This topic is about when you see some bad shit going down and whether or not you do anything about it.

I'm talking on a really small scale here, not trying to save the world. For example one time I saw this guy screaming at a little boy as I was walking down the street and I am totally ashamed to say I walked on by. A few minutes later this guy had punched the boy and I heard him scream so I ran back up but the guy was gone and the little boy had a black eye. I kind stuck with him and looked for the guy or whatever for a while afterwards but I was just trying to make up for it, he was long gone.

Anyway I have felt really guilty about this since it happened and I decided that I can't be okay with myself if I let that kind of thing happen when I could intervene again. There have been events before it when I didn't even consider that I should try to help, and it sucks that I was one of those guys.

My example wasn't the most extreme I've heard of and probably not the most extreme I've seen but it was the one where I realised what I was doing by walking on by. I think that the next time I see something like this I'm going to be able to step in, and man I hope I'm not just talking here cos this is one of those things which determine whether or not you are a waste of space. 

Anyway I think this could be an interesting topic if people tell everyone some excellent stores where the bad guy lost along with the less cool times that you ran away.

I think I've always more or less done what you've done. I walk by, even though I know something is probably wrong.

But the thing is, I only do this on my own time. If I am at work, it's my duty and my job to check that sort of thing out, so yeah..

I've never stopped anything before or intervened, but one time I wish I had at least done something. It was like 11:30 and I was walking past a Walmart, and there was a guy and girl in the parking lot who were clearly upset at each other. When the girl went to go away, the guy almost hit her with his car. I wish I had a cellphone when I saw that, because I probably would've called the police.

Generally speaking I always try to do something, whether or not it's just calling someone who can help or directly intervening. Though, it hasn't happened very much. I think I helped a lost kid find his mom at the mall once.

I don't know. Intervening in a potentially violent situation can prove to cause more trouble than you'd think. It would be an easy shift from trying to prevent agression to beconing the target of it. I would think that the best thing to do would be to inconspicously hang around and subtly let them know that you are watching, so that someone whose temper may get the best of them has to think twice before he does anything rash, in a situation like that.

Otherwise, you don't need a reason to help people. :p

I have done something, too, I wouldn't call it heroic though either.

        I was walking home from a friends, and on the way I had to pass close by some woods, with a playground next to it. It was kinda secluded, you could see it if you were looking, anyway nobody was around besides me. Until I got closer, I walked by the chain-link fence (surrounding the playground) going along the path to the exit of the little patch of woods. Anyway, I looked in and seen this, to be honest, dirty gentlemen in his mid-40's talking to 2 kids that had to be in grade 2 or 3 at least. First, I thought "PEDOOOOO LOL"

       Then I really though about it, and wondered if he was. I watched him, and instead of walking along the path to exit, I circled around the parameter of just watching him talk to these 2 kids, I didn't want to rush in and yell or something, he could've been their dad or something, i didnt know. Anyway soon he knelt down and was like given the kids stuff, it was like the classic "dont take shit from strangers", so I go back to the entrance, and just walked into the playground. I kept looking at him, trying not to make eye contact (I had my ipod headphones in, but it was paused so i could hear). I sat on a swing like 20 or so feet away and I could hear him.

He looked over at me, I glanced away, and I heard him say

"shh boys I have to leave" or something like that

Anyway he took whatever he gave them back, and just walked out of the playground..

The kids kinda just stayed there, and started playing. I asked them on my way out if they knew that man, and they said "no we just met him" something like that. That really freaked me out. I stuck around the woods until the kids left, just to be sure the guy didnt come back. Who knows what have might happened.

Well I don't think I would intervene directly in all situations.
I remember seeing a tall guy, maybe like 24 years old trying to pick a fight, like aggressively pushing and slapping a fat 16 year old kid. I walked to him screaming (in french, something that goes about lik​ What the fuck are you doing? Hes like 16 years old, get the fuck out!". The guy stared at me and like said they were just "playing", something the kid obviously really didn't agree with.

But honestly, I mean, reacting to a scene like that is nothing of being a hero or anything. I mean, apart from the bully being unusually old, thats almost a common scene. An adult picking on a fat teenager doesn't really come off as dangerous, just some sort of aggressive but cowardly dude whose on a bad day. If hed like turn against me and began pushing me around, I wouldnt like FIGHT HIM or anything, id prolly try to talk him out of it.
But if the fight was like, between two adults? Like say a guy trying to mug a lady? Or many people targeting a single guy? I have absolutely no idea how id react. I cant just stay there and do nothing!
What I think someone SHOULD do is like, scream HEY to get their attention and then run for help, making sure theyre aware youve seen them and are going to call the cops or get help.

Im saying this now but if it actually happened, id prolly be too terrified to do anything and just walk by. Maybe that if it happens at a pretty dark place far off from the public, theyd decide to try and run after me and catch me before I can get help! or at least its probably what id be scared of. Unless I actually get in this situation I cant say how id react.

snitches get stiches