This couple brought their newborn baby to a movie. The baby started crying and the boyfriend took the baby outside. The girl then was constantly texting throughout the entire movie while her boyfriend was gone. At one point, I asked, “Can you please put your phone away?” She said she was texting her boyfriend (why not just go into the hall with him then?). I just replied, “We’re in a movie.” She continued to use her phone the rest of the movie, but I didn’t say anything else.
As I was leaving, her boyfriend was waiting for me at the stairs with baby in arms. He basically started telling me to mind my own business and to let her do her thing. The girl clearly texted her boyfriend I said something. Upon reflection, I should have just walked away. But I tried explaining myself. “It’s distracting, take it outside instead of texting in a movie, yada yada.” He then started backing me into the wall, still with his baby, and said, “You’re lucky I don’t have this baby in my hand right now.” I replied, “Are you threatening me?” He said, “Yes, I am.” I then exclaimed, “This man is threatening me with violence!” But the other guy was still carrying the baby, so people assumed I was the instigator and started pushing me away. I was left completely in a state of shock. What should I have done differently to avoid this? Is it even worth trying to tell people things like putting their phone away in the movie? What should I have done with the guy confronted me? I feel like I should not just completely do nothing, but do not want to get involved in another potentially violent altercation ever again
Edit: Word Choice
Comments
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Situational. In this case I would have told theater staff that they were being distracting and got them both kicked out.
Honestly learning lesson for you. The wording could’ve been better. And it could’ve have been that long of a wait. And was it really that bad you had to say something ? You just gotta suck it up brother. You don’t have to be the hero in everything. You see no one else saying anything for that reason.. if you don’t want the attention keep ya mouth shut, and I say say that respectfully just looking out for you.
In most situations, nobody’s going to help a grown man calling for help while involved an altercation with another man without some obvious crime or weapon involved. Most people don’t want to get involved or risk harm to themselves even if they are capable of intervening (if they could even figure out how to properly intervene and on who’s behalf). Especially when he hasn’t even touched you.
Word of advice:
A guy talking to you like that while holding a baby isn’t really trying to fight. It’s just intimidation tactics. The best thing to do here, instead of proclaiming to the public that you were being threatened, is to tell him calmly and directly that he’s making you feel threatened, and you don’t like where this is going, and that it would be best for everybody if you both just walked away.
This is something of a code that anyone with any semblance of street smarts would take to mean you’re probably armed and they better back the fuck off. If he continued to escalate beyond that point, go straight to security. But never put your faith in the public. Gotta handle your own, brother.