I was at the South Lake earlier this afternoom, I often go there as it’s a cool place to study and I like the environment as it’s kind of an escape from the city.
Today though something bad happened to me, I guess it was only a matter of time but you never expect it to happen to you.
I decided to have a walk around the south side of the lake as I wanted to get some good pictures of the lake from this side. I took a load of pictures then realised that I didn’t actually have any pictures of myself from this place.
So at about 3.30 I asked a passerby if he could help me and take a picture of me. It is just my luck that the person whom I asked was probably a thief, though how was I to know? He was about my age, smartly dressed and seemed co-operative, all too co-operative as I was to find out.
I stepped back, asked him to get the side of the lake in the background and take the picture, however just as he was about to do this he bolted. He ran as fast as he could with my camera in his hand, along the side of the lake.
I instinctively ran after him, I didn’t have time to think about what I was doing. I am a fast runner (my long legs are useful sometimes! :)) but he had a good advantage over me and the fact I was carrying all my books in my rucksack made it harder to catch up.
As I ran I shouted ‘ 小偷’ ‘xiaotou’ but in such a situation you don’t really plan what you are doing, it just happens. People just stood-by and watched the laowai running after the thief , chuckling im sure, but did any of them consider helping out, I think not. 😡 It is huge indictment on a society when nobody will lift a finger to help somone in distress, and when it happens to you it makes you feel sick.
It makes you feel disgusted at other human beings.
I ran for about 100 metres, probably the fastest 100m i’ll ever run – it all went so fast – I could see he was tring to get onto a red moped that was parked. We’re still in the park, on the promenade, in the middle of the path. I’m still shouting to help, but still no response. It’s at this moment he has to stop to get onto the parked bike, I manage to catch up with him, just behind the bike, and I make a rugby tackle from behind.
I connected, my hands wrapped round his neck, I’m running as fast as I can run . The bike veres off to the right, my hands wrapped round his neck, then I lunge and he falls of his bike. He fell down the embankment and I fell onto the path.
In the fracas my camera was dropped by him, I quickly pick it up. His bike continued for a few metres then hit a stone pillar on the right on the path. 
His lights 
and mirrors smashed and something fell off the front of the bike.
He was lying on the grass trying to scurry away I ran over grabbed his neck, gave him a piece of my mind – every single swear word I could think of, he was trying to escape, so I punched him in the face. I have never hit anybody before, i just did it, but it felt good. Again nobody thought to help, despite there being many people there.
I then thought what now, what do I do? I could call the police, but we all know how totally useless they are at anything to do with solving crimes and I’d probably be put straight through to an answer machine like the last time I tried to call 110! Or the laowai would get into trouble, I’d risk puting myself through an ordeal.
I could just beat him into a pulp (i’m certain that’s what any dong bei nan ren would do) until he can’t move, but that could cause me problems (being the laowai) and I want to teach him a lesson not put him in hospital for a month.
So I sat on him for few minutes, figuring out what to do. I called a few people but nobody answered, so I decided to let him go. He got up, picked up the debris from his bike started swearing at me saying all sorts of nasty stuff – so I retaliated again with my long list of nasty chinese insults (and I know so many insults!) 🙂 and pushed him over. He must have been about 1.7m tall compared to my 1.87, I’m a beanpole but there was no doubt that he was fighting a losing battle.
He then turned round and rode off into the distance. I took pictures of him, but the memory card had falled out of my camera and so they didn’t work!!! 😡
Once i’d found the card on the floor i took another picture but it was too late. I got his number plate, so I could persue this through other channels if I so choose. But I havn’t go t the energy to do anything more about this at the moment. 
Now, I hate violence, I am not a violent person but when something like this happens to you, its difficult to predict how you’ll react.
At that moment I wanted that guy to suffer for his actions. I saw the red mist, reason was not something i was going to think about. In my opinion, people who think you can train for these situations are mistaken, your instincts cut in, self preservation, and for me extreme rage.
Now I feel physically sick from this, my gut is churning and to be honest If I didn’t stil have work commitments, I’d be on the first plane out of here. 🙁
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Way to go, man. Things are just like this in China, not only Changchun, it’s everywhere. People don’ t like to get involved in “trouble”.
