Major Tom
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Came close to being trampled underfoot in a crowd of ~60,000 on a New Years Eve in Trafalgar Square in ~1982/1983. Just as the crowds were swarming over me, and I realized there was no chance of getting up on my own, a benevolent skinhead with a Union Jack tattooed into his scalp pulled me out. No life flashing before my eyes - just the thought, "Oh crap, this is probably it." Heard on BBC radio later that people had died in that crush. In subsequent years, crowd barriers were used to break the crowd up on NYE in Trafalgar Square.
Another time, I gave chase to a couple of robbers in Hollywood. A getaway car pulled up, they jumped into it, the passenger door opened, and I found myself staring down the barrel of a revolver, as the fellow brandishing the gun* told me to "Back off, motherf*&$er." I did, and the car sped away. Once again, no life flashing before my eyes, but the whole scene did seem to happen in slow-motion, like some kind of Tarantino flick. Afterwards, I told my friend how "cool" it all seemed, due to the slow-motion feel and that the fact that it didn't seem real. Their response was, "Are you crazy? You could have died!" but for some reason, the reality of that possibility never did sink in. Perhaps it was some kind of mental defense mechanism. Not the first time I came face to face with someone who threatened my life in Hollywood. Another time, a guy in an unlit side street who I had chased and challenged told me to back off, or he would kill me. So I did the prudent thing, and backed off (long story and I'll spare the details.)
Nowadays, I live a quiet life with 3 adorable kitty companions. It's nowhere near as dangerous, but it's my kind of life
*A detective later told me the gun had been loaded.
Another time, I gave chase to a couple of robbers in Hollywood. A getaway car pulled up, they jumped into it, the passenger door opened, and I found myself staring down the barrel of a revolver, as the fellow brandishing the gun* told me to "Back off, motherf*&$er." I did, and the car sped away. Once again, no life flashing before my eyes, but the whole scene did seem to happen in slow-motion, like some kind of Tarantino flick. Afterwards, I told my friend how "cool" it all seemed, due to the slow-motion feel and that the fact that it didn't seem real. Their response was, "Are you crazy? You could have died!" but for some reason, the reality of that possibility never did sink in. Perhaps it was some kind of mental defense mechanism. Not the first time I came face to face with someone who threatened my life in Hollywood. Another time, a guy in an unlit side street who I had chased and challenged told me to back off, or he would kill me. So I did the prudent thing, and backed off (long story and I'll spare the details.)
Nowadays, I live a quiet life with 3 adorable kitty companions. It's nowhere near as dangerous, but it's my kind of life
*A detective later told me the gun had been loaded.
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