Women punched me on the bus

[40weeksmummy]

Bus today, peak hour, lots of people. I managed to get in and was simply standing because all seats occupied. Then, out of nowhere, one lady punched my shoulder (I had cyst removed from my back last Wednesday, almost peed myself from pain as she punched straight to wound). I turned my head around and said- " stop touching me " .And then- suddenly she became so upset as I'm " younger generation ", "have no respect to elderly person ",etc. (She is 50-55years old).
Yes, you should open your mouth and say-" excuse me "!!!! I had no idea who was behind my back as bus was completely packed.

Do you experience something similar, especially in London? Funny thing, I know that lady, she passing my street every morning when I'm leaving for work and I really thinking to tell her off tomorrow as I had to clean my bleeding wound because of her!

Report her for assault. They should have CCTV on the bus.

I don’t think the OP was being ageist. The woman who assaulted her referred to herself as being elderly and the OP found this odd as the woman was only in her early 50s. As a woman in my early 50’s I find this odd too!
I think the posts referred to as being ageist are those by another poster talking about “ bitter old men and women” resenting the speed of mobility of others. Those posts were definitely ageist!

I just want to say I sympathise about your wound op. I was punched in the back by a nutter while waiting in line at the shops around Xmas a couple of years ago - I hadn’t noticed there was a free till, she’d been harrumphing and moaning about the wait loudly. I have a spinal issue and she punched me right in that area, I buckled and yelped. Of course she then starts kicking off at me for being “dramatic” and other customers eye rolling at me.

Extremely frustrating, embarrassing and painful experience.

I second reporting it asap - the footage gets deleted faster than you think and in my experience British transport police were very slow (hopefully this has improved since).
I tried to report racial abuse on the Overground via text, apparently BTP's text systems were down(!!). Reported online a few days later, by the time they got back to me a week later it had already been deleted.

I hate travelling around London at the minute. It seems like people increasingly do not know how to or care to respect public spaces and other people.
People are increasingly antagonistic and overly aggressive about absolutely inconsequential things. Or some are blaring music from their phones or having video calls the whole bloody busy can hear. Just yesterday I saw a man shove a buggy away from the fold out chair section on the tube so he could sit on one.

Definitely report OP.

I have never in my life seen someone just punch someone on a bus out of the blue, randomly.

I don't think it's clear exactly what this woman did or why - and the fact that OP had a wound there already would have made it more sensitive to any jostling, or maybe it was more of a push than a punch (still not OK, but context and a full explanation is helpful).

The woman might have been unsteady, worried about falling over herself, unable to grab something etc.

We don't know.

Were you taking up the whole pavement?
If in a group, you have to leave space for others to walk past without having to ask.

Not ok to shout at a child, but the number of people who have no spatial awareness on pavements can be infuriating.

Report her.

The bus should have CCTV.

People like that need to learn that there are consequences for their actions.

Intrigued about where you've noticed this. Young men wearing shorts as its hot.
Noticed more Afros and machete carrying?

Please report it OP. People get away with all sorts otherwise.

Report to British Transport Police

I have. Have been barged/ rammed really hard by a woman coming at me in the street, and had a woman putting her hand on my thigh. In London. Sorry that happened to you after your op.

Part of me wonders if OP was, being unaware who was behind her, accidentally jostling and pushing the woman behind. She should have said "excuse me", but I also wonder if the "punch" wasn't quite as hard as that. Especially given that another man agreed with her...

I'm not so sure. DD had a bag stolen on the bus - she didn't notice until it was time to get off. She reported it to the bus company and the police. The CCTV footage was reviewed. The police not only took it seriously but they caught the thief and dd watched the footage and confirmed it was her bag. The thief is being prosecuted.

This took place in the outskirts of SW London, Metropolitan Police.

sorry you were hurt, OP.

I'm curious, perhaps she had been saying "excuse me" and you didn't hear over the ambient noise? And was it a punch or a vigorous touch? how was she to know you'd had surgery (imo it is perfectly normal if you have been saying "excuse me" to touch the person who may not have heard you, and a shoulder is the obvious place.

it is fucking tedious, tbh

'Stop touching me' is an odd response to being assaulted.

Please read my post properly before summarising incorrectly. I referred to people being salty for some reason and often it seems simply at being overtaken...most don't have mobility issues and not actually old just older! One was texting and not actually walking with any intent. Bizarre to take offence at being overtaken and decide to literally kick off.

Tangents aside, OP, hope you get sorted wound-wise today and report the assault.

This woman didn’t have frizzy honey monster coloured hair and dress like she just escaped from a cult, did she?!

I used to have a mental boss that was always telling us how she was punching various people, including her husband. She was aggresive but I mainly thought that all
of this was in her head (apart from beating her husband, she seemed the sort). She told one colleague how she punched a woman because she touched her bag. I don’t know why anyone would do that or equally make that up. She would be in her 50s now.

I digress, the woman that punched you is cray. Bring the dressing along with you and then show her and tell her that unnecessary punch caused that on an open wound. She is cray so wont care she acted it, but fight fire with fire and she may find your actions so gross she finds a new route to work x

This ☝

The bus was packed. You had no idea who was behind you, apart from this woman. How do you know it was a 'punch'; how do you know it was her; are you sure you didn't step back into her and it was just an understandable warning that you were invading her space?

Whoever 'punched' you, they would not know you had a wound and of course, even a minor bit of direct pressure from a protective hand saying 'don't step back into me', or 'I need to get passed' would hurt more than usual and feel more 'violent'.

Im going to deliberately take my time moving anywhere to see if anyone punches me in the back. And if they do....

Yeah, I have been assaulted in the Underground before, and London is indeed full of antisocial whackjobs.

I still don't think anything about the OP's story makes sense.

Not normal. Nor is it normal for someone aged 50-55 to refer to themselves as elderly. I speak as a 59 year old who knows lots of very together and gorgeous 55-65 year olds. None are elderly!

Not normal, but are you sure it was deliberate. I once fell against someone on a busy bus when the driver moved off before I could find something to hold, that probably felt like a punch as I was behind them. I was however very apologetic.

Are you sure she punched you as opposed to something like hitting you accidentally while moving a bag around?

The woman also shoved someone else on the bus so I don’t think the OP is mistaking a light touch for a punch.
Report it OP especially since you know who she is. She might already have been reported previously.

All sorts happen on buses round here. Shoving, verbal abuse, loud phone calls about knifing people or court dates.
I’ve seen drivers being punched.
There was footage plastered on Facebook a couple of years ago from other passengers of a girl being beat up on the bus by a group of other girls.