What the hell did you just shoot me with?

[blas]

If the guy hadn't had a kid with him, he would have been fair game.

Sorry, but on the clock or not....soaking a woman in the breasts with a water gun? Not cool. Even the other story about the raisins aimed to the cleavage....just...no. What kind of shit for brains pervert thinks it's just fine and dandy to do that? And then to justify it by saying "You need to cool off"??

[Ree]

Sorry, but on the clock or not....soaking a woman in the breasts with a water gun? Not cool. ...

I never said it was, but why bother getting into it even further?
Just walk away and call security and let them handle it.

If he's stupid enough to think something like that is even remotely funny, let him face the law and explain to them why he thought it was funny. Why risk putting yourself in harm's way by having accusations hurled from his side?
What if the child had fallen in the scuffle and been hurt?
Is that fair because his father is a shithead perv who squirts water on the front of women's shirts?

I don't think I condoned what the guy did, but I found the aftermath to be extreme.

[Sliceanddice]

i agree with her actions, she tried to take away the gun to check to see what was in i think that kind of thing is assult, he put the kid at risk and the coworker tried to help

[jayel]

I just want to say that I think it's ridiculous that 'the child' has become such a focus of this discussion. 'The child' is fine. 'The child' is not injured. If the guy doesn't want to put 'the child' in harms way, he should think about what he's doing and not instigate altercations in the presence of 'the child'.

If someone had soaked my clothing through like that, I'd have been pissed as well. Grown up feelings count too, and that's what this thread is about. Not 'the child'.

[Ree]

I just want to say that I think it's ridiculous that 'the child' has become such a focus of this discussion. 'The child' is fine. 'The child' is not injured. If the guy doesn't want to put 'the child' in harms way, he should think about what he's doing and not instigate altercations in the presence of 'the child'.

"The child" is also just an innocent bystander in this. He's smaller than everyone else involved in this whole mess.

His Dad was being a jerk, so why should he end up being grabbed by some stranger, trying to pull him from around his Dad's neck during a struggle, and then allegedly taken away by child protective services, when it was his moron parent who was at fault?

You're right though, that it's not all about "the child".

My mention of "the child" was only to point out how easily a simple and stupid situation can get out of hand, and people can end up hurt.
There have been several news stories in the past couple of years about minor little scuffles after sporting events, or in movie lineups, where two people started out bickering over something simple, it erupted into a struggle or pushing match of some kind, with one person falling on the pavement, hitting their head and either dying or ending up paralysed or brain damaged.

It could very easily have happened in this case, because of the use of the word, "gun", and a complete panic and overreaction by those around who assumed the worst.

It just seemed like an impulsive and potentially dangerous act to jump on some asshole with a watergun who also had a kid around his neck. We live in a pretty litigious society, and if some dude can sue a homeowner because he got injured while up to no good on their property, I would just hate to see Hon'ya-chen end up being sued because the moron fell, or his kid fell, so he found himself a good lawyer.

[Sliceanddice]

wait... was it his child? they never said it was, it could have been hs grand kid (hey im old enough to have a 3 year old and my mom and dad are about his age) or maybe some other kid... maybe he should have been taken in to protective services

[powerboy]

In the raisins case it's more sketchy since it should be "obvious" the raisins are harmless.

Ummm, What if it gets shot into the eye? It is not harmless then.

[Canarr]

Ummm, What if it gets shot into the eye? It is not harmless then.

Maybe, but using violence defending against someone shooting *food* at you? That's over the line, and might actually get you charged with "excessive self-defense" over here.

As for the guy with the water pistol: I gotta ask, how severe are charges of sexual harassment and assault? I mean, is he looking at community service, or probation, or several years in prison? If the latter - probably meaning loss of his kid, too - then that's excessive. Yeah, the guy was being an idiot and an asshole, but you shouldn't have to go to prison - and your kid into foster care or whatever - just for making a dumb joke that, ultimately, didn't do any real harm.

[marasbaras]

Serious overreaction.

Walk away, let security deal with it.

And, like it or not, there IS a child involved. Whether or not that's fair to the adults who were accosted is immaterial.

An adult gets squirted with water so we try to grab the kid off the shoulders? Just not smart. Not at all.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Maybe the father should have handed over the gun and put his child down. I'm sorry, but seeing as it was blatently obvious to even the most stupid person that what he was doing was bad, he should have handed the water gun over when Honda pulled at it, and put the kid down. The only person to blame for the alleged mental anguish of the child is his FATHER, no-one else. If the guy had been cycling down the road with his kid on his shoulders, and someone had bumped into them, would you be blaming the person for the child falling to the floor, when his father was putting him in danger?

I'm sick and tired of this society, when no-one is allowed to take responsibility for their actions. The father attacked Honda and put his kid at risk of retaliation, therefore he's to blame.

