Not quite a crime but...
I work for a company that hires generators, and one sunny afternoon a year or two ago we were in London, loading out a job on an old industrial estate.
About to leave, the last task was to back up and hitch up the diesel tank to the landie, so I back the landie up and set to work with the jack to lift the tank up to the right height (no jockey wheel). From behind me I hear some commotion, as some pilled up nutter starts shouting about how we're blocking the way.
I turn round, observe that there's plenty of space and leave it to my two colleagues to tell the bloke to hang on, we'll be out of the way in a minute if he can't drive through a gap with over a foot either side...
The bloke seems to be intent on speaking to me, so eventually I turn round, notice this and walk over to him to inquire what his problem is.
He starts trying to get in my face, shouting about how we should know who he is and all that and get out of his way. Sadly however he was a tad shorter than me, so I was looking down on him, not impressed, noticing over his shoulder one of my colleagues idly playing with a hammer with the look of someone who was waiting for it to all kick off, and my other colleague with a phone in his hand, and me? well I've still got the jack handle in my hand - oops.
In the car are his missus, and a screaming infant. We carefully explain the situation to him, that he needs to back off, and we'll be out of his way. His missus notices the suitably tooled up people getting "upset" with her bloke, and starts shouting to him to get in the f*cking car right now. Eventually, he does to everyone's amazement (and slight disappointment from my colleague with the hammer I think), she manages to get him back in the car, and maneuverer around the landie, and then lays down some rubber.
And that ladies and gentlemen is about the closest i've been to witnessing a serious kicking. Oh, and he dropped his house keys as he got in the car. Whoopsy :) They got dropped down a drain. Karma's a bitch.
( Alex Save a Tree, Eat a Beaver!, Wed 20 Feb 2008, 3:32, Reply)