Odd

Something odd happened today. Well to be fair, it is probably not that odd, it just seems so to me.

I was walking back from town, I passed the secondary school I used to go to as a child, just at the time the kids were leaving to go home. As I walked past this group of about six unusually tall kids, one lashed out and tried to trip me. I stepped aside, kept going, then out of curiosity turned around. At the same moment one of those kids turned back to face me, grinning inanely. I unthinkingly gave him the finger, and he laughed and returned the gesture, at which point I couldn't suppress the tiniest hint of a grin - stupid kids. Then they all stopped and turned around, and I felt an odd pang of fear - I mean, this is Durham, not Fenham, nobody gets jumped here - but after being attacked on New Years Day I tend to get paranoid easily at the moment. Why was I afraid? It was just for a second, before sanity returned and I realised that A) They aren't going to start a fight in broad daylight in Durham and B) They are school kids, I can take them.

Anyhow, they decided not to try and start anything and walked off. Strange though, they looked too old to be acting like dicks in that way, they looked like sixthformers (16-18)...and weren't dressed like chavs. Maybe rahs from the local private school, they often go to the state comprehensive that used to be my school, for sixthform, because at A-level the state school outperforms the private.

Even if they were rahs though, why randomly try and trip someone walking past in the street? Someone who is clearly older and who you probably aren't going to win against in a fight? Do I somehow give off a "I am a pushover please fuck with me" vibe? 'Cause I am pretty sure they don't do that to everyone they walk past. Still, I know that if there had only been one he would not of dared, he was some kid trying to impress his friends. Nonetheless, it perturbs me, I strongly do not want to give off an air of vulnerability. I would of fought him, all 6 of them, even...but I don't want to get into fights in the street because people think it is ok to attack me and that I probably won't retaliate...because I will, I can't stand letting someone weaker fuck around with me - so I cannot afford to entice them into provoking me, lest I end up hospitalising a 16 year old.