Yes, Pat, there is always a chance of getting whacked yourself!
I truly believe everyone of us here would have spoken up as I did! How could we not!
I did this one other time when entering a discount store and at the doorway a woman was hitting a small child so hard it was lifting her up off the floor. The little girl was about three or four and the woman was well over 200 pounds. I stopped and said..."You're abusing that child!" She looked at me like I had slapped HER! Actual pain in her face, and I do realize such people are hurting themselves and passing their frustrations off to the offspring...so sad.
Love
Patty