[symposes]

Would this discusion have taken a different turn, had that water gun been full of something other then water?

What if it was filled with spooge, or bleach, or even acid.

Would we be saying she overreacted then?

Im just a guy, but if someone shot me with a water pistol, after i asked them to stop, I would resort to violence. Especially if it was a grown man messing around, who copped an attitude with me when I asked him to stop. Sorry, I know the feelings of CS.com, but I would. Seriously. Granted If it was a kid, my "Violence" would be a stern talking to. I may still take the toy away and hope he runs for his parents, but I wouldnt intentionally do something that might hurt a kid. But a grown man, fair game.
Id smack him upside the head. plain and simple.

Also, something that just occured to me. Look at the reaction the kid on his shoulders is giving this situation.

"If he didnt have that kid, hed be fair game, But because he had that kid, we should have just ignored him and let him continue with his pervy actions."

Ill bet he had that kid on his shoulders for JUST that reaction. "If i have this kid on my shoulders, maybe i can soak some girls shirt, and see her boobies!"

think about it.

Do not let those S.H. charges slide OP. Dont let them slide.

[marasbaras]

If he didnt have that kid, hed be fair game, But because he had that kid, we should have just ignored him and let him continue with his pervy actions.

Not what I said at all. I said "let security handle it". Huge difference.

Let the people trained in the art and laws of physical confrontation deal with the physical confrontation. That's why you pay them.

[Ree]

The only person to blame for the alleged mental anguish of the child is his FATHER, no-one else.

I don't believe anyone has said the father was not at fault here.
The main concern was with an impulsive act of jumping some moron with a kid in his shoulders who had just squirted water on a shirt.

Would this discusion have taken a different turn, had that water gun been full of something other then water?

What if it was filled with spooge, or bleach, or even acid.

Would we be saying she overreacted then?

The fact of the matter is that it was only only water, and even if she did not know that, I still stand by my opinion that jumping the guy to grab the gun was impulsive and potentially dangerous to all concerned.
If it was acid, then wouldn't it make more sense to get the hell out of there and call the cops, rather than risk more bodily harm???

Also, something that just occured to me. Look at the reaction the kid on his shoulders is giving this situation.

"If he didnt have that kid, hed be fair game, But because he had that kid, we should have just ignored him and let him continue with his pervy actions."

Ummm...no....because there was a child on his shoulders and they chose to grab the kid and attack the guy to get the watergun, that made the risk of them coming under accusations of assault that much higher.

What is the bigger crime? Spraying water on some girl's shirtfront for perverted kicks, or grabbing a kid off someone's neck, possibly risking the kid falling on the pavement and being hurt, possibly causing damage to the father's neck by wrenching the child off his shoulders, or possibly having the father make an accusation that his child was touched inappropriately by the person grabbing the kid?
As has been said, nobody takes responsibility for their actions, so it could just as easily have been turned back on the victim because they chose to retaliate by acting first by laying hands on the attacker, rather than calling law enforcement of some kind.

At no time have I even condoned what this asshole did, nor have I excused it because he had the child on his shoulders.
I also do not minimize what the OP had happen to her.
I just question the way it was handled.

[friendofjimmyk]

Hmm...wow. Very good discussion here.

The guy may have been joking around at first, but when the OP showed her obvious discontent with being squirted, he should've walked away. Rather, he squirted her again. This is showing his child a blatant lack of disregard and respect for another persons request....nice lesson to be teaching your child.

If he's in the right or wrong state - that sexual harrassment charge could earn him a spot on a sex offenders list. In Dallas, my ex-husband knew a guy who was hanging out at an apartment complex pool drinking a few beers with his buddies. Things got a bit crazy and this guy mooned his friends. Well, a mother and her 12 year old daughter were at the pool and mom called the cops. That guys stunt earned him a charge and a spot on the sex offenders list - he has to register now whereever he lives.

What some of you have overlooked is that the cops and mall security had already been alerted by others about this guy. So, there was an ongoing problem they were already dealing with - in this day and age, running around a public place with a gun, real or not, is not a wise idea. This could be seen as a terroristic threat kind of deal. The OP explained how some reacted upon her yelling, "give me that gun" or whatever it was - people ran. So, take the on going issue into account and that's probably why said child was removed from dad at this time. This does not mean child is removed permanently, just at this point in time...

I don't know if I could really call this overreaction or not...there are a lot of variables to consider and...I'm sorry, you just don't go around shooting random strangers with anything!!!!!! (People mentioned bleach or acid - what about more deadly stuff....or drugs?)

[marasbaras]

If the police and mall security were already aware of this guy, the proper response is to walk away and quietly inform them of his presence.