If you were standing in line in a public place, witnessing a man verbally brutalize an employee there, would you intervene?

Yes, I would ask him to quit.

I'd probably just make comments about what I thought, depending on the situation. I wouldn't try to stop him, just divert his attention or make him feel like an idiot for being so mean. Usually when I see people doing that, they are taking out their anger on the wrong person, so I make comments like "As if it was his fault! sheesh!" or something.

I don't know. I like to think that I would intervene, but I don't know if I would. I think it would depend on the circumstances.

I don't know what I could ever do about it. I'm not exactly intimidating.

I would call the police if he was making violent threats. If he wasn't, I would not intervene.

If it was bad enough that the employee was crying, yes I would intervene. I'd tell the guy to quit being an a**hole.

I did notice this type of situation last week.
3 young punks (no older than 12) came in to the Walgreens Pharmacy. I was there to get a carbless cookie. The kids were messing with a photo enlargement machine and the female employee told them to get away from it because a customer had legitimate business with it.
The leader of the group told her "to check herself G." I said "How about some respect for your elders?"
Well, these are some kids we'll see on the news wanted for robbery in a few years. It was 8:30 on a Wednesday night. WHERE WERE THE PARENTS??

No. I'd stand and stare for a bit and then get bored and walk away.

Yes. And I would do whatever it took to have him/her either calmed or removed.

I've been in this situation before and have acted. The only response I've ever received from the 'offender' is that it's none of my business. Then, I've explained because they're behaving like a two year old in public and 'holding up the line' it has become my business (I'm a body builder and have always had the person back down).

Oh my god....well I must be a wanted felon, considering the way I behaved when I was 12...maybe I'm committing horrific crimes in my sleep, and I'm just not aware of it yet...maybe I'd better go scour the evening news because I smoked cigarettes and stayed out past 10 when I was in jr. high...oh the humanity!

I would call the cops.

I would probably talk to a manager or someone in customer service.

I would intervene if I had assistance. Since I'm shorter than the average person, I feel it would work better if there was a security guard or some such other person in attendance to assist me. I'm afraid that I wouldn't look too intimidating to the average belligerant person.

I would watch. It's their moment.

Yes - but he sounds crazy. I think by my stepping in other people would be motivated to help. Sounds like a horrible situation.

The wise thing to do is to stay out of it because
1) I wouldnt want to lose my place in line, 2) I try to avoid macho guys looking for fights, 3) there is a chance that the employee was being an butt-hole, in which case I would actually be tempeted to join up with the beligeant dude, and 4) all these other people, why cant of them help

on hte flip side:
1) if some one does jumps in and takes on the beligerant man, I would jump in to help him out, 2) if I had stepped in and won, I would have came out as a hero, and not only get my 15 minutes of praise, but also, this new situation would instantly put me in the front of the line, which would be a nice boost for me, especially if I was at the back initally.

I would probably say something about the man holding up the line. But, what was said between the man and the employee is between them. I would assume that the employee had messed up. And, where's the manager at anyway? Most places have a manager of some kind on duty at all times. If there wasn't a manager around to take care of the problem, I'd probably be the next one throwing a fit.

You sound like me. I love watching a good confrontation, as long as I'm not in a hurry!

Do surveys like this usually sway you from offering a straight answer? I doubt you can honestly claim that this is the way you feel. If it is, then...well..."interesting" (I guess).

first of, what do you mean by "surveys like this". Second, I am not exactly sure what you mean by "sway me from" and "straight answer". Arent all answers straight answers? I am guessing that you are refering to my pragmatic view of the situation, rather than the idelogical one.

I mean honestly, most people here would say that they would jump in, even if no one else would, so they why wouldn't most people jump in in the first place. I can only come up with 3 conclutions: 1) people here on SC are somehow for some strange reason way more self-rightious than the general population of non-SC members, 2) people all over, non-SC or SC users alike, dilute themselves into overestimating their self-consciousness while underestimating the effects of the actual senario, or 3) they're just lying.

My gut tells me its #2, but hey, maybe I could be wrong. This thing here is whats called the bystander effect. In a sense, ironicly the more people are witnessing a crime, the less chance that at least one of them will help. I just consider myself honest enough not to see myself above everyone else. Hey, with all these other people in line, and not one of them stepin in, somehow I am the 'bad guy' here because although no one bothered steping in, that somehow doesnt excuse me not to either. That seems the way you phrased your question. In a way, you're putting the answerer on the spot asking What WOuld He Do in a way as if all other people in the line were just faceless multitudes, and its up to you to Save The Day. This seems just a bit biased to me.

I would find it incredibly difficult (maybe impossible) to write something--anything, even a factual article, or a textbook--without just a hint of my own world leaking into it (or bleeding all over it, whatever the case). So "bias", okay I'm guilty, I'll just grant that.
I like that you've added a bit of your own world to the scenario as well. In my personal visual of this scene, I happened to be the only other person in sight--in fact, as I reread the question and explanation, it could be said that I might have tried to influence that biased picture of one lonely patron (self) into the minds of the surveyors. Yet, somehow, by the time you entered this area, the lunch rush of patrons happened in with you, and there's "all these other people" with whom to share the responsibility.
I didn't mean to be so forthright in my comment you replied to. I was really just finding it interesting how your initial reluctance to assist was followed by your immediate reward for following someone else who intervened.

I like your number two theory, by the way. I can imagine how you might be closer to the truth than most imagine, including myself before I read what you said.

It's interesting how what people say and what people do are so different. For example, people say they think people should just be able to be themselves in public, and no one should be 'put off' or judge them. It's amazing how many people say that. In reality, if you go ahead and 'be yourself' in public. You are met with weird looks and sometimes even objections.

Sad to say it's probably 3.I would like it to be 1.Actually this survey is weird,given that 9 times on 10 the employees are the ones yelling and brutalizing people,not the other way around.Usually if someone "brutalizes" an employee there's a reason.provided that the man goes overboard or that the employee didn't do anything,then I would try to intervene,though maybe I would be scared and just feel sick and useless.

yieks!, what a can of worms.

This survey did say that you are IN A LINE, is that right? Generally speaking, lines tend to be long. In fact, just the term "short line" is an oxy-moron, is it now? And you even had an option for "only if it would make the line move quicker." YOu should easily see what kind of a picture this formed in my head.

Also, I go by the philosphy of "no good dead goes unpunished". Not that I have an objection to helping others, but in this case, if I had stepped in, I would most likly end up with 1) a black eye, 2) lose my place in line, and/or 3) possibly having the police callled on me for brawling. Though I have a moderate philosophy of helping those that cant help themselves, I am also very realistic about it, and I have to look out for the number one, if you know what I mean.

thats what the internet is for

Sorry--it's easy for me to picture myself "the only one standing in line". But I guess you could be right.

even your own option says "Yes, but only because he might be slowing up the line". I cant help it but imagine standing in a line filled with people.

Unless you were next and his actions were slowing your transaction. This is a real boring approach to the overall debate though, wouldn't you say?

yeah, I guess.

But you started it

I know, I know.

I'm a pretty big guy and can handle myself. I'll stand up for those who can't do it for themselves (i.e. someone afraid of losing his job if he does defend himself). I've been in situations like this at Starbuck's and at the supermarket recently and I was thanked by the employee for intervening. I was also challenged to a fight by a guy at Starbuck's when I told him he was being an butt-hole, but two other guys in line told him he'd have to take on all three of us....I hate jerks.