I don't think the old guy is equally at fault but in response to your question yes I would sit there and do my best to ignore it. There really is nothing to be gained by randomly getting in a pissing match with some random person on the bus. Also one thing I have learned is that you can never judge just by looks how well they can fight plus there are so many unknowns in street fight that you can never guarentee how it would turn out. One more thing is that I try and would hope that any of my loved ones wouldn't do something so stupid as start pressing somebody, particularly a black man, about getting a shoe shine.
It is pretty obvious from the vid that the little guy is the one who brought up shoe shining prior to the camera being turned on.
Who gives a crap how someone fights...I'll gladly be beaten to a bloody pulp if it meant trying to defend my gf, daughter, or mother. Fact of the matter is that the black dude started the physical confrontation...and the white dude is not at fault for fighting back.
I can't quite understand what was being said but from the transcripts it sounds like the old guy thought the other guy had said something about a shoe shine and then the old guy kept on pressing him about it when that wasn't what the other guy had said.
Defend from what? From some random idiot jawing at them? Don't you think your family would rather see you healthy than in a bloody heap, in jail or both. If a loved one was being physically assaulted yes I would physically defend them but just having someone jaw at them that is a different matter.
Its not about them wanting or not wanting to see me get my ass kicked...its about trying to protect them from someone who has physically put their hands on them. You dont just sit there and not do something about it. EDIT My only point in all this is that the white dude had every right to get physical after that initial punch was thrown. Yes, both him and the black guy were responsible for the verbal argument, but one man turned this into something it shouldnt have been.
From the transcripts it sounds like he is pressing him and only admits to a misunderstanding when they guy accuses him or racism and then the misunderstanding he is admitting to is that it is about race. Not whether the other guy offered to shine his shoes. As I said earlier I can agree with durvasa that they are initially both at fault but once the old guy walks away everything at that point falls on the other guy.
So if we got into a heated argument and I punched you, then you'd be at fault because you were arguing with me?...after all, you escalated the situation. Anytime 2 people get into an argument it should be okay for one guy to sucker punch the other...I mean, why not? They'll both get equal blame anyway... That makes no sense...the person that escalated it to physical from verbal is the one who couldn't control his impulses and will be found at fault...especially if the 2 are arguing/threatening each other about the same degree. I usually agree with most of the stuff you say durvasa, but this is easily the most irrational position I've ever seen you take on the board...having a bad day?
^what about "EGGING YOU ON to beat his WHITE *SS!" ?? But Luis Scola DID hit that ball of the JAZZhole's hands first. burvasa was right on that one.
