In the wake of Saturday’s terror attack in London one image stood out and quickly became a symbol for British defiance.
A man fleeing the chaotic scene with a ‘£6 pound pint’ in hand encapsulated the essence of Britishness in the face of terror.
His image has been doing the rounds on almost every social media platform going, as people celebrate his ‘true British spirit’ and defiance in the aftermath of the atrocities committed in the city.
The Liverpool Echo has now reported the the unknown ‘beer man’ is actually a Scouser.
Miles from his native home of Liverpool – where the beers flow freely and cheaply – many have suggested he made an understandable choice to keep his beverage with him.
As it happens, the fact he couldn’t bear to be parted from his precious pint, could potentially have been the best possible decision he could have made.
Ex-SAS officer, John Geddes revealed carrying a pint glass in an unfolding situation, is unbelievably a very sensible thing to do, according to the Independent.
He explained carrying some sort of ‘weapon’ – albeit a half finished pint of beer in this case – is the best viable option in these sort of circumstances.
The 60-year-old who served in the elite special forces unit for 14-years said the pint can be thrown in the attacker’s face to ‘immobilise them’, if defending yourself becomes paramount.
He said:
A pint pot – we all know the damage some idiot in the pub can do with that. That’s what people have to do collectively to defeat these perpetrators.
Cold drinks are good too. Just throw them in his face, especially if they come in a good volume like a beer. Liquid – of any sort – in the face is a big impediment to action.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a pint though, as he stipulates grabbing anything which could deter an attacker, including items from a pub beer garden like an umbrella or stool could offer precious defence.
He advises sticking with groups of people in situations like the London attack and to never leave yourself in a unarmed, on the floor with a very real threat present.
He said:
For a moment you have to become a group of football hooligans. The very worst thing you can do is hide on the floor in the proximity of the attacker. If that’s what you do then you are going to be stabbed and shot.
He also explained he believed people must have tried to fight back, after the dreadful attacks on the city at the weekend, which saw a van mow down pedestrians, and armed men attack people with knives.
He said:
I heard one example of a man in the London attack talking about how he took them on with bottles and chairs and glasses.
I suspect with the number of attackers and the number of people who were attacked, it will have happened more than once.
It was confirmed yesterday, seven people died in the appalling attack, with 48 people injured and 21 still in a critical condition.
Our thoughts are with the victim’s families and everyone affected.
Geddes book – co-written by Alun Rees – Be A Hero: The Essential Guide to Active Shooter Incident, is out on August 1st and available on Amazon.
