My son was caught up in a riot

BritinBritain

Per Ardua Ad Astra
My son was caught up a riot on the N2 freeway just before Cape Town last night.

He was driving his staff home in a company vehicle after working very late, when the driver of the vehicle in front suddenly slammed his brakes on. My son then saw a riot going full swing, rioters stoning cars, setting fire to tyres, the usual bullsh!te. A rioter threw burning debris under the car in front of him, my son backed up a few feet, drove around the car in front and drove directly at the rioter who then ran for his life. When the rioter ducked to one side, he then concentrated on the rest of the rioters and drove straight for them pedal to the metal. The rioters quickly parted and got out of his way, he hit the burning debris at around 80 to 90 km/h scattering it in all directions.

He stated to me last night, “I wasn't going to sit there and let them drag me and my workers out to necklace us, I couldn't back up, so there was only one way to go and that was drive at the bastards. It proved what cowards they are when people fight back.”
 
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Well done.:thumb:
He took the initiative and acted.
Be proud of him.

Damn right I'm proud of him, as it happens I'm chuffed to little NAAFI breaks.

While other drivers sat by with their mouths open waiting to be attacked, my son acted. His vehicle suffered very little damage to the front bumper.
 
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Good for him! :tank:
Sad thing is, if he had done that over in "Good old Blighty", He have been done for dangerous drving:bang:
 
It is not uncommon. We have in Germany a company that specializes in that and South Africa is a major customer.

Krauss-Maffei...? :tank:

Would probably be considered a little bit too...apartheid...but a brilliant idea.
 
My big brother was on a business trip to Brazil once.
They were taken every where in an amourded up people carrier, not just bullet proof glass, but body panels, bomb proof floor panels, run flat tyres, an air-con system with filters against gas, and an armed escort.
He was working for Airbus at the time, and was told any "Gringos" were a top kidnap target.
Scary stuff, he declined to return there, or anywhere else similar.
 
Good for him! :tank:
Sad thing is, if he had done that over in "Good old Blighty", He have been done for dangerous drving:bang:

I know Trooper and its damn sad, despite the fact he in all probability saved his own life and four of his workers.

He said that when he drove at the rioters it was like the parting of the Red Sea, then said that he was changing his name to Moses.:roll:

Krauss-Maffei...? :tank:

Would probably be considered a little bit too...apartheid...but a brilliant idea.

There was a chap here who owned a Saladin or Saracen (or one of the 6 wheeled family) armoured cars, the ANC nearly had a heart attack when the bloke imported it.
 
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Your son is a very brave guy! Most people would either ran away or hide or let those people do their business. You need to have a healthy amount of courage to resist when you are a minority. You really should be very proud of him!

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Oh my God, Brit....I'm so glad he's okay. And good on him!!! I admire the heck out of him for being so courageous and quick-thinking. Those people who were with him owe him their lives. The man is a hero.
 
Dow Chemical has the original plant here in my hometown .. and quite a few years ago, the union went on strike. Since I was working in a salaried position at the time, I had no choice but had to cross the picket line. On the day the union went on strike, I was just getting out of the hospital. I had an accident and broke my right collarbone in two places. They put pins in to anchor the collarbone. The very next day, I was ordered to report to work. Since I would have lost my job if I didn't, I had no choice but to report as ordered.

When I approached the picket line there was a near riot going on without one single policeman in sight.

I spotted an old friend of mine. We were both co-members of a union at another company where we had worked (I had been the President and he had been the Vice-president of the local). I waved him over .. I told him that the first Dow union member that spat at me or that hit my car with a picket sign better hope I couldn't turn my car around before he found a hole to hide in. I told him that the first peckerwood that spat at me or hit my car better know how to swim (because I would have driven my car in after him if that was what it took to get at him). My buddy walked over to the other picketers and spoke to them .. he then waved me forward.

As I was about to pass through the picket line, some bozo lifted his sign like he was gonna hit my car - my buddy reached out and decked the other picketer. I heard him tell the other picketers that I had meant exactly what I had said .. that I had had the Master-at-arms from our other union toss the International Union Rep out of a strike meeting .. that I didn't take any bullsh!te from anyone, and when I said I would do something, that was exactly what I would do.

From that day forward, I never had one single problem from the picketers .. (even though there were several near riots), with cars being turned over and the police having to respond to restore order.

I have ALWAYS said that while force doesn't always make right, it sure solves one hell of a lot of problems. At least it did during that strike.
 
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Oh my God, Brit....I'm so glad he's okay. And good on him!!! I admire the heck out of him for being so courageous and quick-thinking. Those people who were with him owe him their lives. The man is a hero.

Thank you Jilly.

Thankfully he was driving a pick up truck with higher ground clearance and not a car.

I too think he is a hero.
 
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Mr Brit, I strongly believe that your son did the right thing- given the sh!tty situation. Most people would just wet their pants. You see... bravey and quick witted response do run in your family blood.

Riots can be a pretty scary stuff- I've seen enough of it in Jakarta where I was there.
 
Mr Brit, I strongly believe that your son did the right thing- given the sh!tty situation. Most people would just wet their pants. You see... bravey and quick witted response do run in your family blood.

Riots can be a pretty scary stuff- I've seen enough of it in Jakarta where I was there.

I dunno about bravery and quick witted responses, but we're a stroppy lot of bastards.

My son said to me, "What angered me, the chap in the car in front of me did nothing to the rioters, yet one tried to burn him alive. That's when I drove at him and tried to run him down, when I couldn't get him I drove at the rest of them."

Wait till Mandella dies .....First stage Rhodesia .....Second stage Nigeria

You're a barrel of laughs mate.
 
My son was caught up a riot on the N2 freeway just before Cape Town last night.

He was driving his staff home in a company vehicle after working very late, when the driver of the vehicle in front suddenly slammed his brakes on. My son then saw a riot going full swing, rioters stoning cars, setting fire to tyres, the usual bullsh!te. A rioter threw burning debris under the car in front of him, my son backed up a few feet, drove around the car in front and drove directly at the rioter who then ran for his life. When the rioter ducked to one side, he then concentrated on the rest of the rioters and drove straight for them pedal to the metal. The rioters quickly parted and got out of his way, he hit the burning debris at around 80 to 90 km/h scattering it in all directions.

He stated to me last night, “I wasn't going to sit there and let them drag me and my workers out to necklace us, I couldn't back up, so there was only one way to go and that was drive at the bastards. It proved what cowards they are when people fight back.”

I am happy your Son made it out as well as his co workers, that guy driving must be one cool headed cat.

But I gotta say,

Thank heavens for Concealed Weapon Permits.

God Bless America
 
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