Does this mean I am getting old, or just finaly smartened up a bit?

[shortbow]

You done good, Cliff.

 

[scottyrocks]

Considering how much you did previous to the sale to make it as straight up with him as you did, you owe him nothing, especially a fight. Only swing if youre swung at first. Otherwise, walk away. Wise choice.

 

[Lefty]

How much cash are we talking about? This sounds pretty comical for a broken grill, as I can't imagine anyone selling a broken grill for over $50. A used car could provoke this - but a grill?

 

[Diamondback]

It means you Exercised The Better Part of Valor.

"Your best defense is a lifelong commitment to Avoidance, Deterrence and Deescalation."--Clint Smith, USMC(Ret.), director, Thunder Ranch

Your Signal: BRAVO ZULU!

 

[MikeBravo]

The correct reaction. By that I mean it's what I would have done in the circumstance


I may have gone one further and invited him to contact the police and have them sort it out. Going by what the police told you about him, it would have worked and he would have backed off

 

[Edward]

"Violence is the policy of barbarians. non-violence is the policy of men."

Muhatma Ghandi. Smart man.

 

[Paisley]

Engaging a nut job isn't smart. Consider what might have happened if you had fought this person: you'd have damaged your reputation among your neighbors. You might have been hurt badly enough to need medical attention or have long-term problems. You might have ended up in court or involved with the police.

If it were me, I'd have given him his money back even though deals like these are as-is, so that he wouldn't have had any grievance with me. I'd have my grill, he'd have his money, and we'd have been no worse off than when we started. This isn't cowardice, it's enlightened self-interest.

 

[SkullCowboy]

Maturity? Smarts? How bout just good common sense. I applaud your not allowing him to taunt you into a situation that could have had serious and long term consequences for you, him, anyone who happened to be close by.
Nobody ever wins a fight no matter the physical outcome.
Having said that, had he actually assaulted you or attempted to enter your home, well, I would have made sure he remembered that mistake for a long time...

 

[Michaelson]

Sadly, today's society now looks on it being a situation where it's kill or be killed. There's nothing left in today's fabric from the golden era that individuals would face each other and duke it out by the rules of fair fight. In any town I've lived in, the police can indeed get involved, as it's now looked on as disturbing the peace, or 'domestic violence' at different levels, rather than just a 'friendly fight'.

Those days are LONG gone.

You did right in walking away, but if he had come after you, you had EVERY right to defend yourself in any way possible.

That said, I'll bet dollars to donuts he was not the person you were in conflict with. I bet his wife or 'significant other' found out he had purchased a grill that needed work, and told him to get his money back come heck or high water, and not come home without it. He was probably more afraid to go home and face the music than to offer to take YOU on. What cha want to bet?lol

Regards! Michaelson

My perception of the golden era is that fighting was commonplace and no big deal really. So, this thread brings up a great issue. Why does today's society treat fighting so negatively? He offered to fight you and you could have accepted. However, someone has to lay the ground rules as to when a fight is over. Knockout, TKO, or "I quit." Maybe next time you could say, "Hey there is a boxing ring at so and so's meet me there and fight me as a man and not as an animal." (It is easy to play armchair quarterback, but in my opinion you did the right thing.) Just something to think about if another occasion arises.

legally, I believe that if both parties agree to a fight then there are no legal consequences, as long as one party doesn't use a weapon or excessive force.

 

[Undertow]

Even if you feel like a coward and a wimp, a reasonable, intelligent and articulate person would shy away from this kind of barbarism if at all possible.

It's easy to get caught up in testosterone-fueled MMA matches, boxing, football, etc; violent movies, violent video games, etc., but it's not necessarily a good idea to take everyone up on their offer of fisticuffs.

I think you did the right thing, and hopefully he feels that much more miserable with his broken grill. In fact, he should feel much worse considering you went above and beyond by offering any assistance.

 

[Lily Powers]

To echo the other posters, you indeed handled the situation in a correct and sane manner.

I'll also venture another thought: this man could have been trying to extort money from you. Buying something he thought he could fix, then complaining about a problem and wanting his money back, even taunting you... all of it could have been a set up for fraud. If you fought him, he might have gone after you for damages, claiming (phony) injuries.

Keep your eyes open though. If he was out to try and scam you, he'll probably just go away. If, on the other hand, he's a card carrying member of Nutville, be alert that he might try to start up with you again.