Update with full story....WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

Quick "What Would You Do"

You're in a very bad neighborhood (Newark, NJ) and you are driving down a side street approaching the corner to a fairly busy street.

Three kids run out into the street directly in front of you, approximately 10 years old. Two of them throw one kid down to the ground and start pulling at him and hitting him. You have room to go around and avoid them and hightail it out of there if you choose to. This just happened to me and i'm wondering if I handled it properly. Putting in a poll because i'm curious.....but i'd really love your thoughts.

I'm also wondering if the neighborhood being very dangerous would impact how you would handle this situation.

ETA: There's a bit more to the story and how it unfolds, which I will update later. Just curious what your initial reaction would have been.

UPDATE: Thanks for your responses. I just wanted some validation that I did the right thing. DH is laying into me for stopping the car.

Full story....I was driving to work (Newark is a horrible city, tons of carjackings and shootings but i've been in this neighborhood every day for work for the past 5 years so DH thinks that I have a fall sense of safety). As I was pulling up around the block from work, three kids ran into the street, the two kids chasing one and threw him to the ground and were pulling at him and hitting him. I rolled up along side them (they were almost halfway to the middle of the street so I was pulled to the right of them but had a clear road ahead of me to pull away quickly if needed). I opened my window and screamed, "Hey CUT IT OUT!!" and they looked at me for a moment but continued to push the kid down so I got angry and yelled out "Stop it right this second! Get up off the FLOOR!!" like I yell at my niece and nephew when they are misbehaving. They stopped and the one kid who was doing the hitting turned around and yelled at me that the kid who was on the floor had stolen his cell phone. I said, "First of all, get out of the street, are you crazy?! Get up on the sidewalk" and they listened to me and walked over to the sidewalk at which point the kid that was being beaten started walking away. The other kid that was initially hitting him starting whining for me to tell the other kid to give him his phone back. I pulled my car over and was about to get out and scold the kids but I ended up seeing an NJIT cop coming up the crossroad in front of me so I moved up and started beeping and waved them down. I explained what happened and they chased the little kid down who was originally being beat up and apparently had stolen the cell phone. They said they would take care of it and I went on my way to work but DH is royally p!ssed at me.

Hope that story made sense. I'm torn, thinking that they are only little kids!! If my child was in the middle of the street fighting, I would hope that someone would have the common sense to stop and yell at them. God forbid I hadn't been paying attention or someone was speeding and ran them over?? DH is saying that kids play/fight all the time and the boy probably wasn't "stealing" the phone but only playing around and took it from his friend. I disagree...maybe if they had been in a school yard but not in the middle of a busy street.

Message edited 3/2/2012 10:29:48 AM.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I would call the police

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I think my first reaction, without thinking, would be to stop the car, get out, scream at the boys and help the kid that was getting hurt and hopefully I would DH with me so that he could do that and I could call the police while he was helping. (this would be if I wasn't pregnant and I didn't have my DS with me, can't just leave him in the car alone, then I'd just call the cops and wait for them to get there so I can tell the cops the whole story)

I honestly think that's what I would do in the moment but it might not be the right thing. IDK, bad neighborhood or good neighborhood kids these days have access to guns and what not. Look at that middle class kid in Ohio this week who shot up the school? So you can't judge based on that and if they are mean enough to beat the crap out of a kid AND in the middle of the street, who knows what else they are capable of. So it may be dangerous to help out but if it's a young kid I would probably put myself in that situation because really, if I left then he could be seriously hurt or even killed.

Ugh, what a horrible situation. I hope that kid is okay...what is wrong with the youth today.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I'd go with calling the police and honking - maybe to at least get them off the street.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

My first reaction would be to stop the car & get the hurt kid off the ground.

But that would depend on what kind if neighborhood I was in. If it was a bad one, I'd be calling the police from my car. I'm aware of car jacking by opening up my door.

Just realized you wrote Newark. I'd call the police & consider it was a trap. I wouldn't roll down my window or get off of the car.

