Scary experience at Wasabi today

[Jane379]

I was at the bus stop outside Clapham Junction today and a well-built man was making odd grimacing faces and waving his arms. I suspected he was mentally ill/on drugs and went into the nearby Wasabi to get some food & wait until he had gone. Unfortunately he also came in & waving his arms, grabbed some food and went out again. The shopkeeper just chuckled, I was quite afraid.
I waited a bit as I wasn't sure if he was hanging around outside. Then he came in again and growled at the shopkeeper, who stood his ground until he left again.

I asked the shopkeeper if he could do anything & he said he'd phoned someone to deal with the situation.

The man didn't threaten anyone, and I've seen men like this at bus stops before without being that scared, but not as well-built as this, nor in shops either. Shops have always been a refuge in places I've felt unsafe, although I know this isn't guaranteed.

The shopkeeper was brave but he shouldn't have needed to be. People on drugs must be helped, and shops need to be safe.

You want to bring back asylums so you don’t have to feel uncomfortable? Stealing a sandwich doesn’t equate to being violent.

It’s London
just walk about 100m down the road and pick up at the next stop

So you were waiting at the bus stop and not actually inside wasabi? You went in to wasabi for a safe place?

Did you read my OP?: I was at the bus stop outside Clapham Junction today and a well-built man was making odd grimacing faces and waving his arms. I suspected he was mentally ill/on drugs and went into the nearby Wasabi to get some food & wait until he had gone. Unfortunately he also came in & waving his arms, grabbed some food and went out again. The shopkeeper just chuckled, I was quite afraid.
I waited a bit as I wasn't sure if he was hanging around outside. Then he came in again and growled at the shopkeeper, who stood his ground until he left again.

Yes I amended

London… just walk 100m and pick up at next stop

Do you ever travel abroad alone?

The knife example in particular does sound really terrifying - I can understand anyone being very shaken by somebody aggressively brandishing a knife

There has always been crime in society and always will be unless we eradicate social injustice. There has also always been mental ill health. I don't think we can ever eradicate that entirely, but I would love to see more public spending on treatment and support for people suffering.

I have lived in a number of places in the UK, travelled to others and in Europe, in my 47 years, and from time to time have witnessed people who seem to be in states of extreme mental distress/ill-health in public places - it doesn't seem to me to be notably on the increase.

Same with people under the influence of drink or drugs - sadly people do sometimes feel compelled for whatever reason to abuse substances (often as aeans of escape from a difficult life, I imagine - but perhaps not always). Again, I don't feel this is a new thing (and I would love to see more public spending on addiction services too) it happens from time to time.

No the guy with the knife isn’t normal in London. I hope you reported it as soon as you got off?

I think a lot of people are on benefits/access food banks and still experience hardship and hunger. Others, as you admit, fall through the cracks for whatever reason.

I am fortunate to have never gone without enough money for food for myself and my family, self care basics etc, and unless I have been in that position I would prefer not to judge others who steal because they find themselves in this plight.

I'm sorry but I just don't understand why his crime of shop-lifting bothers you quite so much, especially as he only took what sounds like a smallish amount of food. Of all the examples of theft there could be, it doesn't seem like a really heinous one.

I am sorry you felt scared - that's never nice. And sorry for the man too as it sounds like he struggles.

Do you class tap dancing in the same category of threat as waving a knife?

We have no idea who is walking among us. Allsorts of mentally ill/ drug addicted people. Doesnt help that some posters are minimising the frightening experience of the OP. Since "care in the community " was introduced there has been a steady roll call of innocent people going about their business, being attacked by those who shouldn't be free to roam. Greatly exacerbated by not knowing who the hell is coming into our country illegally on a daily basis 😡

I was reading that a woman was dragged out of her seat and attemptedly raped by a man caught on cctv as yet unidentified - on the Bakerloo line .

I’m sure we have posters desperate to excuse the poor assailant - “mental health needs not met” and “well, she wasn’t actually raped, was she?” And even “These things happen; I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid.”

Agreed.
The belligerence shown by the initial responders on this post is completely ridiculous.
Trying to pick apart the wording of the OP in a stupid and unpleasant manner.
What is the matter with people that they can’t show a bit of sympathy to someone who has had a scary experience?
Sorry that you went through that OP, both the incident irl and the pathetic sniping here.

Nothing even happened to you though. I'm from London and would be a rich woman if I had a pound for every time I've been randomly screamed at or sworn at, obviously totally unprovoked, by some nutcase.

I once had to run into a shop as a guy, clearly high, started screaming and chasing me. It was about 6pm on a Saturday in Hammersmith. Right in the middle of the shopping stretch, summer so it was light, and not a single person helped.

No. Bit of an odd question. Do you?

And why are we normalising this?

I have no idea why you mentioned them both together, as though they were in the same category. Who cares that you saw a man tap dancing? That's pleasant, surely?

OP, I'm very sorry you felt scared and threatened, and I hope you feel OK now.

I have a neurological condition, a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia that is a bit like Tourette's and Parkinson's disease combined. It was caused by some prescribed off label antipsychotic for severe insomnia and anxiety after a head injury and post concussion syndrome a decade ago. A lot of the involuntary movements of my body look odd, and can include grimacing, face, and arm / finger movements. Occasionally, I get vocal tics too.

I'm sure you wouldn't find a petite woman like me a threat (I hope!) if I did any of these symptoms, but equally I hope if you did, that you didn't make me feel uncomfortable about my health problems either.

Sometimes people have unusual conditions or are suffering from mental health problems that might mean they can't help what they do. It doesn't always mean this is a threat or bad thing.

However, I can understand why you found it was intimidating and scary with the man you saw. I hope you are ok now ❤️