no help from field director or my partner!!

[Dan_ref]

I normally post over on the basketball side but there are
3 lessons to be learned here that apply to any official
working any level.

1. Don't talk to fans (already well covered by GarthB)

2. Carry a cell phone. Our fat friend might have driven
off sooner if Jim had reached into his bag & pulled out
a phone as he continued walking on (but I will say he
handled it well & got a good story out of it!). Of course
there are times when #1 & #2 won't work, which leads me
to...

3. Know how to defend yourself. You'll probably never have
to actually defend yourself against a physical attack but
knowing how to will make you that much more confident &
relaxed just in case. Let's face it, "Local ump questioned
and released by police after game" is a much better
headline than "Local ump treated and released from hospital
after game".