Pete,
I feel for you i really do. Unfortunatley it is all too common place these days and as someone once said words similar to "Evil thrives when good men stand by and do nothing."
In this day and age you can all but forget about other good people stepping in to assist you in such circumstances. We have all become very secular and in my opinion this is why such behaviour breeds because collectivley we don't stand up to these sorry excuses for humanity.
In days gone by several men of good character who may have been in line for the ride probably with their families would have rallied around despite being strangers and left these scumbags in no doubt that should they continue in their behaviour it would be painful for them.
In this day and age there is a distinct lack of respect for anything even families with children.
It is always the same with these types they have to show off in front of their peers each trying to outdo the other to gain some level of moronic respect from their mates. Get em on their own and generally they are absolute no bodies that would not say boo to a goose for fear of getting a good shoeing they use the old chestnut of safety in numbers to do as they please without fear of being challenged.
I should not be ashamed to admit being afraid because this is what these shit heads are trying to do anyway intimidate and put fear into people.
I as you know deal with this sort of crap every day and i have a uniform on i still feel afraid lots of times in similar circumstances even though i am a stocky(some would say fat
) 6ft 3ins tall.
It is human nature nobody wants to get hurt and 3 to 1 are not good odds in anyones book.
You will get the bravado brigade that start up with well i would have taken them on and sorted em out etc etc in reality that is unlikely to have been their course of action.
Chin up mate they will get whats coming maybe not from you but if they carry on like that someone in a better position to realign their attitude may well do so.
I think people are afraid to act these days be it as an individual or a group for fear of repercussions from our barmy laws and insistence on investigating matters were the perpertrators ( in this case these 3 shits) get a kicking for an incident they created.
Wouldn't it be great if we could go back to a time when such behaviour would not be tolerated by the public at large and you knew if you stepped out of line everyone from the shopkeeper to the passerby would jump on your behaviour and force you to stop if need be without fear of prosecution.