Taking The Strain

My daughter was coming home the other week on a train. There were a group of rowdy youths, under 16's, drinking and generally being arses. One of them started to pick on a passenger and this quickly escalated into a "situation". The yobbo takes his belt off and threatens the passenger with death by shanking. He didn't have a knife, or at least didn't produce one. Unfortunately for him, he bit off more than he could chew and the passenger ended up chasing him down the train.

At this point my daughter gets up and tries to split them up. She's not stupid and stands back as the passenger smacks the yobbo a few times before getting between them, telling him it's not worth it. Fortunately they were all off at the next stop and she could return to her seat. She recited this, slightly pissed off that everybody else was sat in their seats hardly daring to look up from their papers.

I was slightly surprised myself. Was this the same shy girl, who would have cried her eyes out in the same situation a year ago? It's down to military training and discipline. She's just back from 3 weeks of field exercises with the US Rangers and they've sent back a self assertive monster.

I can't really blame anybody else for not getting involved, it's a personal choice, but letting a girl sort out a fracas by herself, come on !!

Yet again there's been another example of a good Samaritan getting involved, and paying with his life. We should all salute people like Frank McGarahan . The best our elected leaders can manage is to advise us to jump up and down.

I'm glad my daughter didn't listen to Tony McNulty the police minister. She's been brought up to recognise right and wrong and acted correctly. She's an occasional reader having "busted" me months ago, and I'm proud of her.

The family of Mr McGarahan should grieve and then be proud too.