Hey, there! Log in / Register
Police: Tussle over Orange Line manners ends with man punching woman in the face after she pulls his glasses off
By adamg on Tue, 12/20/2016 - 11:37am
Transit Police report a man in a hurry to get off the Orange Line at Back Bay yesterday afternoon will now have to make time in his busy schedule to answer a charge of assault and battery at Boston Municipal Court.
Police say the man, 53, shoved a 21-year-old woman out of his way around 4:30 p.m.
The victim requested an apology which was not offered. The victim in turn removed the male's eye glasses from his face and demand he apologize for his actions. As a response the male, with a closed fist, struck the female in the face.
The woman was taken to a local hospital for observation.
Innocent, etc.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Why on earth did she take his
Why on earth did she take his glasses off?
I have to agree. When it
I have to agree. When it starts getting physical and the person who escalated things gets punched, well, it's still not right, but it's not worthy of all the much sympathy.
it started to get physical when he pushed her
Way to focus on the pertinent details. How can I blame this on her so I don't have to deal with a grown man punching a woman in the face...? And removing his glasses (for whatever reason) is equal to punching in the face?
I have to admit I would lose it
I'm a lover, not a fighter, and I do not think punching someone in the face is okay but I would probably go bananas if a stranger ripped the glasses from my face on the T. Without glasses I'd be totally defenseless because I wouldn't be able to see.
I agree
I am REALLY blind and would have serious issues navigating the world if someone took off my glasses. I'd view that as a pretty hostile assault. Like, you're trying to really make sure I can't defend myself for what comes after that.
Yes
And glasses with high-prescription lenses can cost more than a new iPhone.
*fistbump*
Ugh and then you have to wear your backup pair while waiting on your real glasses to get fixed. I feel you 100%.
Exactly
* I'm with you! *
No, it is not...however
she should not of removed his glasses! Hey, I got shoved by a woman on the red line months ago. The door opened and she physically threw her body at me. I screamed at her to not push me, very loudly. She did not apologize but game some lame excuse. If she was wearing glasses, I would not of touched them or anything else on her person.
He should not of punched her but she should of not grabbed the glasses of a person who violently pushed her in the first place. I know grrl power and all that but a man's closed fist punch to your face is not worth being right.
It's a beautiful thing when
It's a beautiful thing when two star cross'd a-holes meet in such a busy station.
held his glasses hostage for apology ?
on a train ( or bus ) in boston a shove should be almost as expected as a delay ... id have to see what a violent shove looks like .. she must have caught air briefly or something . i dont condone violence especially male on female but dont touch my face or anything on or around it without expecting a fist in return to yours . both parties are wrong IMO ..
Dual Charges?
Unambiguously, under the law, involuntarily removing the glasses off of someone's face is assault and battery. Given that it doesn't seem to be contested that she did this, will she also be facing assault charges?
Unless, of course, the man gave his consent for her to remove his glasses before she did so, of course. Innocent, etc.
Actually glad to hear that taking glasses...
... off a person's face is assault and battery. I wear glasses and if they were taken from me, I'd have a really hard time getting safely around (e.g. "mind the gap" would be difficult; telling the difference between the curb and the street - and the depth of the curb). If that had been me, not sure what I would have done.
But then, I know I wouldn't have pushed her. My style is more "Excuse me." "EXCUSE ME!" Then "MOVE IT!" with a death glare.4QRNL
Hard to pass judgement on this one
Not that it isn't always hard to pass judgement when you didn't witness it yourself. But I can totally see how his frustration bubbled over, and just as easily can understand it from her side. The train sucks on so many levels.
From her side? She probably
From her side? She probably hasn't learned yet that "Requesting an apology" is something that works with little kids, not with adults. If you request an apology from an adult, you're in for a disappointment.
Doesn't mean she couldn't have had valid reasons
For doing what she did. I tend to agree with you, but again if we weren't there we can't say anything definitively.
The T is busy; people get
The T is busy; people get pushed, bumped, clotheslined, tripped on purpose or not, quite frequently. Riding the T is a contact sport.
Imagine being pushed on the T, demanding and apology and then making glasses off of a strangers face, that's absolutely wild. Theyre both a-holes.
Sentence them to clean the
Sentence them to clean the Back Bay Station mens room. Or is that a cruel and unusual punishment?
Totally new sentence never doled out before...
...because that station has never been cleaned before.
Sorry, what now?
Her first offense was not getting out of the damn way when the doors opened so people could get off the train.
Her second offense was demanding an apology as if people are owed an apology when someone does something jackassed. This isn't kindergarten. He intentionally moved her. He's not going to apologize for it because he's not sorry he did it. He's not going to learn any life lessons over this.
Her third offense was assault/battery and property theft when she stole his glasses as if blackmailing him for his own property back is going to improve the situation at all.
