Ok, so I got into an altercation today. And I got puched in the face for the first time since I can remember. And I nearly killed the guy. To the honest best of my recollection, it happened like this:
I pulled up to the gas station, and it was busy. My car has a right-hand fill, and all of those pumps were all recently occupied. I was the only one in line. There was an empty space about to free up for a left hand fill, but it was in front of a car that had just pulled in. So I drove around to the pump, and the guy was still fiddling around. So I waited. I had my kids (3 and 5) and my mother in law in the car, and my wife has been on business travel for 3 weeks. I may have been a little touchy.
When he finally cleared the pump, another dude drove up and positioned forward of the rear pump. I needed like a foot more space, and we could both have filled up. So I flash my headlights to try to get his attention for a little sign language (no, not that), and make the situation work for both of us. He ignores it. So I honk the horn, he looks up, I gesture for him to move back a foot, and he nods no. No.
So I get out of the car, walk over to his car, and explain it verbally, and he still says no. So I get into my car, and move mine forward (we are head to head) to within 2-3 mm (about 1/8 of an Inch). He wigs out, and gets out of his car, saying he is going to call the police, but before doing so, starts taking pictures of my car to grt the license plate. I freak out, because my kids are in the car, and a picture showing kids in a car with a license plate could allow some sicko to get my home address. I know that it sounds crazy, but in the age of social media, parents can get a little paranoid. So I grab his phone/camera - snatched it right from his hands, and asked him if he was a pervert. As you can see, this is going nowhere enlightening, so I understand if you stop reading now.
I told him that I would hand his phone to the police, but there was no way to give it back to him directly. I told him to get someone to call the police, that I would wait in the car, and could he please move his car back about a foot. I called him a pervert again, and headed to my car with his phone.
He screamed to people to call the police, and when they did, he, get this, runs over to my door, opens it, and just starts waling on me. He connected only 2-3 punches, but did so from a height and advantage, as I was seated and buckled in. I couldn't believe it, and was pretty well catatonic until the 3rd punch rolled in. It was going to be a miss, but my expert blocking ensured that it made a sqaure hit on my front jaw. I cocked a punch, watched him, squinted, and threw a brutal one in his face, he leaned back a little, which gave me time to get my feet into a defensive position so I could fiddle with my belt. He leaned in and I blocked his punches the right way this time. I kicked him in the stomach once, undid my belt, kicked him again with both feet, diaginally upward since I was seated sideways in the car).
He reeled, and I got up. I watched him patiently again, blocked a couple of his throws, and then connected with his left jaw joint. His head turned and his body followed, so I put him in a headlock. I put him down on the ground, pinned his left arm to his ribs with my knee, and left his right arm trapped. I had total advantage, and cocked for a clear shot. I asked him if this was what he was looking for. At that moment, some other dude stepped in to break up the fight, and I backed off.
Now I love to debate and argue, and I do get a kick out of good screaming match, but I am by no means a violent person. The only fights I ever got into in school were when I was being picked on or bullied. I never had much patience for that, and therefore got into fights. I was a nerd not because I was small or lanky, but because I was socially awkward as anyone who knows me can attest.
The last time I got punched in the face or anywhere for that matter was when I was about 16. This of course excludes my brother. Until recently we used to get into loud arguments that evolved into physical confrotations and usually exit from the bar.
I can't imagine behaving differently given the circumstances, and I know I was responsible for a lot of the escalation. My uncle Tom, who committed suicide a couple of years ago due to abuse by a priest, would surely have just sat there with a smile, waited for the guy to leave, and pull up before the next one did the same thing.