When you should have said something, and didn't.

[NovemberMorn]

An incident happened yesterday, and I am so annoyed with myself because I didn't speak out...in my defence, I have been ill for 3 weeks and have only just started going out again; I still don't feel like my usual self.

Anyway, in a local park, I sat down for a rest. A couple with three dogs was messing around on a child's swing. They were in their 40's, rough-looking and loud. They walked off and climbed the hill where the entrance to a covered slide is...one of those long round metal slides. I could hear them laughing and her pretending to protest but obviously enjoying herself. Then I heard a clattering, and the oaf had obviously lifted the small dog up and pushed it down the slide. I could hear it's claws scratching as it came down, obviously panicking.
The poor thing looked disorientated when it landed and raced to catch his owners up...they had walked off.

I wish I had caught them up and told them how cruel they were...but I didn't.

You probably did the right thing. They would have probably been abusive towards you.

I would not have gotten involved in something like that. The dog was off the lead, I presume, and may have sought to protect its owner, if you got into something with them, raised voices, etc. Sometimes it is best not to say something at the time.

I'm not sure it would have done any good, and you might have put yourself at risk.

I think when things like this happen, instinctively you react, and tbh, usually I do. Not in an aggressive way, but I do speak out. It's because I didn't; I sat there and watched, and now I feel annoyed with myself.
People like this shouldn't have animals, God knows how they treat them when no one is around o see.

All three were off-lead.
Two black lab and the small white terrier type dog. It was obvious they were bad owners from the start. When they walked in the park and started messing about on the child's swing, they allowed the white dog to run and jump up me...the dog was wet, obviously having been in the river, but the owners were oblivious.
I don't mind, I was in jeans, but lot's of people would object to a wet dog jumping up them.

I can remember watching a close friend get off her horse a beat the crap out of it with a whip. I was totally shocked, she just totally lost control. She ended up flying into the yard owners home in tears and we dealt with her horse. We were told after that she'd suffered some sort of nervous breakdown. I think she was just looking for an excuse for her behaviour myself.

I wish I'd intervened and grabbed her horse and moved it away feom her at the time but instead I just watched in total shock and disbelief.

That must have been shocking, especially as she was a friend. I doubt I could have remained friends with her after that though....nervous breakdown or not.

Mine involves a dog too - today.

On holiday in Spain. Saw a man with two dogs on leads. One of them was obviously struggling. In such a nasty voice, and in English, he yelled 'Just get fucking moving you fucking bitch' and then yanked the lead so hard she was off her feet and almost strangled.

If it had been said in Spanish I wouldn't have had a clue. My Spanish doesn't go that far. But I reckoned he was another one where it wouldn't have done any good and he'd probably have turned on me (and I was alone at that point). What makes me feel worse about not saying anything is that I understood him. The people around may not have done. So it should have been up to me and I chickened out.

Don't feel bad. I have kept quiet on occasion, I think most people have. Sometimes I think it can make a situation worse because the bully could take their anger on being challenged out on the one they are bullying.

Oh, all the time. Usually when some random stranger says something racist or similar but I don’t want the unpleasantness of a confrontation.

I understand that.
I think it's probably wise to weigh the options up. Is it safe? is it worth it? and will it do any good?. The problem is, the moment may then have passed.

I have acted on instinct in the past, sometimes the outcome has been OK, but I have also been followed down the road by 3 young teens being called every name under the sun because I stopped them from bullying a classmate who they had on the floor and had taken his school blazer.

Incidentally, on that occasion, a couple of men did not intervene, either with the bullying of the lad or the name-calling of me.