Message edited 3/2/2012 8:22:01 AM.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I don't think I would get out of the car no matter what neighborhood it was. Bad things can happen anywhere. I would call the police though.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I know I would've gotten out of the car and tried to break up the fight somehow. I KNOW this. If I see something like that happening, I don't think, I just react. I actually just recently got in the face of some guy who was manhandling his g/f on one of the side streets by my house. He told me to mind my effing business, I told him he puts his hands on someone like that where I can see and it is my business. I told her that she didn't deserve to be treated like that and to come with me and we'll call the cops or her family or something. She did nothing, just looked away sheepishly, so there was nothing else I could really do and they left together.

Sitting here right now I know I shouldn't get involved and I should just call the cops, and I probably would, but only after at least pulling up and telling them to back up off that kid. That's the least involved I could get and not beat myself up over it later.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

if it was a serious fight and the kids weren't just messing around, I would lay on my horn until they stopped while calling the police at the same time. i wouldnt get out of the car, this way I could make a getaway if need be.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

Other...call the cops.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I wouldn't get out of the car. I'd probably honk the horn or stop and yell out of the window for them to stop.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I would have pulled up along side, rolled down my window and "yelled in a motherly fashion". If they didn't stop, I'd call the police. I wouldn't get out of my car, though, regardless of the neighborhood I was in.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

Assuming I didnt have DH w/me, I would not get out of the car. I am pregnant and wouldnt take the chance. I would honk the horn over and over and call the police. If the offending kids than ran away I would open the window a bit and ask the kid who was being beaten if he needed anything.

If I wasnt preggo and still alone, I would probably do the same but this time I would get out of the car to try & help the kid being beaten up.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I work with kids that age so I think my knee jerk reaction would be to get out of the car and yell at them to stop. I am not saying this is the RIGHT thing to do but since I am comfortable with kids that age it is likely what I would do.

Eventhough it is a bad neighborhood they are still 10 yr old kids and will likely listen to an adult.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I would call the police. I would be really suspicious since they ran out into the street just as I was driving by. Another poster thought it could be a trap, and you never know. There could have been someone waiting for you to get out of your car so they could take it. I probably would have yelled at the kids out of my car window and told them the police were coming to try to get them to stop. Unfortunately even if you did get out and break up the fight, its likely that once you drive away they would have started up again.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I'd call the police. I would never try to break up a physical fight between 3 near-teenage kids I don't know and possible end up getting hurt myself.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I agree with the pp's that mentioned not getting out & just calling the police because it could be a trap. In your case, the neighborhood coupled with their sudden appearance as you drove by instantly makes me suspicious. I'd probably always wonder if I should have gotten out, but I honestly wouldn't under any circumstances.

I have some truck driver friends that have told me about similar situations & times where drivers came across a blockade of bikes or debris laying in the street & when they got out they were mugged and/or beaten & their vehicle was stolen. They've all said to call the police, drive through the debris if you can make it or turn around as quickly as possible before you get boxed in...

ETA: I chose the "steer around/myob" option, but I guess I probably should have chosen "other"...

Message edited 3/2/2012 9:30:14 AM.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

This happened to me, but in my parents neighborhood, which is pretty safe. One kid was flat on this back, the other was straddling him and banging the boy's shoulders and head on the ground, while several others just stood around and watched. I'd guess the ages ranged from 5-11 yrs old, with the 2 boys fighting being the oldest.

I rolled down my window and yelled at them in a motherly fashion. They stopped, but not after they said some unpleasant things back to me. Whatever. I recognized several of the kids, and if something bad was happening, I just couldn't drive away and say it wasn't my business.


In your situation, I probably would have honked my horn like crazy til they eased up. Then perhaps called the police.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I would probably beep and call the cops.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I would go around them and call the police. I'm sad to say that but you just never know these days. Anyone of those kids could have a gun, it could be a trap set up by older kids or gang members. Too many what it's for me.

Re: WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

I would honk the horn and call the police from my car. I've been in newark and let's just say, I wouldn't get out of the car.

Re: Update with full story....WWYD - Kids fighting in the middle of the street

After reading the update I can see why your DH would be upset. You just never know what you're getting yourself into nowadays. I hate to think that way but it's an unfortunate reality. As I said earlier, I would've just called the police right off the bat. I don't know if I would've even rolled my window down and said anything, god forbid one kid had a gun on them. I know it's unlikely but it can happen. Glad it all worked okay though!