In article <5gka47$f0g$1@news.aimnet.com>, steve@swhitlat.com wrote:

> It appears that they were instructed to be aggressive
> as long as the target succumbed, but to back off if the target
> returned aggression.

In the whole year that I've been picketing not one single scientologist has ever gotten PHYSICAL with me. Sure, they've done some nasty things but NOT ONCE have they ever touched me. They appear to know better. It's also important that I point out that so far I've never HAD to get aggressive with any of their members. Just NOT REACTING to what they do out there has been enough to get them to back down. The fact is it just ain't no fun if someone won't play with you. Because of that I make it a point to just not play with them and they stop what they're doing to me.

This guy who DID get physical with me was DEFINETLY NOT a scientologist. I am VERY positive about this. He was a street person with some pretty severe physchotic tendencies. Remember that the tenderloin is just a block away. The woman who stopped on the bike knew him and KNEW that I was in danger, that's why she made it a point to stop to warn me. I just can't forget that look of concern in her eyes that she gave me. She actually put herself in danger in order to warn me about him. I was a complete stranger but she did that for me.

Another reason that I know that he was not a scientologist is that earlier he even went after one one them. This member (who I had talked to earlier) ran behind me for protection from him. She really did look scared. Since I was busy talking to someone I didn't realize the danger that she REALLY was in. Fortunately my action of shielding her gave her the chance to get away and run back to the safety of the Org. From what I DID see the guy seemed friendly enough so I thought that he was just kidding around. He even SAID that he was just kidding around with her. If I HAD KNOWN the danger that she was really in I would have done a lot more to make sure that she got away safely. When she was gone this guy then went after me, I was the next easy target. Lucky me.

One thing I've learned over this past year is that if a scientologist is going to get nasty with me they always do it right away. People on the street who have gotten hostile with me, in contrast, always appear friendly at first -- then they turn on me. This is the first one that has actually gotten physical, all the rest I've been able to 'defuse' by just talking to them. I'm damn good out there but there are always the few psychotics running loose out on the streets that just can't be handled no matter what you do. This was one of them.