Originally Posted by
Brian
What if the OP had stolen the bike, and it was the rightful owner trying to take it back? I wouldn't start assaulting strangers without knowing what was going on. But I certainly would have stepped in to stop the initial assault.
If I saw my stolen bike anywhere, I would calmly call the police without alerting the thief, wait for them to arrive, and then make my move. Perhaps assaulting strangers is a bad idea, but I was clearly only holding onto the bike, and he was the one doing the punching. The violence was completely one-way, and if I was a bike thief, I would let the damn thing go and GTFO the first sign something is up.