The Daily Pennsylvanian :: Brian Goldman

Brian Goldman
The Gold Standard

Director Martin Scorsese could not have scripted this.

This past Saturday night started out fairly mundane. I stood by 38th and Spruce streets and hailed a cab that would take me downtown to meet a friend for dinner.

As we approached the intersection of 15th and Chestnut streets we stopped at a red light. To my immediate right, a group of 15 or so teenagers were waiting at a bus stop.

I was in the backseat, looking out of my window which was rolled down and then — bam! A strong punch came barreling through the window and hit me squarely in the jaw.

The driver and I got out of the cab to confront the teenagers. As the driver walked by the trunk of the car, he was sucker punched from the back. I turned my head in disbelief, wanting to go to the driver’s assistance when I felt a second, harder punch strike me across the face.

The driver popped open his trunk and pulled out a crowbar. We were in the heart of Philadelphia, a major metropolis, yet the intersection of 15th and Chestnut streets resembled the closest thing I could imagine to a war zone.

I watched as the driver chased some of the perpetrators away with his crowbar, until he was hit and knocked down again. I looked around the block: brainwashed to believe that the police would show up to protect us, that someone had called 911.

There was not an officer in sight and all the traffic behind us had stopped. People got out of their cars to watch. The Wendy’s right across from us was filled with spectators eager to catch the bloody battle.

When I realized we were not going to receive help from the passersby, I did the only thing that seemed reasonable. I heeded the old Forrest Gump adage and ran — towards 16th Street. When I looked back, I saw that the driver had gotten back into his cab and sped away.

These mobs, call them whatever you may — flash mobs, violent teen mobs or just unruly mobs — are a serious problem. They are an indictment of the entire City of Philadelphia. While I always try to judge something based on its best qualities rather than its worst, the irony of this incident stemmed from the fact that it occurred in Philadelphia’s hallmark Rittenhouse area. For 10 minutes — which felt like 10 hours — the cabdriver and I were left to fend for ourselves as we were attacked by a group of teenagers with nothing but violence in mind.

But you know what? This is not what confounds me most. The police cannot be everywhere all the time and I did not call 911 to alert them to the situation.

What continually irks me is that all those people who stood behind us, in traffic, across from us, in Wendy’s, both up and down the block — simply watched the proceedings like it was a scene from Gladiator.

I looked them all in the eyes after the first punch, when we confronted the group and after the second punch, when the cabdriver was hit from behind. They saw us — the victims — and did nothing. I especially remember looking into Wendy’s and seeing dozens of eyes peering at me through the glass windows, as if to say “you’re on your own, young man. We’re just here to watch.”

I have never felt such discomfort, having people around witness violence and not come to your defense, or in this case, simply dial 911. And there were dozens and dozens, of these clones — eyes attuned but morality scathed.

When the Penn State Jerry Sandusky scandal broke, I remember reading David Brooks’ column in The New York Times, in which he argued that our view of morality is skewed.

“So many people do nothing while witnessing ongoing crimes, psychologists have a name for it: the Bystander Effect. The more people are around to witness the crime, the less likely they are to intervene,” he wrote.

Luckily, my encounter on Saturday left me with minimal injury, but I learned one thing — that the Bystander Effect is very much alive.

Perhaps I’m an idealist, but I still cling to the old adage that the triumph of evil is when good men do nothing. Sometimes, when you least expect it, you have to learn these lessons the hard way.

Brian Goldman is a College senior from Queens, N.Y. His email address is briangol@sas.upenn.edu. The Gold Standard appears every Monday.

Comments (73)

Why the hell would you get in the middle of a stranger’s street fight that may be the result of a personal dispute? Unless its obviously unprovoked and towards a much weaker (e.g. single woman or single old man; not armed with crowbars) victim? The most likely results are being badly injured, being raked in on assault and disturbance charges (think the police always care about who did what first?), or adding to the violence as more people join the fight (in this case probably among racial divides)- turning it into a lethal riot. Can you really expect a stranger to do this for you? Get real.

Instead of urging citizens to pursue violent case-by-case responses (which won’t work anyway), the smart play is (1) dissecting the source of the problem and (2) finding a preventitive solution. Though those are MUCH more difficult topics to tackle. Our current local gov. response: an uncoordinated curfew where police hassle random kids after dusk and are more free to stop and frisk black kids on the street at any time. I don’t have to be a psychologist to know that this may be more harmful than helpful.

