You Tube video of AC Transit bus fight in Oakland creating buzz

[Andrew A.]

Do not mess with Tom Slick. 
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14419993
http://www.mahalo.com/thomas-bruso-epic-beard-man

[Ed]

That poor man is obviously mentally ill and off his meds but in that case they have no choice but to tase him.

In the bus fight - the young guy should have listened to those that told him it wasn't worth it.  A mentally ill person off meds is very dangerous and their minds go into a fight or flight very easily with a very high adrenaline surge.

You gotta know when to hold them and when to fold them!

[Andrew A.]

The young guy was looking for trouble.  The old guy even got up and moved away from him - and the old guy seemed to mostly be joking until he did that - and still the young guy went after him.  Stable or not, that is about the way you have to handle someone coming at you when you have no real escape at that point.  The young guy messed with the bull and he got the horns.  Of course, this came long after the threshold that any smart person would stop at: do not engage loud/crazy people on public transit at all, better to just nod and smile and not keep their attention long enough for them to decide to make you a target.

[Ed]

So eloquently put - so simple.  If someone is acting out quite a bit - keep your distance or it might hurt more than you want it to.

That young gut really did get his bell rung - didn't he!

In the 4.5 years I worked with severely mentally ill people - I never had an encounter like that.  You just have to know how to handle some one who is actively psychotic and hallucinating.