What are you supposed to do if you are being mugged?

[NameChangedAndForgotOldName]

Clear up an argument for me....
Do you fight back?
Or
Hand over what they want?

I have been lucky a couple of times but have stopped taking a bag out every time I go out as a result of it.

Once in a popular London shopping street a tourist with lots of shopping bags was mugged, I heard her shouting, her bag had been taken. I had been heading towards where it happened so turned round and made my way back to get into the comparative safety of Oxford St. and the pick pocket brigade.

I was aware of a young man hovering around behind me so stopped to look in a window, he also stopped and looked in the next window. I had a very tight grip on my bag which was on the side away from him so I edged along sideways until I reached the shop doorway and then nipped into the shop. I checked it was clear before I left and got out of there as fast as I could.

More recently the two scruffy men in front, and a way ahead of us appeared behind, one poised to run, at the kerb, the other directly behind my bag. I pulled it closer and to the front and glared at him and they crept away. I count myself lucky and would have held on to the bag by the handles as they are always in my had, with a strap over my shoulder. If there had been a knife I would have let it go though.

Whitstable main shopping street if anyone is going there, be aware.

How exactly did she get his watch?!

It came off in the struggle. I don't think she held him at knifepoint but if she did I wouldn't have been surprised, she wasn't a gentle soul by any means.

You can't be certain what you'd do. Some youths once approached me as I was walking to my car. They pointed a gun at me and demanded i hand over my fucking car keys, to which I replied "don't be silly". I got into my car and drove off, one of the guys tried to get into the back but it was so full of stuff there was no room.

Indeed. I've had a knife pointed close range at me in an altercation and although I was concerned I just said mega calmly "Well you're not going to do anything with that are you, put it away".

You don't know. I also grew up with horses and I think acting proactively comes from years of being hyper aware of half tone dumb things.

The only time I was threatened (verbally) I went icy calm and said 'Don't be silly. I am a middle aged woman. You are not going to hit me'
But he wasn't mugging me. And he was quite a small teenager so I didn't feel genuinely threatened.

I've never been mugged, but had a fight or flight experience.

Was in my bedroom upstairs at the front of the house, DD was only about 14 months asleep in her room at the back of the house. I didn't have my room light on, it was dark outside and the blinds were open.

I looked out the window, and saw about 4 or 5 people dressed in black with hoods up at my gate. Another person was creeping in the gate, wearing a white anonymous mask.

Sensible thing to do would be call the police. No, I run downstairs and out the front door with my housecoat on screaming at them like a crazy lady. They scarpered up the hill pretty quickly. I chased them up the hill a bit, then went back in (house in view at all times of course since DD was asleep)

Their gait and build made me think they were teenagers, so I took to the village facebook page and told everyone to be on the lookout for one of their kids coming into the house with the mask, and what they had did. And that the next time I caught someone on my property in this context, I wouldn't be responsible for my actions towards them.

I was absolutely furious. It's only now thinking back I realise what could have happened!

It was about 8pm, so not too late. And they never did come back (yet!)

Not been mugged for personal money but as a retail manager before I ended up here in agriculture we always advised our staff to hand over the till if threatened and put their safety first. Unfortunately I'm not great at taking my own advice so when the jumped up wee gobshite threatened me and put his hand in my till I slammed the till shut on said hand. Security heard the squeals from quite far away
Not how I would have expected to react.

Hand it over

But having been mugged myself I found that I got really fucking angry immediately and said "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOURE DOING!" Guy looked more shocked then I did 😂

This was pre kids. Now being pregnant and having a toddler I suspect I would hand it over no questions asked.

MrsLHs Df was a wrestler, boxer, black belt Judo, and taught self defence evening classes.

First lesson: run for it.

I nearly got mugged and raped when I was 16 I fought him back and there were people at the bus stop just watching like zombies

Oh that's awful Selassi

How can people just stand by?

I always thought I'd just run, but when someone tried to snatch my bag DSis and I fought him, he slipped and ran off. I don't know what we were playing at, he could have hurt us. It was completely instinctive.

I suspect I'd run if if I was alone though.

@Ellisandra No references, I’m talking about the primal “fight or flight” mechanism which is part of human nature. Obviously people will react in different ways but in general people will fight if there is a risk to their life.

i find it a tad difficult to understand - those saying they’d want their DH to hand over & not fight

Because his wallet it is a piece of leather, and can be replaced. He, on the other hand, is irreplaceable.

I was not proud of him for punching someone. It put him at risk. He’s a big lad an obviously capable enough, but he would bleed if stabbed, just like everyone else.