"Clemency is the Best Resource"

I've always been fascinated with the "flight or fight" dilemna and the type of personalities that would correspond to each of these choices. Personally, I usually opt for "flight" in the face of any confrontation (I know, that is sooo unlike my starsign) unless of course it is a serious blatant injustice committed against me. But there are some people that adamantly "fight" even when they inflict the injustice themselves, and they do it with such endearing flare! The endearing element lies in their nonaggressive approach where they carefully disguise the "fight" initiative through ultra sweet smiles and palpable charm, thus maintaining a friendly pleasing disposition, very much like our charming friend BullPoop . The unexpected clemency in this case leaves the opponent confused, dumbfounded, yeilding, and hence, defeated.

While I was riding the subway, or according to the british, the "tube" a young british chap was kind enough to reach his hand through the crowd of entering passengers and spiritedly, grab my ass. Now I've had experiences with sexual assault before (I live in a country full of sexually frustrated men, its bound to happen a few times in empty parking lots and Bakalas), and so usually with these groping experiences I have a somewhat predictable process: I register that I was groped, I turn to my offender, I unleash a bitchy nonsensical tirade, I become impassioned with a burning desire to phsycially strike back, I attempt to execute the ambitious attack, the perpetrator conveniently flees the scene before commencement, and I feel like crap.

So this time I was pretty much expecting my subway assailant to disappear through mass transit by jumping out of the train, and hence escaping my wrath and (his) subsequent humiliation. But to my utter surprise, the bloke did not flee; he remained sturdily in his position, willing to face the fire, with a bright sparkly smile plastered on his face. I was so stunned at his courage I almost suspected that I imagined the whole affiar untill he winked at me mischieviously! I suddenly blurted out "why did you do that?". His smile widened as he looked at me with alarming confidence and then responded innocently "did what, love?"

Ok, our cheeky friend wants me to say it out loud. I bet he is dying to hear the words out of my mouth, and have me make a comedic scene in the bloody tube like a mad woman on Paxil. I was not going to give him such a show.
I responded calmly, "you know what you did! Its disgusting to say the least" I walk away from him to the other end of the train, find a seat and plop myself down. As I replay the whole scene in my head, I realize how his smile and blatant confidence caught me off gaurd, successfully confusing me, and disarming me of the impulsive aspiration to slap the bastard.

Later on in the train ride, I manage to forget all about it, and trot back to mental planning of shopping escapades, untill our dear BullPoop walks over to my end of the train, and plants himself in the seat right next to mine. I turn to look at him, and find the warm smile still intact, which sent me a subconsious trigger to return the smile, untill he whispered quietly:
"will you forgive me?"

I was dumbfounded for a brief moment at his admission, and then at his amiable manner in treating the situation. I seriously considered that he might have been delusional enough to believe that when he squeezed my behind on the train, he actually did me a favor. I didn't know what to say to dear BullPoop. I was speechless. So I got up at the first opportunity, and exited the train. When I heard the automatic train doors shut behind me, I couldn't resist turning around to glance back at him.... And there he was, sweet cute BullPoop, smilling at me behind the glass windows of the moving train, and waving goodbye, knowing perfectly well that he just got away with assault, and more importantly, that he just won!