Up close with a violent bully

I'm having trouble with my internet connection. I keep getting cut off since Friday evening. And then the server is down all weekend. I could not post anything new because my blogger account is supposedly "full". Huh??? Again??

If that's not enough to tear my hair out, I'm still disturbed by what happened last Saturday.

The whole family was cruising happily along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak at about 3pm Saturday afternoon (26th). The kids as usual were looking out the windows and playing their own little games.

Suddenly, one of them pointed to a car behind us and shouted excitedly, "Look, they are fighting. They are hitting each other."

That got everyone's attention and soon all the kids were looking behind them at the grey-coloured Kenari where a rather big guy in a red T-shirt was seen arguing heatedly with the lady driver who was seated beside him.

I turned from my front seat to see what the ruckus was all about.

To my horror, that guy started punching the lady repeatedly! She lost a bit of control of her car for a moment and we could see that she was trying very hard to control her car while warding off his blows with her left hand. All the while the man was screaming at her!

I couldn't believe what was happening. And my kids were transfixed by that horrible scene. I wish I could stop them from witnessing this terrible act of violence. It scared them and it scared me!

And then horror of horrors - that monstrous guy showed the middle finger at my kids for gawking!

My husband was alarmed and immediately instructed our kids to turn their backs and sit down quietly. No telling what an insane man would do in his moment of madness. Especially so that we were caught in rather slow traffic.

From my side mirror, I could see that the man was still engaged in a furious row with his partner. And he continued to tug roughly at the poor woman's tudung and punching her arms. I can't see the woman's expression hidden behind her sunglasses but obviously, she was trying desperately not to lose control of the car and the sorry situation she was in.

At one point, she stopped the car and hit back at him. She tried to open her door to get out but the guy held on tight to her arm. For some reason, she gave up her struggle and continued to drive the car, taking his blows and screams passively.

We witnessed the whole scene for about 5 minutes, during which time the Kenari had moved from behind us to our right side and then finally our left side before speeding off into a different direction. The kids meanwhile, obediently kept their eyes away from the offensive scene and muttered animatedly amongst themselves about what they saw.

I was truly angry that my kids had been subjected to such a public display of violence, more so by a man against a woman. They were alarmed by the whole thing and wondered how that man could be such a beast and whether the poor woman would be safe. I explained to them that I was just as shocked as them for having witnessed such a violent act for the first time in my life. And it is something which is terribly terribly wrong.

I am still disturbed by it but the kids seem to have dropped the subject after we did our best to explain why such things might happen in our society and why they must never allow it to happen to themselves. I hated it too that I had to explain what the "middle finger" sign meant although all I told them was that it was a bad sign much like a bad word and that they should never ever do the same thing. Urrgghhhh!!!

Damn that bastard!!