Her fourth offense is becoming distraught when her actions finally get her punched in the face. If you're going to block a door, get offended when you're moved out of the way, steal someone's glasses, and get in his face about wanting an apology...then toughen up when you win your stupid prize for playing a stupid game.
So you are saying ...
That a 53 year old doesn't have to exhibit any self control or patience, and gets to punch people for confronting him when he doesn't exhibit any self control or patience.
So long as his target is one of those lesser humans.
Sorry, what again?
Where did I deal with his faults in this situation? Seems the cops did well enough about that, no?
I didn't ascribe any acceptance to his actions here. So, no need for you to claim them for me.
Then stop the mansplaining
She was "in his way" according to him. Problem one.
He assumed that she wasn't just waiting her turn. Problem two.
He became physical about shoving her aside. Problem three.
See where this is going? Your entire analysis is from the perspective of "dumb bitch got in a special man's way".
If you can't see why that is both problematic or completely non-biased you have a lot of work to do.
Crap use of "mansplaining"
Both committed assault and battery. The report seems to focus solely on the assault and battery perpetrated by the man. uhub user points out that it took two to tango -- not that tangoing is at all okay.
Crap use of "mansplaining." Five yard penalty, loss of down.
Which side are you on?
#wienersout
Get a grip. There was no mansplaining. The fact that you went there with it is exactly part of the problem, however.
Whoa there...
According to the story, she went beyond "confronting" him, and went well and unambiguously into the territory of assaulting and battering him. Courts are loath to punish people for fighting back when assaulted.
Who said she was blocking a door?
And where does it say that he asked her to move before shoving? Where does it even say that she had any room to move?
We don't know these things - that's a very heavy load of assumptions.
I will tell you this much: as a short woman I have had to learn to stand my ground when there are no alternatives because too many people think that they can abuse others and get away with it (particularly female others). Not like she did (which was kind of bizarre), but by being very direct about my inability to just get out of some self-important pushy person's way (because there is nowhere to go until the doors open), by explaining when I will be able to move (when the doors open), and what consequences will result from further futile physical contact.
You'd have to go read the link
That's what SHE told the cops. Which means the truth is probably less sympathetic to her.
Try reading the link.
You are still assuming
That there was any "out of the way" for her to move to without violently pushing someone else.
Ride the T sometime, and turn off the misogynistic entitlement.
Where does it say ...
That the door was already open? People will shove toward the door before it opens.
So?
That doesn't mean she was blocking the door. It probably means that she was properly waiting her turn to get out the door when Mr. Important decided to get physical.
He's lucky she wasn't one of those pink gun people.
That seems less likely to me..
than a person standing in front of the door who refused to step aside or move over. Again no way to know for sure but we all see people like that. They plop down in front of the door then expect everyone else to walk around them.
This would actually make for an interesting case study on inherent biases.
I did read it
You should read the first phase.
Where does it say that she wasn't getting off at that stop? (Update: it says that she was exiting the train).
She may have been waiting to exit the train like a civilized human when she was shoved aside by Mr. Inahurry. Again, there are entitled jerks in the world who do shit like this ... It happens All. The. Time.
We all know this has never happened
Let's keep speculation somewhat realistic, Swirly.
Read what Kaz quoted
She was getting off the train when he shoved her aside. Not blocking the door, waiting for others to move.
It's not too clear
Obviously, if this gets to trial, the story will be spelled out in detail, but in reading what was written, it could be that he pushed her while he was getting off the train or he pushed her while she was getting off the train. I read the former, but I can see where the latter could be seen in the writing.
Also, I think Kaz is leaning towards the guy getting off the train, meaning the status of the woman is ambiguous (unlike the latter reading.)
Jumping to conclusions much?
The only thing we know for sure is one guy got his glasses taken off his face, and some girl got punched for it. Since we're making assumptions, is it safe to assume this 21-year old might have had a bad attitude like many 21 year olds do now days? To many what-ifs here to resolve who was right and who was wrong. But, if you ever put your hands on someone, you should be prepared for them to put their hands back on you. My mother taught me and my sister that as children.
She is a victim of a beating
Another good job by the Transit Police he punched her in the face and she ended up in the hospital.My guess is the police determined he is a regular T-Troublemaker who will be back on the subway by this afternoon.
Awful lotta people in here
who are jumping immediately to "she was totally asking for it!" Y'all do know that there isn't some secret list of things someone can do that make it legally or morally OK to punch them in the face for committing, right?
I'm sure it has nothing to do with the genders of the respective parties, though.
Not really looking for a secret list.
If an aggressive stranger put their hands on my face or removed my glasses from my face, then illegally held my property hostage, I'd probably react similarly. what right does she have to do what she did?
She has no right
And you have no right to punch her, either.
