Properly shaken up - really hurt (intentionally) whilst shopping

[Vinosaurus]

I was in Tesco about an hour ago - it was pretty busy but people all had masks on and were trying their best in the main to keep their distance ... as was I.

I don't really know what happened exactly, or why he did it, but I was picking up some fromage frais - nobody particularly close by - and I suddenly got shoved from behind. Turned my head to be presented with a alpha male type who lifted his arm (trying to explain that this was very much intentional and meant to hurt) and elbowed me in the back of the ribs with some real force. It was enough to wind me and cause me some real pain.

He walked off pretty briskly but squared up to me (from a distance) when I shouted after him "what the hell do do you think you're doing? You're an idiot!" (not my finest moment and probably very unwise but I was so shocked), although I think he thought better of it when he realised how many people were around. I was walking away by then, trying to calm myself down (had horrid heart palpitations - probably due to the adrenaline!) and just get away from the situation.

A couple of women (separately) caught up to me to see if I was ok/say they'd seen what happened/congratulate me on pulling him up on it - which was very kind, but I am still super tearful and shaken up. I'm a 42 yr old woman, FFS, really need to get a grip, have a glass of wine and forget about it.

You've been assaulted and the store will have CCTV showing it was entirely unprovoked. Call the police.

You should call Tesco op and see if they have security footage of that aisle.

I'm sorry that has happened to you. What an absolute arsehole they fella was. I'm raging for you.

I'd call Tesco, see if they have footage and then if they have let the police know.

People just don't get to assault you because they need a fucking yoghurt. What a dickhead.

Well done for calling him out in it. He sounds like the sort who isn’t used to women fighting back.

Call Tesco and ask if they have cctv.

Also the store can put up posters asking if anyone saw anything to call the police and quote a specific crime number. Those ladies who asked if you were ok may we'll come forward.

@WhereverIGoddamnLike

It's a bit late to report now. They wont be able to track down the women who saw it, the guy is long gone so will be hard to identify. The security staff could have done that at the time.

Not necessarily - if there’s CCTV there’s less need for eyewitnesses, and if the guy paid with card that might identify him. It’s by no means a guarantee but there’s no need to tell OP there’s no point in even trying to take it further if she wants to.

@WhereverIGoddamnLike

Didnt you go straight to the security stand at the front and request that they call the police as you had been assaulted?

I guess if they had the OP might have mentioned it.

Bloody hell OP, you poor thing. I've heard of this happening before to women on their own, out minding their own business. It always reminds me of that poor woman on that bridge in London who was shoved hard by a passing man under the wheels of a passing bus.

It's not your job to conduct your own investigation, OP. Let the police do it it's their job. They will contact the supermarket and collect CCTV etc

I know I should have - I know. But I was properly shaken and didn't know what to do for the best at the time. I was at the end of doing my shopping and just tried to act normal/pretend I was fine until I got out (whilst scanning the shop for him to keep my distance).

DH has poured me a nice glass of wine.

Report it. He’ll do it again, and aggressively to some other woman. It won’t be a man he does it to.

@thenightsky

Bloody hell OP, you poor thing. I've heard of this happening before to women on their own, out minding their own business. It always reminds me of that poor woman on that bridge in London who was shoved hard by a passing man under the wheels of a passing bus.

Was that the jogger that the never found? I was beyond angry when I heard about that.

That sounds really scary OP and you will understandably feel shocked and tearful for a while. I think it's perhaps a shame that one of the two women who stopped to talk to you didn't say they would go and fetch the security guard but then they were probably as shocked as you were.

If you can, I would report it to the police now so that they can get the CCTV footage from Tesco. I would imagine Tesco will want to identify him and ban him.

You should call now tesco now and explain you were shocked but having arrived home you realise you need to report this.

If this was a random attack - this guy probably has done it before and will do it again.

He probably goes in the same tesco regularly so if it has been caught on cctv or you can identify the person photographed on cctv it would be worth chasing this up.

You wont be the only woman he does that, or something similar, to. I’d report if you can.

You did absolutely nothing to deserve, warrant or provoke this.

He was a nasty bugger who for whatever reason, decidedly to senselessly and needlessly assault a random stranger for his own nasty gratification - and yes, as usual, he picked a woman for his target.

Please don't feel bad about what you did or did not do, and just hunker down and get yourself to the point where you have regained some equilibrium.

You were shocked, so absolutely can't be expected to have done anything differently.

You can, if you want, report it. Don't ask the supermarket first, just do it.

It's possible he thought you were someone else- try not to worry about the wheres or whys.

Horrible. There are men who literally cannot cope with a woman being in a space they want to occupy. I’ve never been assaulted but I have been treated with fury doing absolutely normal things in the supermarket or on the pavement...bet loads of us have.

I hope Tesco is helpful if you go that way. Sometimes I think these men are absolute psychopaths.

@SleepySheepy

You've been assaulted, you need to report it to the police OP. I'm so sorry you encountered such a twat

That.

I hope the thug was caught on the security camera. However, you had witnesses which should suffice.

What is the matter with these people behaving so badly? He achieved absolutely nothing.

I'm so sorry. I can imagine that shook you up, it would anyone.

I'm so sorry this happened to you, op .

I do think it's worth reporting it to the police. There may be other incidents in the area. You could get dh to do it for you. Tesco might not keep the CCTV for long.

It's not too late to report to the police if that's what you want to do.

Sorry this happened to you OP

You need to do as @tribpot said and report it.
He should not get away with this.

You were shocked, so absolutely can't be expected to have done anything differently.

And absolutely this.

I absolutely understand why you didn't report it, but now you are home and realise what it was, an assault, I think you should. Take the power back.

It should be on the shop security cameras. You should report this to police asap, it sounds as if he is very unstable and his next random unprovoked assault on a woman might be far worse.

Please, please, please, phone 101 & report it. The man who did this to you was seriously unhinged to do this unprovoked. It's not normal to go and hurt a stranger in the supermarket, and goodness knows what else he is capable of.