Status Anxiety
In which my efforts to be a defender of the weak against criminals go awry
What are the limits of our obligations as members of society? Should we intervene when we witness a violent crime taking place? Do those of us with large families to support get a free pass? Or should we disregard our personal circumstances and simply apply the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would be done by? Most of us like to think we would do the right thing, but few of us know how we would actually react in a situation like this. It is a test none of us wish to take.
A couple of months ago, I was watching Newsnight in the sitting-room of my house in Shepherd’s Bush when I heard what sounded like a cry for help just outside the window. I opened the blind and there it was — the ultimate test. Two large black youths appeared to be sexually assaulting a middle-aged white woman in the middle of the street.
I immediately closed the blind, hoping they had not spotted me. What if they kill her and then feel obliged to dispose of the only witness? Then I thought: hang on a minute. If they are about to kill her, and I am currently in a position to prevent it, will I be able to live with myself if I stand by and do nothing? I have to do something.
I ran to the front door and opened it. My eyes hadn’t deceived me. Two young men were indeed attacking a middle-aged woman. To my immense relief, I noticed that my neighbour — an elderly, working-class woman — had also opened her door and was accompanied by her two grown-up sons. They were huge, much bigger than me. If I was going to have to intervene, at least I would not be alone.
As soon as the woman saw us, she reached out her hands and let out a plaintive cry: ‘Help me, please. They’re going to kill me.’
I turned to my neighbours: ‘Come on, let’s help her.’
‘Nah, mate,’ said the taller of the two men. ‘Best not to get involved. One of ’em could ’ave a knife.’
He was right, of course, but at this point I had already decided to do something: I had made the decision when I had opened my front door. In any case, I thought, if the two youths turn on me, then my neighbours will be forced to ‘get involved’ whether they feel inclined to or not.
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Dougie
April 18th, 2008 1:48pmGreat story, well told. And well done. I think you kept the peace, even if you did end up paying more tax this year than planned. You certainly saved the British state more than twenty quid by sorting it out, rather than dialling three nines. Ah well, you can afford it.
Don't forget the functionaries of the British state are perceived very differently by different social classes. Fluent speakers of Spectatorish English may have a very different experience of the law to holders of a lower class accent. Their decision not to get involved perhaps seemed entirely rational to them.
It's an Islamic virtue to know your forty closest neighbours by name for good reason. Why not ask them round for a cup of tea and (politely) ask them what they'd like you to do if one of them was in the same position in future.
Would they come? They might drink their tea out of the saucer! It'd be terribly awkward! Ah England! So close to civilisation, and yet so far...
Dougie
April 18th, 2008 1:57pmSorry, it would be clearer if the first word of my second paragraph ("Their") were replaced by the phrase "Your neighbours' " (I know you won't neglect the apostrophe)
working class woman
April 18th, 2008 3:27pmHope they are paying you more than 20 pounds to write the article.
Jo
April 18th, 2008 8:01pmGlad to see the English sense of humor is intact.
Living elsewhere in the world, I felt a little nervous walking home one night and realized that I hadn't exercised the "Islamic' virtue' of introducing myself to my neighbors. It paid off immediately - they introduced their gardener and at some later time banged on my door at midnight to help them catch a stray white rabbit that they had seen hopping down the street . .
W George Preston
April 18th, 2008 9:19pmIf you had called the Old Bill, they might well have recognised any of the three that were were crooks. Your neighbour had a point about any villains among them possibly being armed. The police are trained to deal with this; you are probably not.
I believe their advice is to dial 999 rather than trying to sort it out.
Rach
April 19th, 2008 7:47amW George, you obviously live in a "better" area than I do (Stoke on Trent). Around here this incident wouldn't even warrant a personal visit from the "boys in blue"
Well done Toby for showing some b*lls!
Rach
April 19th, 2008 7:54amoh but you may have been allowed into the otherwise locked-up police station to fill in an incident report, should you wish to claim your £20 back! Sorry is my cynicism showing?
bernard
April 20th, 2008 7:13pmThe best response is ask: "Does anyone want me to call the police? (producing mobile)
If to the answer comes there none, say: "Not to worry. you're causing a breach of the peace; I'm going to call anyway".
Miscreants disappear in all directions.
rone
May 5th, 2008 12:01amThis reminds me of the time I was walking along a street in London and saw a woman on the pavement with a large bloke standing over her and kicking the sh*t out of her. I was about to intervene when someone beat me to it. The woman got up and, along with the bloke (her husband it turned out), rounded on the would-be hero and started beating him up.