I Was Mugged
Unbelievable!
I finished work late last night feeling tired and totally drained. My office is slightly away from the centre of the city so to catch a bus to where I was going, I had to walk through a small park and the train station before getting to the main CBD street.
I hadn't got far at all. I texted someone special to say I had finished work and had just put my phone back in my pocket when I heard a nasally twang yell out "Hey Buddy". Not thinking it was directed at me, I kept walking but then I noticed the voice getting closer behind me saying "Hey. Mate. Hang on."
I turned around to see 2 aboriginal men approaching me. One large man with a heavily furrowed brow and one smaller with a stupid looking rat's tail. The large guy said again "buddy" and was beckoning me to go to him. He said "gotta smoke mate?" I told him I was sorry but I didn't smoke. I just smiled and kept walking with my back to him. I felt the tension and knew instinctively that potential for trouble was a few feet behind me.
He said "hey I just want a ****** smoke ya ****". Okay, I may be slow on the uptake sometimes but if someone has just said they don't smoke and if you really want a smoke is that the way to ask? Instant adrenaline rush. I knew I was in the **** here. I kept walking with my muscles tensed. I held tightly to my backpack which was slung over my right shoulder. I was ready.
They had caught up with me and were either side of me. The smaller guy had still not said a word. The big guy said "ya think yer better than me ya white ****". I looked him in the eye and said abruptly "mate I am just heading home. I don't smoke okay." No room for negotiation here. Keep it short. Keep moving.
Suddenly my right shoulder was pulled. I was carrying my back pack slung over that shoulder and I assumed he was trying to take it. Perhaps he was just trying to stop me walking. Anyway I stopped, faced him to let him know enough was enough and received a torrent of abuse for being white, not having a smoke and for ignoring him. I said "mate I don't need this" but the words had just left my mouth and I had looked at the smaller guy when I'm shoved in the chest and falling backwards to land unceremoniously on my arse. The smaller guy then put his foot on my chest and the big guy yelled more abuse about me being a smart arse and up myself.
No witty one-liners from me. I knew this could be serious. I didn't spend 7 years in the military to have some piece of **** stand on me. I knew I could easily get the foot off me but what to do about the big guy? My brain was racing. I could do this.
Maybe fortunately I didn't get the chance. 2 guys I've never met before were running over to help me. My new acquaintances told them they were helping me get up because I was drunk or something. They had seen me fall and were being helpful. My rescuers didn't believe them but were too nervous to argue the point. The big guy was one intimidating individual. Anyway they left and I could hear them laughing as they moved away through the park.
I slipped into my coping mechanism which is to make stupid jokes at inappropriate times and thanked my rescuers before continuing my way to catch my bus. My suit has a big smudge on the backside where I landed in the dirt. My right wrist hurts, I've pulled a muscle between my shoulder blades and my confidence is shaken but.... I have a new story for EP!
Oh and this happened over the road from a police station. Unbelievable!
I finished work late last night feeling tired and totally drained. My office is slightly away from the centre of the city so to catch a bus to where I was going, I had to walk through a small park and the train station before getting to the main CBD street.
I hadn't got far at all. I texted someone special to say I had finished work and had just put my phone back in my pocket when I heard a nasally twang yell out "Hey Buddy". Not thinking it was directed at me, I kept walking but then I noticed the voice getting closer behind me saying "Hey. Mate. Hang on."
I turned around to see 2 aboriginal men approaching me. One large man with a heavily furrowed brow and one smaller with a stupid looking rat's tail. The large guy said again "buddy" and was beckoning me to go to him. He said "gotta smoke mate?" I told him I was sorry but I didn't smoke. I just smiled and kept walking with my back to him. I felt the tension and knew instinctively that potential for trouble was a few feet behind me.
He said "hey I just want a ****** smoke ya ****". Okay, I may be slow on the uptake sometimes but if someone has just said they don't smoke and if you really want a smoke is that the way to ask? Instant adrenaline rush. I knew I was in the **** here. I kept walking with my muscles tensed. I held tightly to my backpack which was slung over my right shoulder. I was ready.
They had caught up with me and were either side of me. The smaller guy had still not said a word. The big guy said "ya think yer better than me ya white ****". I looked him in the eye and said abruptly "mate I am just heading home. I don't smoke okay." No room for negotiation here. Keep it short. Keep moving.
Suddenly my right shoulder was pulled. I was carrying my back pack slung over that shoulder and I assumed he was trying to take it. Perhaps he was just trying to stop me walking. Anyway I stopped, faced him to let him know enough was enough and received a torrent of abuse for being white, not having a smoke and for ignoring him. I said "mate I don't need this" but the words had just left my mouth and I had looked at the smaller guy when I'm shoved in the chest and falling backwards to land unceremoniously on my arse. The smaller guy then put his foot on my chest and the big guy yelled more abuse about me being a smart arse and up myself.
No witty one-liners from me. I knew this could be serious. I didn't spend 7 years in the military to have some piece of **** stand on me. I knew I could easily get the foot off me but what to do about the big guy? My brain was racing. I could do this.
Maybe fortunately I didn't get the chance. 2 guys I've never met before were running over to help me. My new acquaintances told them they were helping me get up because I was drunk or something. They had seen me fall and were being helpful. My rescuers didn't believe them but were too nervous to argue the point. The big guy was one intimidating individual. Anyway they left and I could hear them laughing as they moved away through the park.
I slipped into my coping mechanism which is to make stupid jokes at inappropriate times and thanked my rescuers before continuing my way to catch my bus. My suit has a big smudge on the backside where I landed in the dirt. My right wrist hurts, I've pulled a muscle between my shoulder blades and my confidence is shaken but.... I have a new story for EP!
Oh and this happened over the road from a police station. Unbelievable!
By:
deleted
Age:
26-30
