Just when you think the world couldn’t get any crazier, then you experience something so mind-blowing, it fails you even more, to put the whole madness into perspective.
I was out doing my regular morning rounds. On my way back from dropping my kid off at school, I decided to stop by at a kiosk to get something. I had casual clothes, sunglasses and my mask on. I had a missed call. I took out my phone, held it up to check my network reception. Then I heard a scream coming from the shop owner at the till in front of me. She was pointing at me. I asked her politely why she was screaming at me. I was upset and told her I won’t be buying anything from her shop anymore. And I walked out the door. Within splits seconds she was right behind me screaming stop her! Stop her! She took a picture of me!
Before I knew it, there was a mob behind me. I was scared to death. My car was parked just a stone throw away, so I ran. She was right behind me, pulling my t-shirt and blocked me from opening my car door. She didn’t have a mask on and was right in my face! I managed to pull her hand away from the door handle and got into the car, into safety. Now, a mob had already formed around my car. Someone commented snidely “it’s probably a stolen Porsche!". I heard another voice: don’t let her leave! Call the Police!”.
They blocked my car and I couldn't drive off. Finally someone called the police. I’m not sure what the police told them on the phone but the crowd started dispersing and left me alone.
I was scared. Shaking.
Why would someone cry wolf and people would just blindly chase after, not asking questions and not knowing what actually happened? I can’t bear to think what could have happened to me. I later called the police who told me I could file a charge against the shopkeeper for “Nötigung“ (Duress or Constraint in English). I spoke to my lawyer who told me to sleep the weekend over it first, before making any move.
This happened on the 28th of August 2020. I have slept a whole weekend plus two nights on it, but that experience still hasn’t left me. So now I’m doing what I do best when I’m trying to process this mad world: I write about it.
It’s been four days since that horrifying experience, and I’m still left with the question: do I sue in revenge or do I forgive and simply blame it on the mask?
What would you do?