Moron #1 and Moron #2

[NTSOG]

G'day All,

I went out after foxes and hares on a farm down the road last week. The township in which I have lived for 37 years is in two parts with open paddocks and plantations separating the north part from the south. Because there is access through the bush from many directions there has been some serious theft at times as thieving beggars can come in quickly and get out a number of ways. Consequently the local community Facebook page posts warnings about suspect vehicles and people. On the evening I went out my wife informed me that a suspect maroon ute with a white rear canopy and no plates had been seen that day.

I stopped in the gateway to a paddock well short of the south part of the township and got dressed for stalking: camo jacket, balaclava with ear plugs in and slung my torch and thermal spotter around my neck. It was about 7:40PM. I was about to reach for my .222 Rem rifle when I noticed a vehicle coming out of a dead-end gravel road about 150 yards to the south. When the driver saw the internal lights of my gold Subaru Impreza he drove up and parked behind my car and called out. I gestured and told him "Wait!" while I obviously pulled out my ear plugs then looked at him. He ordered "WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE?" My cheerful response was "Mind you own business!"* He escalated the intensity of his behaviour and I just kept responding in a calm cheerful voice "Mind you own business!" His mate sat silently in the ute. After several 'go rounds' he muttered "There's some s**t going down." At that I said cheerfully "Oh, you mean the maroon ute with the white canopy and no number plates?" as I stood dressed in hunting gear next to my gold Impreza. I think my knowing about the suspect ute threw him off balance a bit. After a bit he thought I might be called 'Jim'. [I don't know if I have ever met him; it's unlikely.] He tried to question me a few more times, but gave up. As he pulled away he yelled "You need to check your attitude mate!"

Obviously the fool was colour blind and can't tell one car from another. I don't know who the moron is, but I now know roughly where he lives - he told me - and what he drives. I suspect he's a new chum to the district who thinks he can throw his weight around, but I'm damned if any new-comer bully-boy is going to order me around.

I followed up the next day by having a chat with the local copper to let him know what happened and also get on the record before the moron could try feeding the coppers some rubbish story. The copper just about peed himself laughing at the thought of a self-appointed pair of vigilantes being stupid enough to challenge an unknown bloke [who happened to have a rifle] in the dark along a back country road with acres of farm land and plantations around and the nearest occupied house being about 800 yards away. He could not believe the idiots could be so stupid.

Jim


* I worked for 40 years with very violent people and always make a habit of speaking cheerfully to people who are in a temper. It effectively punishes their unacceptable behaviour and confuses them.

[mchughcb]

Only in Australia where self opinionated people go running up or driving up to people with a rifle and start mouthing off. I've seen it a few times now in WA, NSW and Victoria. Normally when I'm overseas and I see a bunch of guys running past me with Klashnikovs I don't bother shirt fronting them and ask them what their business is around here.

[on_one_wheel]

Their everywhere, probably not a bad thing because the police can't be.

I was exploring a few unfamiliar back roads with my fiance a few months ago, skirting around national parks, reserves and public gardens looking for new walking trails to explore.
We were behind Mount Lofty parked up by a gate to an old rehabilitated quarry when a bloke walking his dogs thought we looked suspicious enough to pull his phone out and photo our vehicle.

[Wm.Traynor]

What a fascinating post, Jim, in a number of ways. You sound like you could be a role model for dealing with morons. Sadly, though I might like to, I don't think I could be cheerful in the face of threatening people but I hope I can remember to try.