Go read up on it in the Massachusetts General Laws. OMG she TOUCHED my PROPERTY doesn't buy you anything here.
If you don't like it, move to Texas where your wife and daughter are your property.
Hey brah,
Hey brah,
Back the truck up. I don't need to look up any laws. If a stranger aggressively put their hands on my BODY, I'm probably going to have a reaction. More than likely I would have grabbed my glasses and asked "are you all f******* right?!?"
Neither party had the right to touch one another. If you're going to take the T you've got to get use to strangers bumping into you, and not try to teach people lessons.
Move to Texas? My focus was someone touching my body, not so much the property. I'm a female, and have no wife, thanks for the tip though.
Furthermore, I would never put my hands on a stranger because if I did I would 100% expect he /she to have a reaction and wouldn't be surprised if they put their hands on me.
He aggressively put his hands on her body
Did she, in your estimation, have a right to shoot him?
I rest my case.
Now you're talking ragtime.
Now you're talking ragtime.
Well, okay, let's look
She didn't "touch property", she committed assault & battery by touching another person without consent. Examples of battery include removal of the hat off of someone's head, pulling something out of their hand, etc.
For self-defense against assault or battery, you do have a duty to retreat in MA - but given that removal of eyeglasses from a sight-impaired individual would reasonably make that dangerous or difficult in an environment such as a crowded subway system, it's certainly arguable that he was unable to do so and had to resolve the situation in some other way.
I think you could have a case as a prosecutor to claim that he used unreasonable force to defend himself, but I do think it's clear that he thought he was being attacked and did not have the ability to simply leave without use of his sight.
So this particular case aside
So this particular case aside, does that mean that, say, if somebody commits a little purse-snatching and you, the purse owner, trip the guy in the process in order to get it back, you have violated the law (duty to retreat?) Or somebody grabs the phone in your hand and a shoving match occurs while you're both hanging onto it? I'm legitimately curious, I knew if, say, somebody is trying to start a fight with you you have to back up / not engage, but something about the inability to defend yourself mid-crime seems off.
Laws don't equal rights
I don't care what the law is, if someone hits you, you have the right (and duty in my opinion) to hit them back.
The Malcolm Method
Let's not bash Texas
People are actually more polite there.
I'll say this much
If someone I didn't know grabbed my eyeglasses and wouldn't give them back, things would get physical. The age and gender shouldn't matter.
And yes, I'll nudge someone out of my way if they were keeping me from getting off the train. I threw an elbow at a guy once who was blocking the train's exit. He slapped me upside the head. I went my way and he went his, since both his first action and my reaction were based in the desire to get to work, so histrionics would have served neither of us.
WOW
awful lot of tough guys
seem willing to punch a women.
how did he get of there without getting his #$%# kicked
Just a guess:
Maybe some of those bystanders wore glasses?
Do you think it would be an understandable result for someone to be punched, if, after being bumped into on the Orange Line by someone in a rush to disembark, they pepper sprayed the bumper in the face?
I know 15 yr. old boys who
I know 15 yr. old boys who are already more of a man than this cowardly violent 53 yr. old adult male. You do not shove anyone out of your your way because they are an inconvenience to you. Furthermore, you do not punch women in the face for touching your glasses. Who else is he beating because they are in his way? His own elderly mother or maybe his young daughter? Disgusting piece of trash. I hope he gets locked up.
If one can't see without glasses...
... (which, for all practical purposes, is the case with me), taking the glasses off my face is a whole lots worse than "touching my glasses". Both these individuals should be prosecuted for assault and battery.
Note: I wouldn't try to hit a person that took my glasses in the way described because I'd worry that this would lead to the glasses being damaged/destroyed.
He said she said except what the witness saw
Everyone else should just can it.
Ridiculous how much you're all projecting.
Sounds like guy got rightly charged for for what was reported AND corroborated by another person. Life ain't fair if something else happened first.
T cops ain't perfect but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they're not throwing crazy charges around. If it doesn't hold up guy should beat the rap no prob.
I want to see the video.
couple of things
I've noticed quite an increase in passive aggressive behavior on the subway and elsewhere. Fake smiles, fake politeness, deliberately going slow then getting huffy when someone needs to get by you, etc., etc. I've also noticed a lot of people are not aware of their surroundings, or are, but don't care. Talking non-stop and often loudly on trains (often about private matters), including on their phones. Moving very slowly getting on and off trains, in and out of stations, etc. I attribute some of this to our large transient population of students, visitors, etc., to many of whom, using a subway or public transit in a big city is a novelty,many come from non-urban areas. I also attribute some of it to popular culture and some people mimicking behavior they've seen in videos, movies, etc. Tourists and college students are also pandered to by those making $ off of them,creating a sense of entitlement by some.
All things considered, I'm surprised there's not more violence and incidents like this.