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“He threw me right on the ground and then stomped all over me. I mean boots and fists and knees,” Scanlon said.”He punched me in the face, he stomped on my face, he kicked me several times.”

The man didn’t say anything during the beating, and neither did any of the bystanders across the street.

Scanlon didn’t have his cellphone — he shares it with his adult son — on him at the time. And no one who witnessed the attack called 911 for him, he said.

He was left with a sore hip and a black eye that is healing, but his vision remains blurry and there were cuts around his nose and cheek.

Scanlon said the only reason his injuries weren’t more intense is because, at 72 years old, he’s been doing yoga six days a week.

“I managed to build up the body to have the strength to endure punishment, but any ordinary 72-year-old would’ve been dead by now.”

However, he has been left with an overwhelming fear.

“Is this going to happen again? Is this guy coming back tomorrow? Or what? Like, I’m really afraid to go into the public now.”

Working downtown for decades has brought with it some “instances” of trouble, he said, but nothing ever as bad as this. He has, however, previously voiced his concerns about being an open target for drunk downtown revellers and ruffians.

“Because of (this) dreadful experience, I said to myself, ‘I’m going to have to do something else.’ ”

After reading about 81-year-old Maria Desousa, who police allege was beaten to death by her son and his girlfriend, Scanlon starting looking up charter rights and seeing what he could do to protect himself.