Disturbing scene in parking lot...

[cynatnite]

I was looking for a parking space when I went to the grocery store today. I saw this couple walking between cars at the back of the lot. What was so odd was the way the man was holding onto the woman's arm just above the elbow. I didn't actually see anything, but she raised her other arm as if flinching from the threat of being hit. The guy looked really mean and she did look afraid of him.

I eyeballed both of them pretty good as I drove by and they know I was looking at them. Their demeanor changed quite a bit from what looked like a guy possibly abusing the woman to a couple holding hands after they saw me.

Was there anything I could have done? Should I have? I just don't know. :shrug:

[Parche]

1. parking lot

No you did the right thing and left, you should always leave Dick and Lynne Cheney alone
and leave a lot of space between them and you, he might have been carrying his shotgun.

[NotGivingUp]

6. STRONGLY DISAGREE!!!

[NotGivingUp]

2. hard to judge...BOTH of their demeanors changed?

[nosillies]

3. Not to make you feel bad, but a similar thing happened here yesterday

A woman and her son got carjacked, but she got the boy out of the car before the guy drove off. Some men in the parking lot saw the whole thing, but did nothing because they thought she was having a dispute with a boyfriend or something.

I hardly know what I would do in such a situation.

[MichiganVote]

9. Boy, nothing gets me hotter than to think of these bastards trying

to take a mother's kid just so they can boost a car. I don't know what I would do but it wouldn't be good---for them.

[Semi_subversive]

4. I'm one of those that chooses to get involved

I can't stand seeing a guy beat on a woman. I've intervened in two beatdowns in the past 10 years. The last time the guy, drunk off his ass, started swinging wildly at me. He somehow got ahold of my tie and I slammed him into a wall. Cops got there and she wouldn't press charges. I walked by her and said "next time he's going to kill you". Cops said they see it all the time.

My advice to you is to get involved by calling 9-1-1. It could save a life.

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. Given the description the OP gave

I would say she did the right thing. A couple which looks "mean" and "scared" is not an adequate reason to alert 911 imho, particularly not if they held hands when they knew they were observed.

The cops would have asked the couple (if they were still there when they arrived) is everything okay? The answer would be "yes".

[GreenCommie]

5. Unfortunately, probably not

Unless you spied on them afterwards without them noticing, and caught something happening, there was propbably nothing more you could have done than asking if everything is alright (or something to that effect).

Although it seems like something may be happening, you don't really know what is going on.

[imfreaky]

7. absolutely no way to know

Perhaps just the fact you were eyeing them kept things cool. OR, it was completely innocent.

[MichiganVote]

8. Had something like that happen once, woman crying etc.

but she refused to walk away with my husband and I when we asked her is she wanted to follow us. So that's one avenue to take and if it works, fine. Just be sure to do a look see for any kind of weapon.

Nowadays, I think it is best just to alert store security that a couple appear to have a problem. If they enter the store, someone can keep an eye on them. You can also copy the license # and give that to the police just in case someone is wanted by the authorities.

Very unsettling, I know.

[woodsprite]

10. I've been in that situation and I called 911. Gave a description

of the car and the couple, told them that at best it was a domestic disturbance and at worse a criminal act. They did pretty good getting over to the lot in about a minute because they had someone in the vicinity.

[Cleita]

12. When I worked as an "O" operator for MaBell, way back then

we took a lot of emergency calls. The worst were the domestic violence ones. Since we had to stay on line through the call until both parties hung up, I learned that the police had a real problem dealing with these calls and kept them on low priority.

Once I had a call from a third party who was witnessing a man beat up a women. When the police arrived, (I was still on the line with him), the police separated them and made him promise not to do it anymore and sent them on their way. I was still on the line (a pay phone) with the witness and he told me that he couldn't believe what he just saw and heard.

I was to find out sometime later that the reason the police had so little interest in domestic violence was because the women usually won't press charges. They will stay with the same ass and the police will break up the same couple over and over so they lose interest.