Horrible day today. Let me put you in the picture:
So, I was down in Belfast today with family doing some shopping. After walking around a few shops that my family wanted to do, I walked down to one of my own shops. My family didn't come with me as my brother was looking food in the shopping centre cafe. I ended up going to the shop on my own which I was a little pissed at considering that I waited on them when they were looking around the shops that they wanted to do. Upon my return, they had finished at the cafe and were moving on, which pissed me off a bit because I like the said cafe and could have got something but they were already moving on. So I said to just forget it. Anyway, a short argument followed with me basically pointing out that i'm on my own when I want to do a shop of interest to me. We were running out of shopping time as the shopping centre weas closing soon so I went off on my own to go to HMV which was outside and about just a minutes walk away.
I went out on my own to go to HMV before it closed. To my disappointment it had already closed so it must not have been open late like the shopping centre. I stopped for a minute to think what I would do next. There was a second shopping centre on the next street which would have been open late so I thought about walking around to it quickly before it closed. As I was thinking, I suddenly became surrounded and out numbered by a group of young youths (around 14 years of age I think) dressed in hoods and tracksuit bottoms. I knew at this point that something bad was about to happen. There was about 5-8 of them and only one of me. They asked for time. I said that I didn't have the time. They then said do I not have a phone with the time. I replied that I didn't have my phone with my (I actually did but they didn't know that). They then said to me "Take out the ****ing phone now!" I was shocked. Next thing I knew, one of them standing to the side smacked me across the face and busted my lip. They all legged it down the street immediately after.
Obviously shook up and shocked by the whole thing, I just stood there not knowing what to do. No-one else was around to help me and the CCTV wasn't looking towards where I was assaulted. I started to walk on but then stopped and phoned my brother for help I really didn't know what to do and was shook up. By the time my brother arrived, the group were long gone. I'm not the type to hit back and there was more of them than me so the odds weren't in my favour anyway. I should have followed them from a distance and phone the police but I didn't think. My dad suggested that I reported it because I was assaulted and they clearly had the intention of stealing my phone if I took it out to tell them the time that they claimed to be in need of.
We got in the car and started to drive around to the police station. We happened to see the same group while driving so my dad phoned for the police. The group recognised me and shortly after walked off towards the city centre. By time the police arrived they were gone again. Long story short, the police came and took some details. They said that they could take action against the person who assaulted me but not the person who demanded to see my phone as he "technically" didn't do anything wrong. In my view he wanted me to get my phone out so he could swipe it from my hand and run off with it. Why else would a group of chavs in hoods surround someone, ask for the time and then violently demand to see that persons phone? Remember, I told them I didn't have a phone and I never had it out so they didn't see it. Added to the fact that one of them hit me, clearly their intentions weren't good.
So anyway, the police are going through CCTV footage to try and identify/track the group. They also got other patrols to go and look for them. I've to give a full statement at my local police station tomorrow. It probably won't be worth it but if they do catch the group then at least action can be taken against the person who hit me. I'm OK apart from a busted lip, sore side teeth and being shook up. It could have been worse. I just regret not hitting back or going after them. Poor old me always being singled out as an easy target.
Sorry for the long rant.
Just don't go too overboard with the violence thing and remember, if you hit one of them, next time there will be two of them. If they can't fight you on their own then they will get their friends to back them up. Make sure you have a backup plan if things go pear shaped. 
something doesn't seem right?
