What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

[BillVol]

My wife and I went for a run/walk about a week ago along a busy street in our planned community. About midway through our 5-mile run, my wife was hit with a tennis ball on her back and I was hit with a paper cup full of ice and Pepsi. The debris was thrown at us by some boys who were driving down the road. That has never happened to me before in all my years of running. I've been yelled at and one time a car swerved toward me before straightening out and honking, but I've never been hit with debris.

If my wife or I had turned around at the same time the debris was headed our way, we could have easily lost an eye if ice or the tennis ball had hit is there.

After getting back home and getting the drink off of me, I drove back to get the cup. KFC cup. I went to KFC to ask if these boys had been in today. The manager hit her fist on the counter and said, "Those boys are always messing up my restaurant." They had all paid with credit/debit cards, so we had names. The police investigated what little there was to investigate and they have all confessed.

The dad of one of the boys says his son is very sorry. That's great, but if he had been truly sorry, wouldn't he have confessed to this earlier? Everybody is sorry when the long arm of the law grabs them. Everybody is contrite.

I'm not sure what to do here. The detective says if I give her the word, the boys will be arrested. I don't want that, but -- I'm sorry -- a simple apology is not enough for me. That's the problem today: no discipline! I'm sick of it.

I'm asking for advice from the runners (or non-runners) here on what I should do. Out-of-court settlement? I have to do something, I feel.

[tafnut]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

If you don't press charges, this cycle will continue and if someone DOES get hurt, you will regret not doing something when you had the chance.

[kuha]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

I'm not sure if I really recommend this, but on one of my less secure routes in the old days, I often ran with a nice rock in my hand. A cracked back window just might deter future stupidity from young guys in cars...or it might just encourage more... Who knows these days? I appreciate your dilemma.

[bhall]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

I'd like to know how you escaped this in ChattaVegas! Was common when I went over the ridge toward the battlefield (Seminole and such?). Can't recall ever having a problem downtown, which was stigmatized as the "bad part of town."

[tafnut]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

>>I often ran with a nice rock in my hand. A cracked back window >just might deter future stupidity from young guys in car.<<

recipe for disaster - vengeance begets vengeance. Letting the law handle it is your best choice, but I've love to hear of more 'imaginative' solutions. I've run now for 35 years and never had an incident, thank goodness.

[mojo]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

I had someone throw an empty beer bottle from a speeding car right at me. It shattered of course and I had pieces of glass embedded in my legs! I was so stunned I had no useful info to give police so did nothing.

I hope they catch these guys-it sounds like they are real trouble.

[guru]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

For all of us who have dealt with jerks similar to this I say go after them. My hat is off to you for your investigative work, and I would also notify the local media. I GUARANTEE you all of them will want to do a story on this, which will help get the word out to all the punks out there they might be next to get caught.

Heck, tell Runners World and they'll probably put you on the cover - seriously.

Well done Bill(and Mrs. Vol )

[marknhj]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

My former wife had a tennis ball thrown at her while on a solo bike ride at the beach 10 years ago. She ignored it but on the return the guy was still there and tried to stop her; she stopped, leaned the bike against the wall, approached the jerk and punched him right in the mouth in front of his friends. We saw him a few more times later and had no further problems -not that I recommend violence, of course

[jrun]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

Punish the young punks.

[slowcoach]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

Isn't this the kind of thing that that NY cop invented "zero tolerance" for?

Catch it while it's smouldering at a relatively low level, and stamp it out; don't wait until it becomes a full-blown forest fire.



Edited to add: this was aimed at the original poster, not Mark's ex-wife!!

[MJD]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

>>>I often ran with a nice rock in my hand. A cracked back window >just might
>deter future stupidity from young guys in car.<<

recipe for disaster -
>vengeance begets vengeance. Letting the law handle it is your best choice, but
>I've love to hear of more 'imaginative' solutions. I've run now for 35 years
>and never had an incident, thank goodness.

Typical tafnut. kuha's is the correct response. You have a right to defend yourself. The single finger salute can often suck them into doing something stupid though-getting out of their car, turning their car around, the person in the car calling the police, chasing you in their car, throwing something else. I've seen and been involved in all of those.

[eldrick]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

i'd advise you to take a very calculated approach

i certainly wouldn't think openly prosecuting them or reporting them to the papers would help you

sure

they serve their "time", but, they will come out full of vengeance

youre name & address will be inevitably revealed in court/paper & these kids will remember all that, every single second/cent they spent in/on jail/fine

once they served their sentence:

you will get shit posted thru your letterbox, thrown on your lawn,bricks thru windows & of course targeted with more missiles every time you go for a run


think calculated


you said tou live in a gated community - likely small place, further evidence being that you found the KFC - gotham likely has 20+, so you to find it & the managress to remember the yokels suggests a small place

best bet ?

talk to the local Buford T Justice/Roscoe P Coltrane & ask for any other complaints that have been made against the kids - if they won't divulge, get your lawyer ( shold be no charge - i'd assume he's the public prosecutor ) to get the details

almost certainly, the kids will have previous "form" - bustin up a KFC can't be their only previous misdemenour

once this almost certainly confirmed, your best policy is to convince Buford to subtly keep an eye on these reprobates (unofficially) - meaning circling the various high streets/KFCs/burgerkings/macs/clubs/bar/hostelry/etc., knowing the plates of the kids ( Buford should know how to access the car registry ! )


eventually, the kids will commit an offense in general view of the constabulary ( hopefully not Buford Junior - mike henry ! ) & get convicted on a "public order offense"


this way, the dumb kids never realise that YOU were responsible for their arraignment


THINK SNEAKY !!!!!

[guru]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

>Typical tafnut.


Has anyone else ever noticed you never see malmo and MJD at the same time?

:-P

[tafnut]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

>>Typical tafnut. kuha's is >the correct response. You have a right to defend yourself. The single finger >salute can often suck them into doing something stupid though-getting out of
>their car, turning their car around, the person in the car calling the police, >chasing you in their car, throwing something else. I've seen and been involved >in all of those.<<

Getting the sh*t kicked out of you is not my idea of justice. If you sink to their level, that's exactly where they want you. Then, when someone REALLY gets hurt, it's your word against theirs. I've had to bail too many of my enlisted subordinates out of trouble because they could only think with their fists. 'Eye for an eye' is OLD Testament for a reason - there's a better way.

edit: >>Has anyone else ever noticed you never see malmo and MJD at the same time?<<

the difference is (other than malmo no longer signs in as 'malmo') that MJD respectfully disagrees, and there's never any malice. I'll take his disagreements 24/7. He's one of the nicest guys on here (EPelle is #1).

[gh]

Re: What to do with boys who hit us with debris on our run?

There is no blanket answer, and the right (IMHO) prosecution of the case probably involves too much work on your part. Important to know what kind of kids they are, how old they are, how much REAL trouble they ever get in. If it's some mid-teens just doing silly "pranks" the last thing you want to do is earn them any time that'll turn them into legitimate thugs.

But if they've already gone over to the dark side, string 'em up.

Since they weren't chucking any lethal missiles and there was (apparently) no alcohol involved, I'd say take it gently. Sound like silly kids who need a minor scare, which a visit by the cops may well already have achieved. (but only you can know all that for sure)