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- May 31, 2016
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There are several mulberry trees not far from our house. Maybe a 2-3 minute bike ride. I noticed that it's the time of the year that the trees grow fruit so of course I decide to stop on my way home to pick some right on the side of the road.
After about a half hour of berry picking, this guy drives up in a suped up blue classic sports car with white racing stripes. He sits there idling for about ten seconds so of course I'm thinking he's got a problem with me already.
I walk over to see if it's his property and if I might be bugging him. (I was on the literal side of the road and there weren't any houses directly in front of me, just wilderness. Though there are some on the opposite side of the street.)
As soon as I walk over to the driver's side he goes "You're not supposed to be here." Not in a friendly manner either to say the least.
To which I replied: "I'm just picking some berries." Whilst showing him my obviously berry stained hands.
He gets even more agitated and doesn't believe me. "Oh yeah? Where do you live?!."
"Down the street by the monastery." I say.
Again he says, "You don't belong here. You don't live on this street you don't belong here. Now get!"
So I ask him if it's his property and if I'm bugging him. It wasn't but that didn't stop him.
"Do I need to make you!?" He gets super threatening and I've been polite and courteous the whole time despite his disposition.
At this point I'm a little ticked at his actions because I have done nothing wrong. I was practically in the road picking berries and here he is all high and mighty demanding that I leave like I just stole his horse or something. (Remember, I'm not technically on anyone's land. If it does belong to anyone it's the city as I was on their road.)
"Try me." I say, still crouched over to talk to him but not in any way threatening.
This is where it gets bad.
He Immediately tries to punch me in the throat or nose to which I barely avoid by nearly stumbling over myself. He then gets out of the sports car and continues to advance towards me with me backing up the entire time.
"You don't belong here." He says at least twice while digging in his pocket to produce a mechanical pencil. Still continuing to advance despite my raised palms declaring that I don't want anything to do with a fight, he holds the pencil as if he means to stab me in the jugular.
We were about fifteen feet from his car when he backed off. Must have seen his neighbor/friend coming. This neighbor saved me from whatever might have happened.
I did not know anyone was coming and planned on leaving obviously so I call back my shoulder: "I'm sure killing a guy over some berries isn't the best way to go."
The neighbor/friend pulled up in his black truck and inquired about what was going on. The man that advancing on me said that there was going to be a problem and that I was scoping out the neighborhood. Again I showed the neighbor my berry stained hands and explained what I was doing. He informed me that the man in the sports car had recently had things stolen from his yard as was on edge. This calmed the waters a bit, but after the neighbor/friend left and I was already heading back after apologizing the guy goes "I'm an ex-vet with PTST! You better stay the hell away from here! You don't live on this street you don't belong here!"
He then gets in his sports car and takes off.
That is not an acceptable way of handling any situation regardless of what happened in your past. I treated him as an equal and never raised my voice. Perhaps he was having a bad day but it certainly didn't make me feel any better about society.
I'm a big supporter vets that stand for our rights however this experience has greatly undermined my trust in people.
Now I'm curious, what would you have done had you been in my shoes?
After about a half hour of berry picking, this guy drives up in a suped up blue classic sports car with white racing stripes. He sits there idling for about ten seconds so of course I'm thinking he's got a problem with me already.
I walk over to see if it's his property and if I might be bugging him. (I was on the literal side of the road and there weren't any houses directly in front of me, just wilderness. Though there are some on the opposite side of the street.)
As soon as I walk over to the driver's side he goes "You're not supposed to be here." Not in a friendly manner either to say the least.
To which I replied: "I'm just picking some berries." Whilst showing him my obviously berry stained hands.
He gets even more agitated and doesn't believe me. "Oh yeah? Where do you live?!."
"Down the street by the monastery." I say.
Again he says, "You don't belong here. You don't live on this street you don't belong here. Now get!"
So I ask him if it's his property and if I'm bugging him. It wasn't but that didn't stop him.
"Do I need to make you!?" He gets super threatening and I've been polite and courteous the whole time despite his disposition.
At this point I'm a little ticked at his actions because I have done nothing wrong. I was practically in the road picking berries and here he is all high and mighty demanding that I leave like I just stole his horse or something. (Remember, I'm not technically on anyone's land. If it does belong to anyone it's the city as I was on their road.)
"Try me." I say, still crouched over to talk to him but not in any way threatening.
This is where it gets bad.
He Immediately tries to punch me in the throat or nose to which I barely avoid by nearly stumbling over myself. He then gets out of the sports car and continues to advance towards me with me backing up the entire time.
"You don't belong here." He says at least twice while digging in his pocket to produce a mechanical pencil. Still continuing to advance despite my raised palms declaring that I don't want anything to do with a fight, he holds the pencil as if he means to stab me in the jugular.
We were about fifteen feet from his car when he backed off. Must have seen his neighbor/friend coming. This neighbor saved me from whatever might have happened.
I did not know anyone was coming and planned on leaving obviously so I call back my shoulder: "I'm sure killing a guy over some berries isn't the best way to go."
The neighbor/friend pulled up in his black truck and inquired about what was going on. The man that advancing on me said that there was going to be a problem and that I was scoping out the neighborhood. Again I showed the neighbor my berry stained hands and explained what I was doing. He informed me that the man in the sports car had recently had things stolen from his yard as was on edge. This calmed the waters a bit, but after the neighbor/friend left and I was already heading back after apologizing the guy goes "I'm an ex-vet with PTST! You better stay the hell away from here! You don't live on this street you don't belong here!"
He then gets in his sports car and takes off.
That is not an acceptable way of handling any situation regardless of what happened in your past. I treated him as an equal and never raised my voice. Perhaps he was having a bad day but it certainly didn't make me feel any better about society.
I'm a big supporter vets that stand for our rights however this experience has greatly undermined my trust in people.
Now I'm curious, what would you have done had you been in my shoes?
