[joshstrange]

I expect to gather quite a few downvotes for this viewpoint but here it goes.

There is no way I would have intervened. I am a male and I can't see my involvement in the situation working out for me at all. Now you might say I'm wrong for putting my self-preservation above that on Kristen's but this isn't just about preventing physical harm to myself. In fact if I knew that I would only be cut (non-fatal) then I wouldn't have this stance. Instead I am worried about the ramifications of "attacking" a women in public like this.

We have seen countless times in the media where someone coming to the aid of someone in danger (not in an attack situation) has been sued for helping (just google "rescuer sued"). So if trying to help someone alone can get you screwed just think about what can happen when there are two people involved. What assurances do I have that I won't inadvertently hurt Kristen in the process and that she won't decide to sue me? Or that the attacker in this situation won't sue me for "attacking her" while trying to prevent her from stabbing Kristen (google "attacker sues victim")? I'll tell you: NONE. For all we know the attacker will sue Kristen for throwing hot coffee on her, this story isn't over yet.

Let's examine an example:

I intervene, I kick the attacker in the head to get her off Kristen. Let's ignore for now the chance that a bystander only see's me kick this women in the head and assumes it was unprovoked and then attacks me. Then Kristen gets up, shakily thanks me and the disappears into the crowd. I am left standing over the body of a women that I just physically assaulted. A bystander had pulled out their phone to film what was happening but only caught me kicking the women. If I leave the scene then there is a chance I will be hunted down and if I stay at the very least I am going to spend the rest of the day at the police station. The attacker stuffers brain damage from the kick and the family sues me for all I'm worth and I spend the rest of my life paying off the debt while waking up daily to the thought of "No good deed...".

I understand this is a worst case outcome but there is no way in hell I am going to risk my life AND if I survive the remainder of my life over a $600 phone and the contents of her bag, it simply is not worth it. I'd cover those costs with my first meeting with an attorney. If the attacker was actually stabbing Kristen then it would be a different story but that's not what happened. I've talked to people trained in various martial arts and the vast majority of them say that if they were mugged they would hand over their belongings. Mind you these are people trained to fight (whereas I can assure you I have no such training) but they know their lives are not worth their possessions.

TL;DR: A phone and purse are not worth the victims or a potential rescuers life (both immediate and long term)

[rrss1122]

You're assuming too much when you assume that a bystander will attack you. So many people saw the random attacker assault Kristen, no one did a thing about it. You will be the 1 in 100 that would do something about it, chances are there will be no one else.

[joshstrange]

I know this is 2 days old and I don't want to beat a dead horse but check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3PgH86OyEM

I know it is Man -> Women and Women -> Man but I think it neatly illustrates my point. And I think we can assume:

* 2 women fighting -> Public doesn't care

* women fighting man -> Public doesn't care

* man fighting women -> Public cares and will get involved

[joshstrange]

Two women fighting != a man kicking a women in the head

I think you are assuming too much when you assume a bystander won't attack a man attacking a women in public.

[dTal]

>If the attacker was actually stabbing Kristen then it would be a different story but that's not what happened

"suddenly we were brawling, she swinging at me with a knife in one hand"

"I felt blood flowing down my face. 'SOMEBODY HELP ME!' People stare and watch."

"Please, she’s got a knife, she’s trying to stab me, please! ANYONE!"

Seems to me that it was pretty clear that actual knife attacking was taking place. She's got blood streaming down her face crying blue murder about a girl with a knife - you wouldn't help because she hadn't actually been stabbed yet?

How would you live with yourself?

[joshstrange]

I'm sorry I misread that as "blood rushing to my face" which is obviously wrong. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it was small cut and not a gash (we really would need pictures to know for sure but this story is VERY light on any evidence, I'm going further out on that limb and assume the picture was not included because it wasn't a bad cut and didn't make the story seem as bad). Two women fighting can scratch each other's face and I still wouldn't get involved. When I wrote that I was imagining more of a "stabbing" and not a cut on her face. Regardless I stand by my TL;DR of: A phone and purse are not worth the victims or a potential rescuers life (both immediate and long term). This would have been avoided if Kristen had simply handed over her phone and purse.