Does that still happen?
Or has the mobile phone killed it off a little?
The first thing I would do in that situation would be dial 999, followed by asking the woman what would happen if we tried to leave and pretending I was a little deaf...
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 17:39, 1 reply)

The met are cracking down
according to some fly on the wall thing.

I'm of the (armchair tactician) opinion that the best way would be 'oh, you don't take plastic? Can you drag me to a cashpoint?' and make the biggest scene you possibly can once in the open air.

The beatings may still continue, but there's a slightly (this is London) higher chance of someone coming to your aid, or at least watching disinterestedly and then going through your pockets.
( multijoy, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 19:18, closed)

I think they have credit card machines and cash points...
... at least the ones I have heard of did. But I do like your idea if you could get it to work -- at the very least you'd be on CCTV being beaten so if you lived you would be compensated.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 19:54, closed)