I nearly got into a knock down drag out fight with some teenager today! She started screaming at me in the store because my daughter walked in front of her while she was looking at toys!? WHAT!? Yea... She said "If she walks in front of me again watch what happens" "I was like EXCUSE me? Oh hell no... IF you threaten my child again you'll be picking your teeth up off the floor." Her mom started yelling at me then too (they were holding a 6mo old baby ) By the end of it she threw the toys she was lookin at into the isle and walked off. A few seconds later i was swarmed by the staff all staring at me like i was about to kill someone... Pfft. If she hit my child no amount of grocery store staff would be able to save her.

I was in shock because my daughter and my older son were just looking at the toys. She flipped out and told ME to get control of them... They were kneeling down looking at toys... I said "they arent allowed to look at toys?" and she said "They are cutting in front of my mom and i, if she walks in front of me again watch what happens" OMG i nearly came un-glued. I was deadly calm though which i think srsly scared her because she backed up still ranting and her mom started yelling. I wasnt about to be punked and i wasnt about to let her hurt my child. What did she think she was going to do? I mean srsly... I really dont get what the hell she was thinking. I said how about you mind your own child and not mine. She told me they needed to learn manners... CLEARLY so did she! Piss poor excuse for a parent indeed. I mean honestly, if they were like grabbing toys out of her hand or knocking into her or something i could understand but they "walked in front of her" and kneel'ed down? How is that acting out of control? Effing insane.

That was bad parenting on the mother's part. I can't believe that happened to you!

(On the topic of public fights, I was listening to a radio show the other morning and a man called. He was complaining about a co-worker hitting on his girlfriend. By the man's words, he compared the other guy as the "better" one. He was bigger [taller and built]. He wanted to get into a fist fight with the man AT WORK. Wth. Just let it go. Tell him that you feel uncomfortable that he's flirting with your girl, and let it go. Or fine, get fired. Anyway, the guy sounded like a pansy. Sorry, guy.)

What an obnoxious teenager! If she thought your children were in her way, an "excuse me please" would have sufficed.
But threatening a small child with violence? Completely unacceptable! If I was her mother, I'd have felt ashamed, not started yelling in her defence.

As for public fights in general, I'm a pacifist, but the only times I've even come close have been situations similar to the one you've just described; someone has behaved threateningly or otherwise inappropriately towards my child, and I've gone all "MAMA BEAR DESTROOOOYYY!!"
I don't always manage to retain my composure like you did, though. I'm not very good at controlling my temper in those situations.

That shit is inexcusable I hate it when there are bad parents that don't know how to raise there kids. And the worse part is that they THINK that there a good parent. It kills me and you can't say anything to some parents because they'll take that to heart. And they wonder why there children are wild and such! Sheesh! I'm sorry that you had to go through that. People are just silly as all hell.

As for public fights. You know which ones are the worse? School fights high school, middle school any school. I've always hated when there were school fights. Because when it happens people turn into chimpanzees and watch. They would never help break it up but they would just make it worse with there cheering. I never understood why people would get so entertained when they would see people beating each other. back then when there was no technology okay understandable. But how people get enjoyment by watching people beat each other now and days makes me realize that people are sick.

I also hated when I had to go to class but people would block the freaken way because of the fight. Or when kids would stand on the lunch tables in the lunch room so they can get a good view... people would get grass on my food.

Even though that was an unfortunate thing that happened, there are days (like today) where I wish that would happen to me. That's mostly because I have the issue where I love to argue with people like that, especially when I'm not at risk at losing my job (or curse you retail and forcing me to work with stupid people). There's just something about calmly belittling people when they aren't aware of it that just seems to satisfying (and this is where I start to think I have serious problems T-T).

As much as I don't like conflict (it makes me physically ill), I can't just sit idely by and just let it go. I had graduated from my high school in 2008 and came back during a football game probably around 2010 or 2011 because my sister was still there and wanted me to go. While I was there, I spotted a circle of kids from her grade (some people even being kids that graduated after me). In the middle were two girls whom I was familiar with and both were familiar with fighting. Of course the circle was there encouraging the fight and I stepped in the middle. Kids at my school hated me for being a goody-two-shoes, but I don't think any of them expected me to get as mad as I did (regardless to the temper I had back in high school). I pulled the girls apart and yelled at the two of them to knock it off; when the people in the circle started complaining I laid down the law (having sent a younger brother to my best friend to get a teacher). I told them how fighting was against the rules on school property and if they encouraged such behavior, not only would I report their names to the school (it was a small school so everyone knew everyone), but if the issue persisted I would not hesitate to call the police.

The circle started to breakup so I left only for it to form up again. I got involved once more (a teacher never came) and that time it did stop for good.

It feels good to break up fights even though it sucks that they even started to begin with...

Some people.
That was totally rude and uncalled for on the part of the teenager and her mother.
I know, being a mother myself, just let anybody think they are going to do any harm or even
try and reprimand my child.
Hell hath no fury, like that of a mommy protecting her child.