Well had a crazy day today here. I am an American living here in China. I caught a pickpocket and yelled at him. So he says something to me and goes right back to picking the purse he was in the first place. What are you a flaming dumbass!!!! So I yell theif and point at him. No not your regular yell but the kind that hearken back to my days as a Sergent. Then he is scared shitless and runs. I am still a little on the edge because I was ready for a scrap over a purse of someone I never met. Am I insane?

Yup. I would have let it go. But I have no army training. But heat and the moment and all, who knows. Good on you though.

hmm... do you have diplomatic protection? because i remember i was a poor 14-year-old student from korea who visited tiannamen square in 99 and we were followed by 4 plainclothes guys throughout it. and we were like 6 kids with 2 profs. so yeah... just representative of the whole system there. you're first guilty then you have to prove you're innocent. and i wouldn't know whether chinese officials like foreigners pointing out their society's problems. drac

had the same problems with Gypsies in Rome once. The kids started the old 'show 'em the art, cover his pockets, and start raiding'..yelled at them, and they left. The deal is, though, that being a foreigner, they assume you're a tourist, and since most tourists can't stick around for a trial, they know you can't or won't press charges. glad you held on to your dignity and your posessions..

those gypsies were most likely romanian :/ drac (unfortunate side-effect of living in a poor country)

No, I don't think you're insane. When faced with situations like this I recall the words of Sir Edmund Burke (I paraphrase) " All that is needed for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing". Well done.

well done

Hey Drac I know what you mean. I am pretty well networked here. I only spend time with Chinese people for the most part. But I did work in Saudi Arabia. there I did nto have as large a network of local freinds. And most of the ex pats there end up in jail at one time or another. China is quite different. Here everyone ends up spending time in the hospital instead. (really I am not kidding)．　 I was Air Force (hence the airplane pictures)　fixed radios and radar. I did not like the whole military thing but enjoyed working on planes. It is a good experience overall but don't stay longer than you have to. I was in in the 80's because I am an old git almost as old as Pakled.

Dann-o well done. The best thing you did was scream if you had placed a hand on him then god help you. he would have started screaming and you wouldn't be on the net to tell us of this ordeal.