[areth]

So, for once I actually started a fight (sort of). But I did have a reason that seemed really, really good at the time (and made me really, really angry at the time).

So, this actually happened yesterday. Someone in my class walked over and grabbed my hand and pulled it palm-up. He said, "I bet I can tell your future from your palm." and started pointing to my fingers and talking before I could say anything. "Okay, so here's your wife, your kids, your dog, and here's your swimming pool." At that point he hawked at loogie into my hand. If you don't know hawking a loogie is, it's when you cough up phlegm and spit it out.

So, I just wiped my hand off on the table, stood up, and punched him in the face. Three times. Then the teacher stopped me and sent the kid to go get paper towels to clean up the phlegm. I didn't get in trouble. Still, though, thinking back on it, I do think I overreacted a bit (I just got really mad and didn't really think about it when I did it.)

So... did I overreact?

[Screaming Eagle]

Hmmmnnn...maybe a loogie (his own) on his face would have been more appropriate? Either way, no pointing of the finger. I'll bet he won't do it again. Catch him on the hockey ice...

[Bladed]

Shoulda just wiped it on his face and reported him to the teacher. Especailly since the swine flu is going around.

[Unswydd]

areth, I'm sorry, I don't advocate fighting ever but this would have raised every hair I have and I would have done the same thing. Good for you!

[crashdive123]

Areth, what he did is considered assault. While I don't advocate fighting, sometimes a lesson needs to be learned.

[cowgirlup]

Well, Maybe one punch would have gotten the point across. Three may have been overkill.

IMO you may have saved Mr. Funny Guys butt. Because surely he would have eventually pulled that or something worse on someone with less restraint and we'd be reading about him in the news.

If you didn't get in trouble then the teachers know he likely deserved it.

But you aslo don't want a reputation as any sort of bad a$$ because then someone will always want to challenge you. So don't brag about it too much.

[Dang]

Anything after one punch would be excessive, but we are only people after all

But as mentioned, don't let it get to your head you don't want that kind of rep.

[areth]

I don't want that kind of reputation, and I don't have it. I don't believe I'm a bad@$$ or anything, and I don't want people to believe I am. Personally, I don't like punching people anyways. I just wasn't thinking.

[Celticwarrior]

When I was in school, younger than you, I was sitting in class during lunch break, with several other people. One of the older kids from a grade or two above mine came in and was trying to start trouble. Finally he settled on the class "fat kid", and was really tormenting the poor guy. I was reading a novel at my desk and had ignored the guy up to that point, but I told him to lay off the guy and go back to wherever he had come from. He turned his attention to me, and I tried my best to ignore his taunts and crap, but at least he left the other kid alone. Finally he went too far and spit in my hair from behind. Everyone stopped what they were doing in the room when I got up. He stepped back and put up his fists like a boxer, which made me laugh even at the time. He was a bully but not a real fighter, obviously. I just walked up to him, and without warning (or putting up my fists like Joe Louis, LOL) popped a right cross into his jaw. He went down like a sack of flour in one shot. I got some paper towels, used the drinking fountain to clean the back of my head off, and sat down again to finish what I could out of my book. He got up, threatened me with "later!" whatever that was supposed to mean, and ran out crying. Never saw him anywhere near our wing of the school again, though.

Sometimes you just have to stand up, take action, don't go too far but get the point across that you aren't someone to be f*&ked with. Period. Word gets around, and as long as you don't take it too far or go bragging, folks will learn to go elsewhere if they want to mess with someone.

[River Rat]

Don't loose any sleep over it. He's lucky he didn't grab me!