I feel for you. But I don't want to give the impression we should all be Rambos. In most situations like this, if no one stands up, the bully gets more confidence. If you do stand up, the first approach is to try to connect , in a friendly way. , like for example, " mate, you don't need this, and you don't need the hassel it will cause down the track, think about it for a minute. " or something similar. This does a couple of things. sometimes the fellow actually pulls up, hesitates, and you know you have an in to continue to talk him down. OR , he hesitates, which gives another bystander the confidence to stand with you, which hopefully , in a situation like a train, will encourage others to do the same. There is safety in numbers. Always be prepared to defend yourself, but don't be aggressive. If you have to be aggressive, maximum force, first up. Works some times, every situation is different. But most Australians respond to kindness, first up. Leave the aggression for the last resort. Bob

