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Better work stories

by Whaleoil on September 26, 2012

Yesterday was a shit….mostly for other reasons, but I will share this interesting start to my day.

As I was driving off to visit my Mum in the hospice I drove down Stancombe Road in Flat Bush. As I drove past a bus stop I notice a young woman running towards it being chased by a bloke. He caught up with her and then arms and legs started flailing. I quickly jammed on the brakes screeching my tires and wound down my wind and yelled at the guy assaulting the young woman.

He looked up and made out like this was a boyfriend/girlfriend type dispute going on, but the fact is he was hitting this woman so I yelled at him to “f*ck off”. He didn’t. So I got out of my vehicle and at that point the coward decided to leg it.

The woman had run up to the bus stop where there were about 8 or 9 other people standing gawping. She was clearly distressed and her belongings were strewn up the footpath. The other people at the bus stop got ont he bus leaving this woman distressed. I had a choice to make…look after her or catch the coward…he had run down the road and legged it into Barry Curtis Park.

I opted to look after the woman. SHe was a young university student and had parked her car just down the road to catch the bus into town to attend university.

The guy who assaulted her was unknown to her and had attempted to steal her cellphone. She had fought back and that was what I had noticed with all the flailing of arms and legs. She was however quite slight and running was probably the best option for her.

The attacker wasn’t a runt, but neither was he big enough to make me want to think about having a crack at him. If the woman hadn’t been so distraught I would have.

While calming her down I called the Police. They arrived in force, with dogs, and I understand the Police helicopter was dispatched as well…I doubt this guy would have got out of the park before the Police arrived. I cannot fault the Police for the way they handled the situation and responded.

Eventually I gave a statement and then went on about my business…but that was certainly an interesting start to the day.

I hope the young woman is ok now, I don’t know her name or any other details other than those given. No doubt the Police looked after her properly. I hope they caught the bad prick.

Tagged: • •

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  • Goldie

    Good on you for helping. And good on the girl for having the courage to fight back.

  • Orange

    A lot of people watch stuff happen and go on with their lives. Just a few step up and make a difference. Well done.

    • blokeintakapuna

      I guess since that good samaritan who was stabbed to death helping a woman out has kinda made people think twice before trying to help?
      Good on ya though Mr. WO – shame you couldn’t have got a picture of him to post on here though…

      • Neil

        No – it’s been happening longer than that. I’ve been in WO’s situation myself more times than I should on my own – good on you WO fantastic choice – let the cops deal to him – she was there and needed help more!!

  • Morgy

    Dirty piece of shit! Nice work Cam. A quality act.

  • Magor

    Thank you for being an upstanding citizen Cam!

  • Orange

    This forum this isn’t recording comments very well at the moment.

    As before:
    Most people watch stuff happening around them and do nothing.
    Just a few step up and act to help others. Well done.

    Sure beats my work story about stupid writing.

  • Orange

    Test

  • Vlad

    Good on you. Deeds and words!

  • GregM

    Good work dude. Awesome.

  • Richard

    Cam. Is there any way the comments ‘dot’ can be put at the bottom of a story rather than at the top, as it would stop a lot of scrolling.

    Well done yesterday with the action you took.

  • Dave

    It’s refreshing ti know there are still people who are willing to help in today’s world Cam. Great work perhaps it’s a new mening to the term the Whale Army and more should follow your example and post on here. Is there room for a “deed of the day” or “pay it forward” sectio?

  • jabba

    Flat Bush will be an interesting place in a few years

  • Kimbo

    “No doubt the Police looked after her properly. I hope they caught the bad prick.”

    And I hope someone has enough sense to pin a Police 5 badge on your lapel real sson.

    Well done, Cam!

  • Andrewo

    Clearly this poor bloke was suffering in welfare poverty and ‘needed’ her cellphone in order to seek work and thus improve his self-esteem. Obviously this is the govrnments fault.
    Kidding – the bastard should be flogged. Hope they put a dog on him

    • Tom

      A police dog in a wound-up state is a scary thing indeed, or so I’m told..

  • Drea

    Well done Cam. It’s good know there are still people out there willing to stand up to thugs and help another human being. It’s good to know there are still a few heros left out there It’s shame more people don’t do it, but i can understand why they don’t, you never know if the twat is armed or not.

  • kiwidon

    Well done Cam!

  • Richard McGrath

    Bravo, Cam. I hope they catch the turd.

  • busman

    good stuff cam

    • farmboy

      good on ya

  • Michael

    Wouldn’t expect anything else from a decent bloke like yourself Cam.

