A mugger comes at you armed with a knife. Do you resist?  

Good for you lamb. I would pull out my revolver and just quietly remind him taht a Smith & Wesson beats 4 aces as well as a gun.

Thanks for both replies.

Lamb - I do not think that it is an issue. It sounds to me like a positive response!

Muscles - agreed, but given that I live in Europe, a knife is about as much as you're allowed. When one tried it on me, I used the umbrella that I had like a sword, not very well, but effectively. Enough time in fact until the police fortunately turned up.

I do not think that it is an issue. It sounds to me like a positive response!

Well, you gotta realize...I'm probably not saying it because they came at me with a knife...I'm probably saying it because I am still angry at the jerk I had to deal with on the phone at work.

*Lamb curls up at thea's feet*

Noticed you'd gone when I woke up.

Hi Thea,

hope that you could swing it with sufficient speed.

Sounds like Greece is a pretty safe place, or will be until the government realises that they have no money with which to pay the police their wages.

They don't need wages, we have bribes.

Hi,

thanks for the reply.

I will wish you well if it happens to you (I have been there and would not wish it on anyone).

One thing to bear in mind is that these guys at times do not like leaving anyone behind who might identify them. Women are at a definite disadvantage in this respect normally.

Hi Sandra,

yes I remember that scene very well - it was very funny.

Women are usually at a disadvantage with this, but the fear that I would have if you do not resist is that they would not want to leave anyone behind who might be able to identify them.

I also understand the comment about money. When the mugger tried to attack me (back in my days living in Amsterdam), I had the equivalent of 60 cents on me! I had an umbrella though, and I had to give an imitation of one of the Three Musketeers in trying to resist.

I ended up on my backside, prodding him hard in the chest with the umbrella while he was aiming his knife at my private parts. Fortunately at that moment the police arrived! He got 20 months (14 other cases taken into account apparently). Should have been 20 years!

I'm just laughing at the image of you as D'Artagnan with an umbrella. You're right, it would probably bebetter not to resist, but I think the adrenalin would kick in and I'd just go for it anyway. I'm only little - just over 5' tall - but what I lack in size I make up for in fire power. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry! (That's a line from 'Benidorm,' and the comeback is: 'I don't like you now!') Please don't come back with that comeback, Tony.

Hi,

thanks for your interesting reply.

As you aware I live in Europe, so drawing a gun would be a problem.

Nothing to be gained by not resisting though - the police advice on this seems to forget that the mugger doesn't want anyone round to identify him, so robbery may not be his only potential misdeed.

The one time that I had this happen to me, I had to make do with an umbrella (they don't like having the point of an umbrella stuck in their chest), until the police conveniently turned up.

I commend you on your use of the umbrella as a weapon, it was probably much more formidable as it's reach was much greater than that of the knife. the problem with using a knife as a weapon is if you don't know how to handle it propperly, it is very easy to get it taken away from you, leaving you with out a weapon and most people don't know how. I'm not saying everyone should just arbitrarily resist someone holding a knife to them, but it is much easier than many other things they could use to rob you.
On guns.....People can say what they will about them, but they truly are the great equalizer. Almost with out exception, where ever gun bans have been put in place, crime by other means has sky rocketed.

Yeah,

well the amount of knife crime in the UK last year may prove your point.

Germany seems to have very little violent crime (maybe some in the former East in places like Dresden and Leipzig, and odd spots where the Russian Mafia haven't been rounded up yet).

This may also be down to the fact that the number of younger people is at an all-time low. There are twice as many people over 60 as there are under 25, and the chance of being mugged by a senior citizen is pretty small (exit followed by old lady aiming a Glock at my skull).

ROFL! Hey, it does happen from time to time.
As to knife incidents...although they are loathed to officialy admit it, the same thing seems to be happening in Australia, where they too recently put a massive fire arms ban in place. violent crime there in general skyrocketed in fact.
You mention germany.....was there not a school shooting there last year or something to that effect?