Way to go, man. Things are just like this in China, not only Changchun, it’s everywhere. People don’ t like to get involved in “trouble”.
David
I was glued to the screen as I read this -I feel so sorry and angry that this happened to you and am glad that you got the B…..d!
I wish I had been there to help you…
Can’t wait for you to come home
Love Mum
David
I was glued to the screen as I read this -I feel so sorry and angry that this happened to you and am glad that you got the B…..d!
I wish I had been there to help you…
Can’t wait for you to come home
Love Mum
People don’ t like to get involved in “trouble”.
There are other, far worse, sitautions when I’ve seen this happen. Once I was coming back from a job out of town and the bus slowed down to swerve around another bus that was jacknifed in the middle of the road and had crushed into the front of a Jetta. This was particuarly upsetting to see, especially as the bus slowed down you could see glass everyhere and the front end of the VW crumpled up like a tin can. Inside the car were two people, motionless, covered in blood.
To his credit, the bus driver stopped the bus and got out to help. Most of the rest of the people on the bus did the same too, but not to help, to look, to see what was going on. This morbid fascination, is something that I lost when I was a teenager – my first insticts were to try and help not to watch.
However there is not much you can do, but I do know that If i was the one in the car I would not want a crowd of people watching me suffer. Sometimes, out of curiosity we want to see something like this, but is watching somebody else in discomfort something you really want to do?
Having expereinced how throughly awful it is when nobody is prepared to lend a hand makes you think about this a little more.
I am told the reasons for people not getting invloved in ‘trouble’ are:
People may blame you, you may get yourself into trouble, why take the risk?
I’ve heard stories of accident victims blaming the person that’s helping them for their injuries!
Somebody else said to me it’s because ‘China has a big population’ and so because there are so many people, lives are not worth as much?!
People don’ t like to get involved in “trouble”.
There are other, far worse, sitautions when I’ve seen this happen. Once I was coming back from a job out of town and the bus slowed down to swerve around another bus that was jacknifed in the middle of the road and had crushed into the front of a Jetta. This was particuarly upsetting to see, especially as the bus slowed down you could see glass everyhere and the front end of the VW crumpled up like a tin can. Inside the car were two people, motionless, covered in blood.
To his credit, the bus driver stopped the bus and got out to help. Most of the rest of the people on the bus did the same too, but not to help, to look, to see what was going on. This morbid fascination, is something that I lost when I was a teenager – my first insticts were to try and help not to watch.
However there is not much you can do, but I do know that If i was the one in the car I would not want a crowd of people watching me suffer. Sometimes, out of curiosity we want to see something like this, but is watching somebody else in discomfort something you really want to do?
Having expereinced how throughly awful it is when nobody is prepared to lend a hand makes you think about this a little more.
I am told the reasons for people not getting invloved in ‘trouble’ are:
People may blame you, you may get yourself into trouble, why take the risk?
I’ve heard stories of accident victims blaming the person that’s helping them for their injuries!
Somebody else said to me it’s because ‘China has a big population’ and so because there are so many people, lives are not worth as much?!
Glad you are OK David – I think that particular thief got a nasty surprise! I too have experienced the red mist… scary isn’t it? …must be genetic! Looking forward to seeing you when you return – stay safe!
Dad.
Glad you are OK David – I think that particular thief got a nasty surprise! I too have experienced the red mist… scary isn’t it? …must be genetic! Looking forward to seeing you when you return – stay safe!
Dad.
This reminds me of a scene from Mr Bean’s show. I’ve experienced an almost similar situation before a couple years ago, they got my mobile phone. Since then, i dont really trust people that much esp those who’re looking for help on the roads. Hey, i couldnt help it, once is enough 😐
And your chinese is better than mine, my mandarin is bad, very! I only know how to type ‘wang ba dan’ in pinyin on my phone 😆
This reminds me of a scene from Mr Bean’s show. I’ve experienced an almost similar situation before a couple years ago, they got my mobile phone. Since then, i dont really trust people that much esp those who’re looking for help on the roads. Hey, i couldnt help it, once is enough 😐
And your chinese is better than mine, my mandarin is bad, very! I only know how to type ‘wang ba dan’ in pinyin on my phone 😆