    If those gawpers didn’t want to get involved they could’ve just ring 111 – an assault was in progress so Police would’ve responded urgently (as a person or property was endangered and the offender was present.) But just one person yelling made the offender run off.

    I had a similar experience last year, some guy out cold by the bus stop on a main road, no one stopped and checked on him until my wife pointed him out to me. Couldn’t rouse him so called an ambulance. He might still be there if no one else cared.

  • A-random-reader

    Well done. You made the right decisions. I am impressed that you got involved.

    I am sorry to hear your Mum is so unwell. I am sure she would be proud of what you did.

  • Zephyr Cobalt

    “Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They’re just
    braver 5 minutes longer.” ― Ronald
    Reagan

    Cam, I salute your bravery and compassion.

  • Random66

    Fortunately for this young woman you were right where you needed to be at that moment. I can just imagine you hanging out the window giving him one of your best “f.. off’s” Hope your mum is doing as well as can be. I’m sure she was proud of you.

  • Mitch82

    Good job, Cam. Seriously not worth chasing the piece of shit. The girl was safe when you came along, not worth getting stabbed doing the job of the police.

    I hope you were recognized by people who did nothing and got on the bus – maybe they’ll come here to read about it and be rightfully ashamed.

  • Steve (North Shore)

    NFWAB
    Obvious the coward already knew that

  • fozzie

    There is an angel in there after all ….

  • OldMichael

    Good on you. Another reason to have a permanent “dash cam” in your car – apparently people in Russia have started doing it to get the facts to their insurers after an accident. The footage may have included our lowlife, especially if the camera mount could easily be swivelled as you got out of the car.

  • Bunswalla

    Skills

  • Bob

    Let’s hope the police dogs caught up with this coward and managed to administer some community justice. I honestly think the jaws of those beautiful canines are the most effective punishment, and deterrent, we have in our pathetic excuse for a judicial system.

  • Mr_Blobby

    One of our businesses is in that area do you have a description of the offender. Probably a silly question, as there is a big block of housing corp housing there with a lot of deadbeats hanging around with no jobs.

  • pukakidon

    Good on you Whale, it takes a good deal of self discipline, moral fortitude and empathy to react in that manner.

  • Adolf Fiinkensein

    I regret to report a young Dutchman intervened to help someone being bashed the other night here in Gawler. He too was bashed and died three days later.

  • greg e.

    Nicely done Cam. Good work.

  • fozzie

    “As I was driving off to visit my Mum in the hospice”
    Cam – there is much that often divides up – but there is more that binds us – love to you your Mum and you family as you travel on this journey.

  • http://www.mandm.org.nz Madeleine Flannagan

    Well done Cam :-)

  • Justme

    Excellent! We need more kiwi’s like you.

  • http://elephanza.blogspot.co.nz/ Duncan Brown

    Cam, Ur da Man, you could have just driven on, and forever wondered what happened… I look forward to the follow-up :-)

  • Troy

    Psychologists have apparently done a lot of research on why people are prepared to stand by and watch others in distress without doing anything about it. Mostly its because the event doesn’t effect them thus they don’t want to be involved. There are plenty of other reasons but the whole theory becomes debunked because bystanders would be the first to see help from other bystanders if they were in distress. Human nature is fucked sometimes.

  • phronesis

    Surprised no one has pointed out that if Cam had caught the little shit and possibly injured him in any way during the process, Cam would now be wondering if HE would be facing charges. The cops actively discourage intervening in crimes in progress and have threatened to charge the victim of the crime on more than one occasion. If it had been a young bloke getting mugged I wouldn’t have intervened.

  • rightoverlabour

    now if you were allowed to carry a .38, you would have been able to stop the low life and help the woman.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Phil-T-Tipp/100003227683747 Phil T Tipp

    As we can’t legally cart pocket-shooters around, and shivs are not scary unless you’re actually gonna use ‘em – then hand-to-hand is the best way to defend ourselves (and those weaker than ourselves – and for that, WO, bravo) against the bully, assailant and thug.

    I can heartily recommend Krav Maga. Easy to learn and remember – those gross motor skills will not desert you when faced with the real possibility of being on the receiving end of actual, real-life violence. Krav will give you the confidence to do what our dear WO did, and leave the safety of the car, wade into someone else’s situation and prevail.

    If the young lady in question had been in possession of the skills to defend herself, and the mental toughness to ‘really’ fight back (well done to her too, for not giving in), that attacker might now be nursing the bloody spot where his front teeth once resided, thinking twice about picking on someone else in the same manner.

    Go and find out about a Krav class near you.

    Peace out, people.

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