For decades, I’ve volunteered for a charity walk event that brings together anywhere from 600 to 2,600 participants. Over the years, I’ve become deeply familiar with every aspect of the event, sometimes even more so than the charity staff who oversee it. I’m trusted to act in the best interests of the event, often making decisions on the spot to ensure everything runs smoothly.
The event was paused during COVID, but once it restarted, I had a memorable encounter that solidified my confidence in standing my ground.
The walk begins in a large city park, with the starting area located in a parking lot at the end of a dead-end street. While the park is open to the public, the charity has a permit to use the area exclusively during the event. To ensure the safety of participants, we block off the entrance to the street at a nearby intersection. In previous years, local police officers were stationed at the intersection to help manage traffic and redirect drivers.
During one of the events, about halfway through the day, a man riding his bicycle with his son approached me. He asked to speak with the person in charge. I explained that she was currently busy with a news interview and offered to help.
Man: “I wanted to park in this area, but you’ve blocked the road. You can’t do that.”
Me: [gesturing to the hundreds of participants in the parking lot] “Sir, yes we can. This is for their safety. Besides, there’s no parking available here right now.”
Man: “No, you can’t. You’re stopping people from using the park.”
Me: “We’ve been doing this for decades. We have a permit to ensure the area is safe for participants.”
Man: “No, you can’t. I wanted to park here, and you’ve stopped me from doing that.”
Me: “Sir, as I said, this is for the safety of the participants, and we’ve done it this way for years.”
Man: “Do you want me to call the cops?!”
In that moment, I realized how often people use this threat as a last-ditch effort to assert dominance or get their way. It’s an attempt to intimidate, assuming the other person will back down out of fear of authority.
I took a moment to process his words, refusing to let fear dictate my response. Calmly, I replied:
Me: “Actually, yes. I do want you to call the cops.”
The man froze, clearly unprepared for my reaction. His expression shifted from shock to anger as he realized his bluff had been called. Without another word, he angrily rode away with his son.
That moment was an unexpected confidence boost. It reminded me that standing firm in the face of unnecessary confrontation is empowering—especially when you know you’re in the right.