Winnenden, near Stuttgart early last year.

The father was the member of a local gun club (among the only people here licensed to keep a gun at home have to sign up as members of gun clubs). They used to go hunting, and target shooting, and lock the rifles up when they came home. The boy often went with his father, who thought ducks would be about his only interest.

The boy, however, also learned to open the gun cupboard lock without a key, and decided to go and settle a few scores with various other kids and a couple of teachers. He had being seeing a psychologist, and was described as "delusional", which I suppose does not help. Don't you just love psychologists - almost as easy a job as accountancy!

A few weeks later, someone tried the same in Munich, but only came armed with a knife. He had left the school the previous year, but his hatred for certain teachers had not abated. He too had been seeing a psychologist!

Sounds more like Germany has a psychologist control problem than a gun control problem. I don't trust them much myself I guess.

Hi Andrew,

thanks for your reply.

Most of the time they will be only concerned about theft, so maybe resistance is not the road to follow.

What would worry me is that some of these guys would not want to leave anyone around to identify them and getting your throat cut is a possibility. And thankfully I am not a woman - they of course, have other horrific possibilities which might face them (I do not think that I need to explain that in too much detail).

It did happen to me in the 1990s when I was living in Amsterdam. I did not see what action he intended with the knife, I had an umbrella with me (as it had been raining), and I manage to fend him off with that until the police fortunately arrived.

Hi edxcast,

thnks for your reply.

It would be good to be trained in some form of defence technique when you encounter these guys.

What would worry me is the fact that they may be worried about you being able to identify them after they had robbed you, and might then use the knife to cut your throat - so I would feel impelled to resist whatever the cost.

And if I were a woman, which of course I am not, there may be other things to fear from these guys.

Thanks for your reply.

Generally this is what the police would recommend, and as I live in Europe not the USA, a gun is out of the question.

My concern would be that the mugger may also be concerned about not leaving anyone behind to identify him afterwards, so he may use the knife anyway.

When I was attacked by one of these guys, back in the 1990s, I was fortunate to have an umbrella with me which helped hold him off till the police arrived. If you have nothing like that though, and no martial arts training, then it is probably best to allow the robbery to take place and hope for the best.

Thanks for your reply.

Generally that would be recommended, although some of these guys are also concerned that they would be leaving someone behind who might identify them, and might use the knife anyway.

Admittedly that puts you in an almost impossible position. Probably you will give up the money and hope that is an end to it.

Hi Judith,

thanks for the reply.

See above replies on how to resist (particularly the US-only alternative, not available in Europe, with guns), and how I fought one off with an umbrella!

Yours sounds the sensible approach, unless you are a karate black belt (or second dan, or whatever they are called).

have i told you about the time a couple of idiots tried to mug me in south america yet? it wins a prize for most pathetic mugging attempt...

sounds fascinating. I gather they did not succeed in getting even one peso out of you then?

oh good. you haven't heard it before. this occurred during The Time of Ridiculous Robberies - there were several.

i finished work, waiting to flag down a taxi just outside the school, saw two young lads swaggering down the street. decided that i was not going to cross the road because i was just outside my work, and next to a shop whose owners i knew. so the kiddies came up, asked some pointless questions about where something was. one then started going 'look, look' and showed me a piece of broken glass he was holding and asking for money. i decided they were not going to get any money so i said i didn't have any, but i DID have cigarettes. they went 'yay! cigarettes', took one each, said thankyou, handed me the packet back and swaggered off.

another ridicous robbery concerned a student. this could have been more serious because the muggers had a gun. however she told them she only had ten dollars and had to get a taxi home. i think she might have cried too. so they took her $10, and erm gave her back change for a taxi...

We should probably re-word this for the rabbit:

"A hunter comes at you with a spear. Do you freeze in fright and become stew, or do you run?"

you have forgotten i am a wererabbit. the answer is neither.