Most people enjoy someone else getting the shit knocked out of each other. As long as it’s not them. Just be objective and get into the root cause of violence. This nation loves a good fight: ie Iraq, Afghanistan….

Heart bleeding liberals will blame the society, village (Elizabeth Warren style), or the bankers, but no one will blame these young thugs. United States, the greatest country on earth, provides ample opportunities for everyone, to move up the social ladder. There is a generous safety net to protect you if things are bad. However if a section of population repeatedly misuses these freedoms and indulges in thuggery, then the other 90% law abiding decent people will have to take up arms to protect themselves. Guns are not a solution to anything, but given the sorry state of affairs in the city, the law abiding citizens should be encouraged to carry weapons. Also asking these men to study and work and not depend on welfare may be a good step towards stopping this mess.

Here’s a link the Inquirer’s report of the incident: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20120130_Thugs_whup_up_on_cabbie__passenger.html

Ivan Illich (an education theorist) some time ago predicted that we were becoming a nation of helpless bystanders who wait for “experts” to solve everything for us, from our weight, to massive unemployment and corrupt politicians, to pollution, a lousy education system and, as here, crime: waiting for someone to save us while we stand on the sidelines complaining or slapping ourselves on the back for not being this week’s victim. We’d all better wake up and help each other out. As Ben Franklin long ago warned, if we don’t hang together, we will most certainly hang separately. And that’s exactly what has happened to us. We need to share our resources and our strength and our ideas, and not accept any such nonsense any more. I’m a mother of teen-aged boys, and whenever I see a fight I break it up. It’s not rocket science. Step up.

I once lived in the city and was attacked for no reason 4 times. I found the best response was to injure the attacker as gravely as possible. Reacting that way ended the attack and left the attacker with an easily identifiable injury so he could be caught seeking medical help. I live in a very nice section outside of the city now. There have been no robberies or assaults anywhere near my house in more than 20 years. Twice while I have lived here would be criminals have entered the township and have pulled guns on law enforcement personnel. Both times the police have shot them dead. It is simple and thorough law enforcement and I applaud them for what they have done.

I am armed now, and on the rare occasions when I must enter the city I am prepared to dispatch those who threaten my life with two shots in the chest and one in the head.

If more people reacted the way I will react word would get out and the flash mobs would stop. It’s worked in my township and it would work in Philadelphia. Flash mobsters are cowards and they will quickly find less dangerous ways to express their idiotic misanthropy.

The daily news article tells a slightly different story. The cab driver was injured and the police did end up coming to the scene of the crime.

Looks like you’re lucky the cabbie knew how to handle himself.

The Inquirer reports that the teens yelled racial slurs at you. Did they?

How terrible of you to run away and leave the cab driver to fend for himself. The way this article reads you left and didn’t call for help.

I’ve intervened and been charged with a crime. The charges were dropped, but I had to go through the process of hiring a lawyer to defend myself. The police in Philly may not see things your way.

Bearing witness to that fact is that these kids should be tried as adults for a serious felony or with a hate crime, and likely won’t be by DA Seth Williams in an election year. One of the little darlings might have push with the Philly Democrats.

Until we are having frank conversations about race and crime, expect this to be spun into nothingness, the perpetrators into the real victims, with a call to the larger community to “just do more.”

I second Jesse’s comment. Put a mighty hurt on somebody, and that’s the lesson they learn. Be prepared to fight, secure yourself, and get out.

Tasers and pepper spray are not technically legal in Philly in the sense that if you use them, you can be charged with a crime, possession of a weapon, and if you only have a bruise, and the guy you Tase is on the ground flopping around like a fish, the force might seem excessive on your part.

Don’t stick around if you defend yourself in Philly and wait for police. Get out of there. Hit and run. Then contact police using an anonymous online tip to police. After an incident, contact an attorney. He may advise you to not report the crime to Philly police. We have a Castle Doctrine in PA, but you have to be a certain distance from your house. If you are not covered under the Castle Doctrine, you have a “duty to flee,” to leave before defending yourself. That is interpreted in a variety of impractical ways in the heat of the moment.

Recognize that police looking for approval from a minority Captain are going to be hesitant to not charge you because you did not flee first before fighting back. Philly police arrest and charge everyone, and let the judge sort it out. That is a costly, risky business.

Be aware that juveniles in Philly are all let out when they are 21. If you hurt someone, they need to know nothing about you.

