| What a facinating thread - been watching it develop all day with differing opinions where everyone's right!
I've only had to deal such confrontation twice, the first was when I was just 10 and the school bully surrounded by his mates were pushing me about. After a good 5 minutes of trying to ignore it and walk away, I turned round and gave him a free trip to the dentist, knocked him off his feet into the river... was really funny! And when his mum found out why he came home with a hand full of teeth he got a good hiding from her too. Never got any grief from him again, and he turned out to be a decent kid thanks mostly to the punishment dished out back home. So why can't parents smack their kids???
The second time was about 5 years back, and I'm not the biggest chap in the world so had to use an alternative method.
I can't remember why, but one of the locals started giving me some merde in the street one day, he was on his own but for some reason took a dislike to me (can you imagine!). I just wanted to lump him, but he was significantly bigger than me so didn't fancy my chances of walking away!
I resorted to a bit of training I've had - Used to be a WO with the Air Training Corps, so had the basic disciplinary training of a regular raf snco and was in charge of discipline at my squadron. I just squared up to this prat and gave him such a military style bollocking for disrespecting me that he was actually fighting back the tears!
I see the guy hanging out with his mates occassionally, and one time when I walked past them I heard him say to the others "Don't give him any s**t, he's ok"
Different methods, same result. And for the record mav... you did just what I wish I could do - vote mav for chief constable!  | 
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