[NTSOG]

G'day WT,

Bullies try to 'get your goat' or draw you in emotionally and physically so as to destabilise you and gain control. Surely you remember that old saying from school "Sucked in!"? Bully-boys want to get you angry. I don't allow such fools to 'suck me in' physically or emotionally and I also respond verbally only in terms of what I'm choosing to do and my perspective, i.e. 'Mind you own business!', draws a clear line and declares 'I'm not playing your bully-boy game', nor will I respond to verbal 'attacks' unless it suits me'. Even then I will reframe what they say to suit me. If you get 'sucked in' and become angry the bully-boy wins as he has destabilised you and your mood and thus dragged you down to his childish level just as tennis players - think John McEnroe - used to do and still do. When dealing with morons I make sure I do not step towards them, nor lean toward them or even thrust my face at them; I refuse to be 'sucked in' physically. I hold my ground, standing at relaxed attention and hold a relaxed upright posture in my space. It really P's off bully-boys as they are used to others escalating in mood in response to the BB's aggression which gives the BB a win. Alternately some people back away even cringe, and thus yield, also a win to BBs. I stand and speak politely, quietly - this is important - and smile [not smirk] pleasantly. When I choose I simply walk away with no further response at all. Speaking very quietly is effective as it forces the BB to listen harder and thus 'come to me on my terms' with his attention. I never yell at BBs; I speak to them softly. I also make direct and often prolonged 'soft', 'searching' eye contact which also makes BBs confused because they're getting attention, but not the attention they want so as to gain power.

As I said in the footnote in my first post I spent 40 years working with very disturbed and often violent people of all ages. I've had a lot of practice as a professional managing/manipulating people who have been in extreme rages and bringing them under control and then teaching others how to manage them. As you might expect I was hit, bitten, scratched, kicked, spat upon, vomited on, piddled on, wiped with faeces, threatened with knives, had used sanitary napkins thrown at me, etc. many times over the years. Moron #1 the other night was easy to manipulate. On my scale he was barely 2/10 compared to people with whom I worked in institutions and other places. I can list 4 clients of mine over the years who ranked 11/10 for extreme and dangerous behaviour.

Jim

[Wm.Traynor]

Thank you Jim. Your advice is invaluable but I am very sorry that it caused you to re-visit the past. It sounds like you have led a most unenviable working life and I wish you a "Speedy recovery", as it were.

[NTSOG]

G'day WT,

If you work with disturbed people the sort of behaviour I described is just normal 'business'. Effective practitioners never take it personally; you just laugh about it. You protect yourself without fuss and get on with the job in such a way that the client doesn't s/he 'scored'. Problems arise when 'bleeding heart' people who wear their hearts on their sleeves get involved and try to engage very damaged people at a personal level, only to have their emotion-based attempts, i.e. 'love will find a way', to engage such people rebuffed, often violently. The 'bleeding heart folks often cause massive damage before they literally run away to seek counseling because their feelings are hurt. [I met one senior social worker who visited one of my clients after I and staff worked for over three years to stabilise the young girl's previously dangerous behaviour. The social worker was only told how violent my female client had previously been after her visit to see the young woman. Nothing bad happened during her visit, but the P-Weak social worker demanded and received counseling at tax-payers' expense for shock caused by learning how dangerous the young woman had been in the past.] In short if you can't stand the heat, don't go in the kitchen!

Jim

[AZZA'S HJ47]

I had a simler experience on a block that i shoot on the owner wasn't there i always pop into the house hold to check in even if i dont think anyones home. Saw the owners Sister in law said hello and went on my way.

Nek minute i see a white Disco moving at warp six look at my shooting mate with a smile and said we have company. I dead set thought he was going to run me over. I moved out of the road so i wasn't centre of the bull bar and he corrected the car and i was centre again.

Thankfully he stopped and jumped out of the car screaming WHO ARE YOU WHATA RE YOU DOING HERE! RICHARD? I ask confused look on his face with a Yea in response. Aaron mate your brother gets me to take care of the foxes and the odd cat out here for him.

I now have acess to Richards place too, not a bad way to meet someone. The property owner never told him I was going to come to the block. Makes for a good story i did have to change my dacks afterwards but w laugh none the less.

[Wm.Traynor]

Well Jim and AZZA, you two have made me check the spelling of the word, "Resilient", which I think applies to both of you