"Ah yes, let's fucking ROB a KITCHEN with a POCKET KNIFE, when my would-be victims are surrounded by knives of all shapes and sizes, pans heavy enough to crack someone's skull, cleavers that could take my limbs off in one swing, literal BOILING LIQUIDS in HUGE pots, and they're also SERVICE WORKERS who are probably homicidal from the bullshit customers pull in a regular day's work and are just looking for an excuse to kill someone legally. Surely I won't get done like Julius Caesar."
I get you. In larger companies you'll be fired for resisting, sometimes for even accusing someone of wrong doing. But in this exact situation, I would have grabbed whatever weapon was at hand. Not saying that because I think I'm a badass, quite the opposite, but I know myself and how I act under pressure.
People tend to back up with the quickness when shown a weapon, often when said weapon is only implied.
Funny story; I was doing a satellite install in a Chicagoland apartment complex. Apparently they had strict parking assignments and I had parked in this guy's spot. He parked elsewhere and came charging up spitting and cursing.
Pulled out my long, 2-pound cable tool, put it behind my back, STFU and waited on him. I was worried, but I was ready to clobber him. Dude saw that and spun on his heel mumble fucking all the way back. (Check the end of this comment!)
I am not proposing empty threats! But in a case like mine or in the meme, bad guy was clearly outgunned, ran away. Bullies of any stripe back it up when the mouse suddenly grows teeth and looks prepared to use them. Even worse is when the mouse appears unafraid!
Guess that's all to say that neither is a case of two angry men knife fighting. They are both cases of confronting someone with a weapon, someone who thinks they have an easy target. Those sorts pretty much always run away. Been there, done that, and not just in the above story.
Best past of my story? Dude's car got towed for being in the wrong spot while he threatened me! ๐