That is why people did not come to your aid. Too many people who do that, Good Samaritans, are charged with crimes in Philly. You’re lucky you didn’t hurt one of those kids, or the police would certainly have arrested you.

January has not been a good month for the supposed “City of Brotherly Love”. The murder rate from January alone is over 1 a day, and not all of these are occuring in the “war zones”. Thankfully the incident with Mr. Goldman did not add to that statistic.

Yet the sum total of these events, in particular the ones that have happened in Center City over the past several years cost all of us in economic dollars. Some wonder why key Center City retail sites (Strawbridge building’s lower floors, Disney Hole, etc) remain vacant of suitable occupants, or why Sears decided to close it’s Upper Darby location.

As for people who turn a blind eye when confronted with urban violence, I am reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King.
“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy during this period of social transition was not the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but the appalling silence and indifference of the good people”
. Ken

I totally feel your frustration, Brian.

If I had seen this I would have begun to call the police not jump into stop it. I am scared of the youth in volume. I don’t want to get hurt, perhaps others felt the same?

Wait, let me get this straight. You run away and your ticked off because no one else got involved? You left that poor cab driver to fend for himself when he came to your aid! You really need to grow up kiddo.

What shocks me is that people can stand there and just watch!?

Just run and leave the cab driver who tried to help you alone. Smooth move. Did you run to get away and make a call to the police or just run to save your own yellow belly? Wht not go to Wendy’s and ask the gawkers to call 911?

It’s not clear how Goldman knows none of the onlookers called 911.

A few years ago I watched a pack of young males at 40th and Chestnut badly beat up another young male in broad daylight. They were all of the same race. It looked like the hoodlums intended to kill the motionless youth on the sidewalk as they kicked him repeated. After a minute or so, the hoodlums took off. Figuring the hoodlums had knives and guns, I decided not to jump into the fray and attempt a citizen’s arrest. I didn’t have a cell phone so didn’t call 911 either. I turned around and went about my business.

You, Mr. Goldman, are one spineless coward! Not only did you run aware like a little girl, but you never bothered to report the crime to police. That cabdriver could have been beaten to death. Oh, but as long as you got away, who cares, right?

Don’t bash Goldman; he was blindsided. But now let’s make this right, and contact police, with your attorney, to request that they prosecute this as a hate crime.

May I give a tip? Have your attorney with you because the police may try to wrangle out of any extra charges that the DA might not like. Having an attorney right there the whole time will make sure they can’t do that.

It’s worth the money. Here’s your chance to help that cabbie, and to make Philly a better place.

“The driver and I got out of the cab to confront the teenagers.”

..like idiots. I hope you at least learned a few lessons so this sort of thing doesn’t happen again: – someone who just punched you for no reason can’t be reasoned with, so don’t try – the police can’t magically protect you at a moment’s notice – bystanders aren’t going to get involved – a gun on your person is about the only thing that gives you any say over your own safety

Sorry to say, but I probably wouldn’t have helped you either. The laws are such that it’s inviting liability. I could face criminal or civil charges if one of these choir boys got hurt (or didn’t, or even pretended to). Philly isn’t a safe place to defend yourself, much less defend a stranger. Until that changes, you’re on your own, buddy.

The Chutzpah of this dude, complaining about the uninvolved humanity, cleverly quoting Forrest Gump and mentioning the movie “Gladiator” and how Scorcese could not have scripted this (Taxi Driver anyone?)Interestingly enough, Mr. Goldman fancies himself a kinder gentler Travis Bickle, cravenly running away (instead of taking a stand) not bothering to call for help for the real Taxi Driver who came to his defense, nor calling the police all the while complaining about the people “simply watching the proceedings”. Please! I’m out, before I vomit.

Kids are a bunch of cowards these days. Philly youth want to prove they are tough so they target weak victims whom they outnumber 5:1. Of the various high profile assaults, I recall one victim being a 70-year-old Viet Nam Vet, a female, and now a Penn student that probably hasn’t lifted anything heavier than a calculator in years (no offense). Maybe this is why none of the good boxers come from the USA these days—kids are a bunch of wusses. I don’t condone violence, but if you want to prove you are tough, pick a one-on-one fight with someone your own size.

Seems you ran away from a person you were witnessing being attacked. How does that differ from the onlookers you write about?

Why are so many people condemning Brian? He was the victim. Any of those Wendy’s witnesses could have easily called 911 without repercussion. So what if Brian didn’t call 911. I’d like to see how you would have reacted if you had been in his shoes. Stop putting down the victim.