Jaded We've Become...
How do you know when you've become desensitized to the insanity pervading our planet? When you write something like this in a mobile IM conversation [punctuation and spelling are approximated, as if it were being put into a phone]:
Is this an example of where our modern world - or perhaps the "24 hour news" - is leading us?
In any case.. this guy had two baseball bats - one wooden (like a Louisville Slugger - regulation-size), and one aluminum (like a softball bat). He charged the bus through the front door, ran to the back (past me, with one of his bats in the air!), and confronted two men in the back. They - like I - thought he was nuts; however, they said it to his face. Luckily - though he smacked his aluminum bat on the floor a couple of times - he left without actually battering someone.
My thoughts? From a tactical standpoint, the guy was an idiot. My guess is, untold numbers of bus riders are packing heat; even more probably have knives. Any one of these guys could have sent this guy to a six-palmbearer jury - possibly justifiably.
In addition, wielding two bats is - in my opinion - incredibly stupid. Using one, it can be used either as a club (which is how most people think of a baseball bat, when it's employed as a weapon), or as a quarterstaff. Staffs are very versatile - both ends can be used, as well as the center to parry.
Wielding two bats, he not only looks like a psycho, but an imbecile as well - it means each one can only be used as a club. When used in such a manner, they are far less effective with one hand - which is how he would have had to use them.
Then there's another blunder - he dropped the aluminum bat. It was actually within my grasp range - I could have grabbed it, if I wanted to.
However, this another situation where the advice of Maj. Kira Nerys (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) saved my butt:
How do you know when you've become desensitized to the insanity pervading our planet? When you write something like this in a mobile IM conversation [punctuation and spelling are approximated, as if it were being put into a phone]:
Sorry for the delay- some nutjob came on the bus with two baseball bats. He wanted to beat someone up- I had to drop things, thought it might be a robbery. Its ok thou, hes gone now.I realized exactly how odd that sounded about 10 minutes after saying it; I had dismissed a potentially dangerous situation, as if it were just another traffic jam on the Interstate!
Is this an example of where our modern world - or perhaps the "24 hour news" - is leading us?
In any case.. this guy had two baseball bats - one wooden (like a Louisville Slugger - regulation-size), and one aluminum (like a softball bat). He charged the bus through the front door, ran to the back (past me, with one of his bats in the air!), and confronted two men in the back. They - like I - thought he was nuts; however, they said it to his face. Luckily - though he smacked his aluminum bat on the floor a couple of times - he left without actually battering someone.
My thoughts? From a tactical standpoint, the guy was an idiot. My guess is, untold numbers of bus riders are packing heat; even more probably have knives. Any one of these guys could have sent this guy to a six-palmbearer jury - possibly justifiably.
In addition, wielding two bats is - in my opinion - incredibly stupid. Using one, it can be used either as a club (which is how most people think of a baseball bat, when it's employed as a weapon), or as a quarterstaff. Staffs are very versatile - both ends can be used, as well as the center to parry.
Wielding two bats, he not only looks like a psycho, but an imbecile as well - it means each one can only be used as a club. When used in such a manner, they are far less effective with one hand - which is how he would have had to use them.
Then there's another blunder - he dropped the aluminum bat. It was actually within my grasp range - I could have grabbed it, if I wanted to.
However, this another situation where the advice of Maj. Kira Nerys (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) saved my butt:
"The best way to survive a knife fight, is to never get into one in the first place."On a larger scope, as far as I'm concerned, this is a mantra for modern life. ¶ 1/23/2007 04:56:00 PM
